Product integration - Design the casing for your food temperature probe

In this activity students will design a prototype for a casing and housing a food temperature probe.

The activity can be used as a follow-on activity from our Micro:bit food temperature probe design project. It’s part of a series of resources which support the use of the BBC micro:bit in design and technology (DT) or computing lessons.

Activity: Designing the casing for a food temperature probe
This activity tasks students with turning a BBC micro:bit food temperature probe into a finished product.

Students will need to consider aesthetics and ergonomics, how it can securely enclose and fit the food temperature probe, and also which materials should be used that are fit for purposes. Students will sketch their casing ideas, adding notes explaining their design choices.

Students can also create a prototype of their design using modelling materials (e.g., card).

Download our activity overview for a detailed lesson plan on product integration.

The engineering context
Integrating programmable systems within products is an important part of the design process when working with electronic products and systems. Not only does the system have to function correctly, the finished product also has to be commercially viable in the sense that it must be cost-efficient to manufacture, and attractive enough for potential customers to want to buy.

Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to develop a design for a fully integrated electronic product. They’ll also be able to annotate their ideas using technical language.

Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources
The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

Download our classroom lesson plan and presentation below.

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