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. Please do share your highlights with us @IETeducation

Analyse an existing personal alarm system This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. Schools are busy environments and it is easy for learner’s bags to be left unattended, taken by mistake or even stolen. Alarm systems using embedded electronics and programmable components can be developed to protect the property of learners during the school day. In this unit of learning, learners will research, program and develop a working school bag alarm system using the BBC micro:bit. Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links In this activity, learners will carry out an analysis of an existing, commercially available personal alarm system. 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. Download the free activity sheet! 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. And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation

In this engineering activity, students will work in groups to share their knowledge of the use of technology in sport. They will each give a 60 second presentation about the topic to their group. This task is aimed at secondary school students and could be used as a starter activity with ‘Create a portable beep tester’ as the main activity. It is an ideal exercise for learners to both demonstrate and develop their knowledge of the topic of technology in sport, and share with their peers. Activity introduction This activity encourages learners to recall information, helps learners develop their oral presentation skills and encourages learners to work together to develop their knowledge. The teacher will first state to students that they will be demonstrating their existing knowledge of the use of technology in sport. They will also be developing their knowledge further by working with other learners in this group and listening to their presentations. Learners will be expected to work in teams of four. Their topic to talk about will be ‘the use of technology in sport’. Each learner in the group will, in turn, speak about this topic to their team for 60 seconds. They must try not to hesitate, deviate or repeat any information! Each group of four will write a summary of the main points learnt and read it out the class. This can be both in terms of knowledge of the topic and oral presentation techniques used. The engineering context Sports Technology is an ideal topic for teaching about programmable components and embedded intelligence in products. These are key parts of the 2014 programme of study for Design and Technology at key stage 3. It is also an ideal vehicle for using the BBC micro:bit in the classroom and developing the product integration skills of learners. Technology in sport This is one of a series of resources to support the use of the BBC micro:bit in Design and Technology lessons. Technology can be used in sports to enhance performance and help participants to improve their fitness and stamina. For example, automated beep tests can be used to monitor fitness levels during training sessions and set targets for future improvement. In this unit of learning, students will use the BBC micro:bit to develop a prototype for an electronic beep test that can be used to help people monitor and improve their fitness levels. Suggested learning outcomes By the end of this activity students will be able to describe how technology can be used in sport, present an oral presentation on the topic of technology in sport and they will be able to work as part of a team to develop their knowledge of technology in sport. Download the activity sheets for free! And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation.