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Lessons / Protecting animals on land

Protecting animals on land

Design challenge

2 activities

MakeCode

7-11 yrs

In the Spot the species project, students explore the wildlife in their local habitat and create a species counter using the BBC micro:bit. 

In the second activity, students learn about the illegal wildlife trade and create an anti-poaching collar using the radio function on the micro:bit. 

Computational thinking:

Algorithms

Design & technology:

Product design

Global Goals:

15 Life on land

Networks:

Communication

Programming:

Selection

Variables

Download design challenge

Activity 1 details

Overall key learning

  • to learn more about wildlife in your local environment and elsewhere
  • to consider the importance of biodiversity
  • to consider how technology can help protect animals
  • to build working micro:bit prototypes to record and protect species
  • to analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
  • to be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Additional skills

Researching, presenting, creative thinking.

Activity 1: Spot the species

Consider the wildlife you see in your local habitat and consider how important it is, then create a micro:bit counter to record different species.

Key learning:

  • to learn more about wildlife in your local environment
  • to consider the importance of biodiversity
  • to create a simple algorithm for a working micro:bit species counter
Activity 1 details

Activity 2: Anti-poaching collar

Learn about the illegal wildlife trade, with a focus on poaching, then use the micro:bit’s radio function to create an anti-poaching collar.

Key learning:

  • to learn about how poaching endangers species
  • to consider how technology can help prevent poaching
  • to build a working prototype wireless anti-poaching alarm to be worn by animals
Activity 2 details

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