Lesson 2: Buttons & Gestures (Teacher Notes)

This is the teacher guide for Lesson 2.
It includes tips and teaching strategies for using button and gesture inputs on the BBC Micro:bit.

---

Learning Objectives

• Teach students to use button A and button B events.
• Introduce the shake gesture as an input.
• Create a simple program that responds to different inputs.

---

Suggested Lesson Flow

1. Introduction (5 mins)
   • Recap last week’s lesson: showing text or icons.
   • Explain that today students will make the Micro:bit react when buttons are pressed or when it’s shaken.
   • Demo button A → smiley face, button B → sad face, shake → random number.
2. Demonstration (5 mins)
   • Show how to add on button A pressed and on shake blocks.
   • Explain the idea of events: code runs only when something happens.
3. Student Activity (15-20 mins)
   • Students follow student instructions.
   • Start with button icons, then add shake gesture, then combine into a controller.
   • Optional challenge: A+B pressed shows a special icon.
4. Wrap-Up (5 mins)
   • Ask reflective questions:
     • “Which part was easy? Which part was tricky?”
     • “How could these inputs be useful when building the race car controller later?”
   • Remind students to save their work for future lessons.

---

Common Issues & Fixes

| Problem | Solution | |————————-|——————————————————| | Micro:bit not connecting | Check cable or battery. Try another USB port. | | Code not working | Ensure blocks are inside the correct event block (button/shake). | | Numbers not random | Make sure pick random 1 to 6 is inside show number. | | Icons overlapping | Remind students each button needs its own event block. |

---

Demo Code Example

• Finished Code

To edit this repository in MakeCode.

• open https://makecode.microbit.org/
• click on Import then click on Import URL
• paste https://github.com/aliblol/code-club-2025-6/2-buttons-gestures and click import