Matt's Lab

A number of coding instruction books for kids are available, but what about fictional stories about kids who code? I take a look at two fictional book series for young coders that weave computer science concepts through tales of mystery, adventure, and teamwork. These books are great for older elementary students who love to read and are curious about technology. I’ve also thrown in a review of my favorite publisher of instruction books for budding coders. Girls Who Code In late August 2017, Girls Who Code , a non-profit organization, released a non-fiction coding book and the first two fiction books in a 13-book series. Book 1: The Friendship Code, written by Stacia Deutsch, takes Lucy, Sophia, Maya, and Erin through a cryptic mystery while they learn the value of persistence with coding and friendship. Reshma Saujani, CEO & Founder of Girls Who Code, explains that it’s difficult for girls to envision themselves as computer scientists when they aren’t often portrayed in...

Using SparkFun’s micro:bot kit and their gamer:bit breakout board, I programmed the micro:bot to be controlled by a second micro:bit microcontroller. The two micro:bits transfer data packets over low-energy Bluetooth antennae. The micro:bot can also be programmed to follow a line using its three line sensors and has the capability to control a couple of servos that come with the kit. The SparkFun moto:bit, also in the kit, breaks out the 21 pins on the micro:bit and sets it up to control DC motors and servos. Additional power is provided through a barrel power jack and four AA batteries nicely secured on the lower level of the micro:bot. The entire bot takes about 30 minutes to assemble. Programming it can take as long as you want… A moto:bit package can be added to Microsoft’s MakeCode micro:bit code editor . I used this package to control the micro:bot’s motors. If you have the gamer:bit, micro:bot, and a couple of micro:bits lying around, feel free to download my program to ...

SparkFun’s micro:arcade kit comes with the gamer:bit breakout board and some awesome, retro, arcade-style buttons and a joystick. Sliding your micro:bit microcontroller into a breakout board gives you access to all 21 pins on the micro:bit. The gamer:bit board connects some of those pins to additional game-controller-style buttons for navigation and action commands. With Microsoft’s MakeCode micro:bit code editor , I tinkered with a drop game program. Feel free to download, edit, or just play my program. It uses the gamer:bit package. Code