Accelerometer Discovery

Overview

Students will explore the Microbit accelerometer to detect motion and translate sensor readings into real-world meaning. This lesson builds the habit of representing situations with coordinates and using magnitudes (absolute value) to describe “how much” motion, aligning with 6th-grade Number System skills while students collect and interpret data.

Learning intentions

• Students will be able to describe what the accelerometer measures on the Microbit.
• Students will be able to interpret changes in sensor readings as motion happens.
• Students will be able to identify how “up/down” and “left/right” correspond to positive/negative directions in readings.
• Students will be able to use absolute value to describe the size of motion regardless of direction.

Success criteria

• I can detect motion by observing accelerometer output when I shake, tilt, or move the Microbit.
• I can explain what positive and negative values mean in a real situation (e.g., tilt up vs. tilt down).
• I can use absolute value to state the magnitude of motion (how strong the tilt/shake is) without caring about direction.
• I can record data from at least two different movements and match readings to the movement type.

Curriculum links

• The Number System — positive and negative numbers in real-world contexts, and meaning of 0.
• The Number System — absolute value as distance from 0 and as magnitude for real situations.
• The Number System — interpreting sign/location ideas that connect to coordinate quadrants (conceptually for direction, even if we don’t plot full graphs today).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook with a challenge prompt. Teacher shows a short demo: Microbit on the desk vs. after a quick tilt/shake; students predict what will change in the readings. Students discuss in pairs: “What should be positive? What might be negative? What stays 0?”

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach: what accelerometer readings mean. Teacher explains: accelerometer measures acceleration (changes in motion/tilt) and the output can be positive, negative, or 0 depending on direction relative to the device. Students complete a quick “direction reasoning” check: label two scenarios (tilt forward vs tilt backward) with “likely positive/likely negative/likely near 0.”

3. 12–22 min · Guided activity: detect motion with a simple program. Teacher provides/loads a starter project that displays accelerometer values (at least one axis) on the Microbit. Students do three tests, each for 5–10 seconds:

• Test A: hold still (observe near 0)
• Test B: tilt in one direction
• Test C: tilt in the opposite direction Students record values in a table: movement, observed reading(s), and whether it’s positive, negative, or near zero.

4. 22–30 min · Math connection mini-lesson: magnitude with absolute value. Teacher asks: if one tilt gives +6 and the opposite gives -6, are the tilts equally “strong”? Students respond, then teacher connects this to absolute value as distance from 0 and magnitude in real-world contexts. Students calculate at least one pair: write that “magnitude = |reading|” for their data, and circle the larger magnitude reading.

5. 30–38 min · Game-style application: “Tilt to score” micro-challenge. Teacher introduces the idea of a simple accelerometer-based game: a “score” increases when magnitude of motion crosses a threshold (example: if |reading| ≥ 5). Students build a small modification:

• Keep the Microbit displaying readings
• Add logic (or a simple if/else) that treats strong motion as a “hit” Students test by repeating one movement to reliably trigger points.

6. 38–44 min · Share-out and quick reflection. Teacher calls on 4–5 groups to share: one movement that produced negative values, one that produced positive values, and one magnitude statement they computed. Students provide one sentence each: “When we did , the reading was ____ so the magnitude was || = ____.”

7. 44–45 min · Exit ticket (1 minute, no discussion). Students answer:

• If a reading changes from +3 to -9 during opposite tilts, what does 0 represent in both directions?
• What is the magnitude of -9?

Resources

• Microbit devices (one per student pair)
• Microbit software/editor loaded on classroom computers
• Starter accelerometer project template (displays axis readings)
• Data table printable (movement type, reading, sign, magnitude calculation)
• Optional: teacher-made “if |value| ≥ threshold then score” code snippet for support
• Safety reminder for lab stations (no cables yanked; devices handled carefully)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checks during Test A/B/C whether students correctly classify readings as positive/negative/near 0.
• Formative: observe calculations of magnitude using absolute value (students should correctly use distance from 0).
• Summative (exit ticket): interpret meaning of 0 and compute magnitude from a negative value.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence frames for data notes: “When we tilted ____, the reading was ____ because it moved relative to 0.”
• Support (structure): give the “Tilt to score” example logic template so students focus on testing and explaining rather than writing every line from scratch.
• Extension: challenge students to choose a threshold that makes the “game” fair (e.g., not too easy/not too hard) and justify it using magnitude.
• EAL/SEN: allow students to label sign with drawings (arrow up/down, left/right) and to compute absolute value with a calculator or number line cards.