In uncertain times, we must come together and help one another. As schools close for the majority of pupils, home schooling will cause a lot of stress for most parents out there. We want to help where we can, so we've come up with 10 resources we believe will help you as parents, and your child(ren) in their education.
At Kitronik, we pride ourselves on providing fantastic resources that are fully educational and informative. From learning about the BBC micro:bit to learning how to solder, we've got lots of resources that are freely accessible to support you with home schooling. Choosing just 10 resources was extremely difficult as we have so many resources, but we've created a recommended list for parents who want to get up to speed with products and subjects, plus resources that provide lesson plans and activities to support your child(ren).
10 Recommended Home Schooling Educational Resources
Let's take a look at some of the resources that we have to offer here at Kitronik, in no particular order. Before we get started, we should note that these resources are there to be an additional supporting mechanism for your child(ren)'s education and should not be used as a replacement for any work that your child(ren)'s school may have given them to complete.1 - Parent's Complete Guide to the BBC micro:bit
Find out all about the BBC micro:bit in our detailed guide which contains everything you need to know to be able to support your child with home schooling. The BBC micro:bit is a fantastic and cost-effective way to learn how to code. There are also lots of online resources and projects that you can tackle once you're up to speed with how it works! In this guide, you will cover topics such as:
- How to write code, transfer it to the micro:bit and run the program
- The different coding and editor options available
- Six coding challenges with detailed solutions
2 - Lesson Plans for STOP:Bit for BBC micro:bit
Who said lesson plans had to be for teachers only? Save the stress of planning and use our free lesson plans for STOP:bit! Ideal for KS3 students, these 3 lessons introduce your child(ren) to embedded systems and include curriculum mapping as well as practical challenges. The three lessons are based around the following:
- Traffic light sequences - how traffic lights coordinate traffic
- Pedestrian crossing - how we interact with traffic lights
- Traffic light & pedestrian crossing - how we make traffic lights that coordinate traffic with pedestrians
3 - How to Solder in Ten Easy Steps
Learn how to solder with our step-by-step tutorial. Soldering is an essential skill in electronics, so it's a skill worth having! With images to help comprehend the information, your child(ren) will be soldering in no time! All they need to get started is a Solder Iron Starter Kit and they're off! Some other resources we have for soldering include:
4 - Lesson Plans for :MOVE mini for BBC micro:bit
Whether you've got our original :MOVE mini or the latest :MOVE mini MK2, you can take advantage of 4 free lesson plans that are classroom-ready to help you succeed in home schooling. Ideal for KS3 students, these lessons provide a great introduction into the world of robotics and coding! It's fun, engaging and educational! Here's a brief summary of each lesson:
- Lesson 1 - How we make robots move
- 2 - A discussion about automation and drawing shapes
- 3 - A discussion about autonomous robots
- 4 - Radio control and messaging
5 - Lesson Plans for ZIP Halo for BBC micro:bit
Our original ZIP Halo for BBC micro:bit has lots of free resources including 6 lesson plans! These classroom-ready resources have been made by Lorraine Underwood for students to learn more about coding and undergo practical challenges. Here are some examples of the lessons:
- Creating a compass
- Coding a spirit level
- Coding a game
Note that if you have a Halo HD, there are also pre-made codes on our product page that you can download and adapt to create your own cool projects too!
6 - E-Textiles: A Lesson in Electro-Fashion Components
Do something a bit more creative and explore the world of E-Textiles. Our Electro-Fashion range has everything you need to get started, and a lot of resources to help too! This guide helps you to understand a bit more about E-Textiles and the parts that are essential such as conductive thread or LEDs. Once your child(ren) has read the information, why not try out a project? Our Electro-Fashion Starter Kit is a great place to start! Here are just a couple of ideas for projects:
- A festive decoration - Easter is coming up...
- A hair accessory
7 - Lesson Plan for LAMP:bit for BBC micro:bit
If you wanted a shorter task for your child(ren) to do then this lesson plan for LAMP:bit is ideal! Designed for KS3 students, they will learn how to code a street light that also reacts to ambient light levels. It's a simple introduction to embedded systems and has detailed information and instructions to follow! All you need is:
- Pen, paper & laptop/computer
- A LAMP:bit
- 1 x BBC micro:bit
- A micro USB cable
8 - The micro:bit User Guide for Absolute Beginners
If you or your child(ren) are absolute beginners to the BBC micro:bit, then this guide is ideal! Similar to the Parent's Guide mentioned previously, this guide is a short and sweet version. It provides some of the beginner steps you need to be able to get started, including:
- How to power the micro:bit
- Connecting the micro:bit to your computer
- How to write code for the micro:bit with MakeCode
9 - Interactive Learn and Test Zone
Teach, learn, test! Our Interactive Learn and Test Zone is a great free resource to understand more about electronics. Go through our presentation slides, then take our test to see if you have learned anything! Plus, you can take away the information by downloading a PDF for you to make notes on. Some topics that are covered include:
- Component uses & symbols
- Resistor colour bands
- Capacitor values
10 - Lesson Plans for the :GAME ZIP 64 for BBC micro:bit
Unlock your child(ren)'s potential with 5 free lesson plans for the :GAME ZIP 64, which is now at a reduced price! Ideal for KS3, these lessons are a great introduction to writing games and to actively engage in practical challenges and more. Want to know what the lessons are about? Here's just a few of the lessons:
- Lesson 1 - Colours through light & how we make different colours
- 2 - Using buttons on the ZIP controller
- 3 - Using buttons to coordinate lights
We hope you find this guide useful in determining some of the resources and activities that we have available for you at Kitronik! If you wanted to have a further explore on our website, we have a lot of other resources that are ideal for education and learning. Have a browse at some of the links below:
- Kitronik University
- E-Textiles and Wearables Tutorials
- Micro:bit Resources
- Kitronik Blogs
- Micro:bit Foundation
- Microsoft MakeCode
- MakeCode Arcade
- Our latest blog '10 Recommended Products to Support Home Schooling'
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