BLINK
PIPER MAKE EDUCATOR RESOURCES SERIES
STARTER EXPEDITION KIT
BLINK AN LED USING YOUR PICO
Beginner
1 hr
Ages 8+
You will need a Starter Kit to do this mission. Get yours here:
CHECK OUT THE BUILD:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Create your first circuit using an LED and code it to blink
- Code a loop to turn the LED off and on at certain time intervals. Understand which command in the Python code determines the timing of the blinking.
- Make connections to the LEDs you see on a daily basis (blinking status lights on anything in the classroom).
EDUCATOR RESOURCES
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You can share the mission directly to your Google Classroom after logging into your Google educator account in the top right corner of Piper Make.
Check out our easy assignment template that you can use to ask students to share their work by including pictures of their final circuits and code.
Check out our Python-focused assessment that you can copy and share directly to your Google Classroom.
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Useful vocabulary terms to use in classroom: anode, cathode, resistors, loops
TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
LED not lighting up when you hit START?
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Most common issue: LED might be plugged in the wrong direction! Make sure the anode and cathode (i.e., short and long sides of LED) are appropriately oriented according to tutorial.
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Make sure the pin that the wire is plugged into is the one referenced in the code.
Not sure what the point of the resistor is in the circuit?
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The LED in the circuit has a small amount of intrinsic resistance, which the Pico might recognize and try to turn up the current flowing through the circuit. This can damage the Pico; therefore, to reduce the current, we add a resistor to the circuit.
FINAL HARDWARE
In this lesson, students will build this LED and code it to blink on and off.
FINAL CODE
This is the final code that is created. Download the embedded PNG and use the CREATIVE mode to import it to a new workspace: