Grade 7 rock, paper, scissors game coded on a micro:bit with pupil-designed icons

Grade 7 (Year 8, age 12 to 13) · 50 min · 1 device and 1 micro:bit per student

The teacher demonstrates the MakeCode blocks for storing a random number from 0 to 2 in a variable and using if, else if and else to choose what the LEDs show. Each student designs their own 5 by 5 LED picture for rock, paper and scissors, then codes the board so that shaking it picks a number at random and shows the matching picture. They test in the on-screen simulator, download the program to their micro:bit and play best of five against a classmate. To finish, they write two sentences explaining why the game is fair, using the fact that 0, 1 and 2 are equally likely.

Why this is Creative Replace

Students design the icons and write the game's logic themselves, so they produce a working program of their own. The micro:bit stands in for the Scratch version of this lesson that many departments already teach: pick a random number, use selection to show a result, test it and play, and the task and its feedback stay the same on the board.

Compared with

The same game coded in Scratch, with a sprite that shows a random costume when a key is pressed.

Watch out

If students copy a finished program onto the board and play it, there is no original artefact and the lesson is Interactive rather than Creative.

Tools: micro:bit, MakeCode Nine ideas for your own version in Generate

This page is one of a growing set of PICRAT examples by cell, subject and grade. Page maintained by Andy Perryer.

Grade 7 rock, paper, scissors game coded on a micro:bit with pupil-designed icons.

Nine ideas for your own version.

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Nine ideas for your own version.