Computer Science · Grade 5 · 4 weeks
Winter Wait Warmth Project
Driving question
Where do students freeze most while waiting outside in winter, and how can our school district fix it?
Write a program that reads a sensor and stores readings
TAUGHT IN Week 1, activity 1; Week 1, activity 2; Week 1, activity 3; Week 2, activity 2; Week 2, activity 3ASSESSED BY Sensor Programming and Logging
Clean and chart real data
TAUGHT IN Week 3, activity 1; Week 3, activity 2; Week 3, activity 3ASSESSED BY Data Cleaning and Charting
Explain a data story to an adult decision-maker
TAUGHT IN Week 3, activity 3; Week 4, activity 1; Week 4, activity 2; Week 4, activity 3ASSESSED BY Data Story Pitch
Fifth graders investigate winter cold exposure during arrival times around their school grounds and nearby bus stops. Working in teams, students code micro:bit devices to automatically log temperature readings over time, deploy them inside protective cases on cold January mornings, and upload the data. They clean messy raw files, plot comparison line graphs, and identify the coldest spots where students wait. The unit concludes with teams creating visual presentations and pitching targeted shelter solutions directly to the school district transportation coordinator.
The teacher opens class by bringing students outside to the school bus loading zone for five minutes on a brisk morning with handheld thermometers and clipboards. Back inside, the teacher shows a map of student morning waiting areas and shares that bus riders reported shivering before the doors opened. Students discuss where the cold feels sharpest and decide to measure the spots scientifically.
- How does a micro:bit measure and save temperature numbers without a computer plugged in?
- Where do students wait the longest outside our school building each morning?
- How do we turn raw sensor numbers into charts that show which spot is coldest?
- Who decides where bus shelters, wind blocks, or early indoor waiting areas go?
Your lessons: 3 a week, 50 minutes.
Week 1
Code a micro:bit to read temperature and save data at set intervals.
Explore built-in temperature sensors on the micro:bit using block code to display live temperatures on the LED screen.
· 1 lessonCode a timed logging loop that reads the sensor every minute and writes the value to internal memory.
· 1 lessonTest the datalogger code using ice packs in the classroom, verify battery pack power, and check stored values.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Provide block-code starter frames and visual cheat sheets for multilingual students, offer peer pair-programming and step checklists for students with an IEP or 504, and challenge fast learners to add an LED alert icon that flashes when the temperature drops below freezing. Give students a starter program that already reads temperature every 60 seconds, and have them modify only the interval and the on-screen symbol.
Deliverable
A tested micro:bit logging code file that saves temperature readings to internal flash storage on battery power.
Week 2
Deploy dataloggers at outdoor waiting spots and collect sensor records.
Map school arrival zones, pick test locations like bus drop-offs and doorways, and assemble insulated weatherproof cases.
· 1 lessonDeploy datalogger cases at chosen outdoor morning wait locations before arrival and retrieve them after homeroom bell.
· 1 lessonConnect micro:bits to computers, download the CSV log files, and save team datasets into shared folders.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Use bilingual site maps with pictorial landmarks for multilingual students, assign structured physical roles with check-off steps for deployment for students with an IEP or 504, and guide advanced students to track wind speed with an anemometer alongside the temperature loggers.
Deliverable
A downloaded raw data table from each team's deployed micro:bit location.
Week 3
Clean the raw dataset, graph the temperatures, and spot cold zones.
Open a shared sheet with pre-loaded CSV data and labeled columns, then learn to sort and delete bad rows.
· 1 lessonBuild line graphs comparing temperature changes over morning arrival time across different outdoor waiting locations.
· 1 lessonDraft slide presentations outlining which spots had the lowest temperatures and proposing a wind wall or earlier door opening. Place one logger at the stop on 25th Street South where the wind comes straight across the open field, and one in the sheltered doorway by the gym.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Provide spreadsheet formula word banks and color-coded table templates for multilingual students, supply pre-formatted graph axes and guided data highlight cards for students with an IEP or 504, and ask.
Deliverable
A cleaned spreadsheet and line graph comparing temperatures across morning waiting zones.
Week 4
Critique draft proposals, revise charts, and pitch solutions to the transportation department.
Conduct a peer gallery walk using sentence frames to critique graph labels, evidence clarity, and shelter recommendations.
· 1 lessonRevise proposal slides and practice oral pitch delivery, focusing on clear data explanations for an adult visitor.
· 1 lessonPresent morning warmth proposals to the school district transportation coordinator and complete final personal reflections.
· 1 lesson
Supports
Provide bilingual presentation prompt cards and rehearsed speaking sentence stems for multilingual students, allow index-card speaker notes and shared partner speaking roles for students with an IEP or 504, and encourage advanced students to answer unscripted questions about sample sizes during the Q&A.
Deliverable
Final team presentation delivered to the district transportation visitor and written reflection forms.
The first lesson of week 4.
Teams display draft presentation slides and printed graphs during a silent gallery walk. Classmates use sticky notes with two prompts: one clear data point noticed and one question about the proposed shelter fix. Teams review the feedback and spend the next lesson editing text, re-labeling graph axes, and refining recommendations.
Student reflection
After the final presentation, students write individual responses in their science notebooks reflecting on what the micro:bit sensors revealed about microclimates, how their data cleaning changed the charts, and how their communication helped adults understand student comfort.
What they make
Teams create a digital slide presentation featuring cleaned data charts, site photographs, and a concrete recommendation for wind blocks, temporary shelters, or adjusted morning entry doors.
Options
Teams choose how to communicate their solution: a digital slide deck, a physical poster board with printed graphs, or an architectural sketch paired with data callouts.
Who sees it
The district transportation coordinator visits the classroom during the third lesson of week 4 to hear the pitches and receive copies of the proposals.
Teams
Teams of three or four students formed by the teacher, balancing technical confidence and collaborative work skills.
| Criterion | beginning | developing | proficient | advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sensor Programming and Logging Goal 1 · team | The program has errors that stop it from collecting or saving temperature data continuously. | The program records temperature readings, but the timing interval is uneven or some readings failed to save. | The program reliably reads the temperature sensor at regular set intervals and stores complete data to internal memory. | The program reliably logs sensor data with custom interval timing and uses an LED indicator to show successful storage. |
Data Cleaning and Charting Goal 2 · team | The chart includes errors, missing units, or setup data that should have been removed. | The data table removes obvious errors, but the resulting chart is missing clear axis labels or key timestamps. | The raw data is cleaned of setup rows and converted into an accurate, clearly labeled chart that shows temperature over time. | The dataset is thoroughly cleaned and displayed in a polished comparative chart that clearly highlights specific temperature anomalies. |
Data Story Pitch Goal 3 · individual | The explanation mentions cold weather but does not use specific numbers or charts to justify the proposed change. | The explanation references chart numbers, but the connection between the cold spots and the proposed solution is incomplete. | The explanation clearly interprets the chart evidence to show an adult decision-maker why a specific cold spot needs a shelter solution. | The explanation persuasively uses precise data points and trends to justify a realistic, well-reasoned solution to an adult decision-maker. |
Sensor Programming and Logging
Goal 1 · teambeginning
The program has errors that stop it from collecting or saving temperature data continuously.
developing
The program records temperature readings, but the timing interval is uneven or some readings failed to save.
proficient
The program reliably reads the temperature sensor at regular set intervals and stores complete data to internal memory.
advanced
The program reliably logs sensor data with custom interval timing and uses an LED indicator to show successful storage.
Data Cleaning and Charting
Goal 2 · teambeginning
The chart includes errors, missing units, or setup data that should have been removed.
developing
The data table removes obvious errors, but the resulting chart is missing clear axis labels or key timestamps.
proficient
The raw data is cleaned of setup rows and converted into an accurate, clearly labeled chart that shows temperature over time.
advanced
The dataset is thoroughly cleaned and displayed in a polished comparative chart that clearly highlights specific temperature anomalies.
Data Story Pitch
Goal 3 · individualbeginning
The explanation mentions cold weather but does not use specific numbers or charts to justify the proposed change.
developing
The explanation references chart numbers, but the connection between the cold spots and the proposed solution is incomplete.
proficient
The explanation clearly interprets the chart evidence to show an adult decision-maker why a specific cold spot needs a shelter solution.
advanced
The explanation persuasively uses precise data points and trends to justify a realistic, well-reasoned solution to an adult decision-maker.
- BBC micro:bit boards (version 2) with USB cables and battery packs
- Weatherproof plastic sandwich boxes or sealable food containers
- Computers with spreadsheet software and web browser access
- Instant cold ice packs for indoor testing
- Printed satellite map of the school grounds and bus loading area
- Contact details for the school district transportation department coordinatorcheck before use