Lift-Off with CodeX - Mission 1: Welcome to Peripherals
Mission 1 Lesson Plan
Welcome to Lift-Off with CodeX
Students meet the peripherals in the Lift-Off kit, learn how to safely connect one to the CodeX, and write their first Python code to turn a red LED on and off.
⏱ 45-60 min
🎯 Grades 6-12
💻 CodeSpace
📱 CodeX
🔌 Peripherals Kit
🐍 Python
Overview
Your mission, should you choose to accept it. We're going to outer space! This first project is all about getting to know the peripherals hardware. Students open the Lift-Off kit, identify what's inside, and learn how the small three-wire cables carry ground, power, and signal between a peripheral and the CodeX.
Before students finish, they will connect the red LED peripheral to the CodeX and write code to turn it on. Along the way they meet the exp.digital_out() setup call and the value property that controls the light.
🎯 Mission Goal: Students connect peripherals to the CodeX and write simple Python code.
Learning Targets
- I can safely connect and disconnect the red LED peripheral to my CodeX.
-
I can use the peripheral
valueproperty to control the peripheral.
Key Concepts
- Cable colors matter, and they must match on both ends. Black is GROUND, red is VCC power, and yellow is SIGNAL.
- One end of the cable has a latch. That end connects to the peripheral, and the non-latching end connects to the CodeX.
- Both the peripheral and the CodeX are labeled "G" and "S" so students can check the cable direction before plugging in.
Assessment Opportunities
- Check for Understanding in CodeSpace
- Mission 1 Assignment
- Peripherals check - match the peripheral to its name
- Peripherals check, advanced - match the peripheral to its name and purpose
- Exit ticket on the cable colors
- Submit and/or check the PeriphIntro program
- Journal entry on their learning experience
Success Criteria
- Identify the peripherals in the Lift-Off kit.
- Successfully connect and disconnect the red LED to the CodeX.
- Write a program that successfully turns the red LED on and off.
Digital Resources
Classroom Materials
- Laptop/computer with the Chrome browser
- CodeX and connecting cable
- Red LED peripheral
Real-World Applications
Every electronic device students use has a circuit board inside it, wired much like the CodeX and its peripherals.
Bluetooth speakers, headphones, VR headsets, and webcams are all peripherals, the same idea as the parts in the Lift-Off kit.
Medical equipment, transportation systems, and entertainment tech all rely on sensors and outputs talking to a processor.
Extensions & Cross-Curricular
ChallengeLight up CodeX pixel 0 to indicate where the peripheral is connected.
ChallengeUse the A and B buttons on the CodeX to turn the red LED on and off.
ChallengeSet up and write code for the white LED, then use the CodeX buttons to control both the red and white LEDs.
Lang ArtsStudents write a first-person essay about the impact of technology.
ScienceStudents select one peripheral and research how it works, or how it is used in a science field.
MathMany peripherals are digital and only use the values True or False. Review binary numbers.
Vocabulary
▾
Peripheral - A device that interacts with the CPU. Common peripherals are LED lights, display screens, buttons, a mouse, a keyboard, and a printer.
Function - A named chunk of code you can run anytime just by calling its name, also called a procedure.
Parameter - A local variable in a function that receives a value passed in when the function is called. It is the information the function needs to do its task.
Argument - The data you pass to a function, the information a function uses to complete its task.
Variable - A name you assign to some data used in code, instead of the literal (actual) value.
Constant - A name for a value that doesn't change while the program runs.
New Python Code
▾
exp.digital_out(exp.PORT0)Used to set up a digital output peripheral, such as an LED.
led.valueThe property of the LED peripheral used to turn the light on and off.
Standards
▾
CSTA Standards - Grades 6-8
2-CS-03
2-AP-11
2-AP-14
2-AP-19
2-IC-20
CSTA Standards - Grades 9-10
3A-CS-01
3A-CS-02
3A-IC-24
CSTA Standards - Grades 11-12
3B-CS-02
3B-AP-14
3B-AP-16
3B-IC-27
📝
Preparing for the Lesson- Create a class on the teacher dashboard and have the class code ready.
- Students need a computer or laptop with the Chrome web browser.
- Make sure students can log in to make.firialabs.com, create a student account, and join the class with the code.
- Unpack a Lift-Off kit ahead of time and connect the red LED yourself once, so you can demonstrate it confidently.
🧑🏫
Teacher Notes- You may need to show students how to properly connect a peripheral to the CodeX. Each peripheral has a small cable. One end has a latching connector that fits into a mating receptacle on the sensor, and the other end has a non-latching connector that goes into the CodeX. Both the sensor and the CodeX are labeled "G" and "S" to help you get the cable direction right.
- Feel free to leave the latching end attached to each sensor after first use. If you do need to disconnect it, there is a small lever you can depress with your thumb or a small screwdriver. On some connectors, flexing the connector slightly downward (in the direction you are pushing the lever) helps it clear the catch.
- Remind students to grasp the connector housing when disconnecting a cable, never pull on the wires.
- Extensions and cross-curricular projects are included to enhance the concepts in the mission. Use the challenges to extend students' programming experience. A remix and assessment follows Unit 1.
Lesson Outline
🗣️Warm-up / Hook
Students access prior knowledge by answering the pre-mission questions in the assignment doc.
- Ask: "Name a few devices you use every day that plug into something else. What job does each one do?"
- Ask: "What do you think is inside the devices you use, and how does the device know what to do?"
Teaching tip: Open the Lift-Off kit in front of the class and pass a few peripherals around. Holding the parts before coding gets students invested in the "we're going to outer space" framing.
📖Introduce the Mission
Front-load the hardware handling and the two new lines of code before students start typing.
- Identify each peripheral in the kit and name it out loud as a class.
- Demonstrate the cable: black is GROUND, red is VCC power, yellow is SIGNAL, and the colors must match on both ends.
- Show the latching end (peripheral side) and the non-latching end (CodeX side), and point out the "G" and "S" labels on both.
-
Introduce
exp.digital_out(exp.PORT0)to set up a digital output, andled.valueto turn the light on and off.
Teaching tip: Model disconnecting a cable the right way, holding the connector housing, not the wires. Students copy what they see you do.
💻Coding Time
Students work through the mission objectives in CodeSpace, taking notes and answering questions in their assignment doc as they go.
- Tour the peripherals kit and match each part to its name.
- Connect the red LED peripheral to the CodeX, checking the cable direction against the "G" and "S" labels.
-
Build PeriphIntro, setting up the LED with
exp.digital_out(exp.PORT0). -
Use
led.valueto turn the LED on, then on and off, and complete the Check for Understanding.
Teaching tip: If an LED will not light, check the cable direction first. A backwards connector is the most common problem, not the code.
Teaching tip: Fast finishers can start the challenges: pixel 0 as a connection indicator, or the A and B buttons controlling the LED.
🧑🤝🧑Class Debrief
Bring the class back together to lock in the hardware vocabulary and the safe-handling habits.
- Ask: "What does each cable color do, and what happens if the colors don't match?"
- Ask: "What is a peripheral, and which peripherals do you use outside of this class?"
- Ask: "What is the safe way to disconnect a peripheral, and why does it matter?"
Teaching tip: Use the exit ticket on cable colors here. It takes two minutes and tells you who is ready for Mission 2.
✏️Wrap-up & Review
Students answer the reflection question in the assignment doc, add a journal entry about their learning experience, and submit.
Use the Mission 1 Review Questions or the Mission 1 Review Kahoot! through whichever method you prefer, class discussion, Kahoot!, or an LMS quiz.
Teaching tip: Have students leave the latching end of the cable attached to the red LED and store the peripheral together with its cable. It saves setup time for the rest of the unit.