On this page see: Makey, Makey experiments, Scratch and Makey Makey , Websites -Maths and Science and Engineering Process
A Simple Circuit
Makey Makey works by completing a circuit between conducting materials and a computer. Cables, alligator clips and human beings complete the circuit.
A simple circuit flows in a closed loop. The electrons flow through the conductors around the circuit,
The Makey Makey is programmed to send a signal to the computer when you complete a circuit that you've pressed a computer key.
Un circuit simple.
Le Makey Makey est un dispositif qui permet de contrôler des objets du quotidien
Relié en USB sur l'ordinateur, ce circuit permet de brancher différents objets à l'aide de câbles, munis de pinces, du moment que ceux-ci sont conducteurs de courant.
Lorsque vous touchez l’objet , et un autre objet conducteur, votre corps joue le rôle d’interrupteur : vous « fermez » le circuit
Makey Makey is a resistive touch board that means it is programmed to sense when an item is conductive.
Conductive material allows electrons to flow.
An insulator is a material that does not allow electrons to flow.
Challenge 1 - build a simple circuit using the Makey Makey.
Which object(s) are conducting?
Which object(s) are insulators?
One person can hold an EARTH wire and another person can hold a key press alligator clip on the wire. They fist bump, observe what happens. Explain the circuit the flow of electricity and who/what is conducting?
Or one person holds both wires, the loop will always be closed and the circuit always complete so what do you observe?
Challenge 2 - create and document some inventions
Experiment with the objects (wood, bananas), make music (using the apps), create digital art, create your own inventions.
Record your observations, document your inventions as a sketch, photo or video recording
Explain what is going on using these words : circuit, conductors, electrical energy, wires, insulators, Earth (any an other ones you know of)!
Démarche pour brancher la carte Makey Makey Classique dans l'ordinateur et faire jouer le son du piano.
Brancher la carte vers l’ordinateur. La carte fonctionne si la lumière au verso est allumée.
Relier avec une pince alligator un connecteur, par exemple la barre d’espacement SPACE, à un élément conducteur, par exemple un fruit.
Relier avec l’autre pince alligator un connecteur situé dans l’espace MISE À LA TERRE (EARTH) en bas.
Use MaKey MaKey to connect to a computer to replace the keyboard. Turn everyday objects (which can conduct electricity) into a computer mouse/touchpad.
Use your creation to interact with computer programs to create musical instruments, game controllers, musical jewelry and lots more.
Fruits and vegetables
Pencils (make thick, dark lines, and be sure to draw on a smooth surface).
Plants leaf- nothing too dry.
Play-Doh, Model Magic and other clays work very well as long as they stay moist.
People are conductive! Connect one person to ground, and another to an input, and you can trigger sounds when they high-five.
Foil and other metal objects will work. Try out coins, magnets, nuts and bolts, forks and knives, or pots and pans.
Le premier défi proposé est de former un circuit fermé en utilisant le matériel Makey Makey Classique pour faire jouer un son disponible dans la banque Scratch.
Vous pouvez voir la vidéo qui explique comment programmer cette fonction. La photo montre une façon de relier la carte de Makey Makey pour que ce programme soit exécuté en touchant la flèche vers le haut. Lien vers le programme Scratch Défi 1 Jouer un son.
Jouer des sons à l'aide d'un instrument de musique fabriqué (Scratch ou apps)
Pour ce défi, il faut utiliser un crayon de plomb et dessiner les capteurs afin de faire partir votre enregistrement. Voici un montage pour utiliser la carte Makey Makey Classique. Il suffit de toucher la pince alligator du fil vert relié à la mise à la terre d'une main et de toucher, par exemple, la flèche en bas pour commencer le programme.
Les flèches sont dessinées avec un crayon de plomb qui est conducteur de courant.
Il est important d'appuyer assez fort sur le crayon, de bien remplir la zone qui sera touchée et de tracer des larges traits afin de s'assurer d'une bonne conductibilité. Afin que le programme commence, il faut sélectionner le bloc de départ de Makey Makey puis s'assurer que le courant passe en formant un circuit fermé comme on peut le voir sur cette image.
Play sounds using a manufactured musical instrument (Scratch or apps)
For this challenge, you must use a lead pencil and draw the sensors to start your recording. Here is a montage to use the Makey Makey Classic card.
Just touch the alligator clip of the green wire connected to the ground with one hand and touch, for example, the down arrow to start the program.
Arrows are drawn with a lead pencil which conducts current.
It is important to press hard enough on the pencil, to fill in the area that will be affected and to draw large lines to ensure good conductivity. So that the program starts, it is necessary to select the starting block of Makey Makey then make sure that the current passes by forming a closed circuit as one can see it on this image.
Makey Makey revers side- key functions/ Présentation du verso de la carte et identification de quelques fonctions :
Les petits trous dans les sections noires servent de prises pour brancher les petits fils blancs contenus dans la boite. Ils sont identifiés, entre autres, par les lettres w, a, s, d, f et g et sont reliés aux commandes des touches du clavier de l'ordinateur.
The small holes in the black sections act as sockets to connect the small white wires contained in the Makey Makey box. They are identified, among other things, by the letters w, a, s, d, f and g and are linked to the key commands of the computer keyboard.
Makey Makey works by alligator clipping into everyday things that have some conductivity.
When you hook an alligator clip into a banana and you hold an alligator clip connected to EARTH, you are actually the conductive stuff that closes the circuit and makes Makey Makey work!
But what materials can we use with Makey Makey besides bananas?
What does it mean for an item to be conductive? or an insulator?
Let's set up a simple experiment to find out!
In this lesson, you will make a conductivity testing board to test items for conductivity; learn that everything in the world is either or conductive or an insulator; and start to ideate inventions with everyday stuff you can find in your home.
SCIENCE DISCOVERY
Explain That Stuff website
Science Buddies website (Useful teacher resources).
Simply Science - Science et technique en deux clics
MATHS
Crash Course Kids video 2: The engineering design process
Explains the need to do things in order to solve a problem and the questions to ask along the way.
Crash Course Kids video 3: A Case of "What-Ifs": (working with variables)
Engineering Design
Engineering design is an iterative process (steps are repeated and in order)
Engineers identify problems and carry out investigations to develop and improve solutions.
Each part of the process reveals information about the problem and possible solutions.
Engineering design involves tools and ways of thinking that people can use in almost any situation.
Engineering design is about asking lots of questions
Engineering design is problem-solving. The goal of engineering design is always to solve a problem.