E-1 Makey Makey

E-1 Makey Makey Exploration

In this lesson, students will explore physical computing devices by utilizing a Makey Makey connected to a computer. They will experiment to gain knowledge of what types of objects can be connected to a Makey Makey, and how they can be used to control software and programs on their computer.

Do Now (5 minutes)

TEACHER GUIDANCE:

• • In the video, a Makey Makey is used to make video game controllers out of playdough, pencil drawings, and buckets of water, a piano made from a staircase and some bananas, a photo booth made from water and foil, and keyboard letters made from soup.

  • Connect the Makey Makey to a computer using the USB cable, then connect other objects to the Makey Makey using alligator clips.

  • Objects must be conductive to work with the Makey Makey, so there are lots of other materials that can be used with it - encourage students to explore!

Mini-Lesson (5-10 minutes)

1. Teacher distributes Makey Makey kits, conductive materials, and how-to guides (handout / online) to student groups.

2. Groups will then experiment with how to set up the Makey Makey, which materials to connect it to, and how to control computer programs using it.

Close-Out (5 minutes)

• 1. Discuss the following questions:

• • What materials worked best with the Makey Makey today? What materials didn’t work at all?

    • What were you able to use the Makey Makey to do today?

    • What do you hope to use the Makey Makey to create in the future?

TEACHER GUIDANCE: Any conductive material should work with the Makey Makey; consider making a class list of materials that work as your students discover them!

Standards CSTA

• • CSTA 2-CS-02 :Design projects that combine hardware and software components to collect and exchange data.

  • CSTA 2-CS-03 Systematically identify and fix problems with computing devices and their components.