Objective:

Students will work in groups to design and build physical devices that use light or sound to communicate across distances. By exploring how simple tools like flashlights, drums, or paper cup telephones can send messages, students will learn how communication networks work in the real world.

Materials Needed:

• Flashlights, drums, paper cups, string

• Markers and paper for planning

• A large open space for testing the devices

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Start by asking, "How can we use light or sound to communicate with people far away?" 

  • Discuss how signals like flashing lights, drumbeats, or even vibrations can be used to send messages. 

  • Explain that today, students will design their own communication devices using simple materials like flashlights, paper cups, and string.

• Group Activity:

  • Divide students into small groups and provide each group with a set of materials (e.g., a flashlight, drum, paper cups, and string). 

  • Their task is to design a device that uses light or sound to send a message across the room. 

  • For example, one group might use the flashlight to create a pattern of light blinks, while another group might beat out a rhythm on a drum.

• Building and Testing:

  • Each group will build their communication device and test it by sending signals across the classroom or outdoor area. T

  • hey will use their device to communicate with another group, testing whether the message can be successfully sent and received over a distance.

• Refining the Devices:

  • After testing, students will refine their devices by adjusting the signal patterns or making improvements to the materials. 

  • For example, they might adjust the drum’s rhythm or change the length of the string in their paper cup telephone to improve communication.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their device, explaining how it works and how they used light or sound to send a message. 

  • Lead a discussion on how their devices resemble real-world communication tools and how networks help connect people over distances.

Equity and Access:

Provide visual guides or instructions for students who need additional support. Encourage collaboration by pairing students with different skills, ensuring everyone can participate in designing and testing their devices.

Real-World Application:

Connect the activity to real-world situations where light and sound signals are used for communication, such as lighthouses, Morse code, or early telegraph systems. Emphasize how these devices paved the way for modern communication networks.

CS Practice(s):

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify how light or sound signals can be used to communicate across distances and design a physical device to achieve this.

• Collaborating Around Computing: Students work together to create physical communication devices, testing and refining them as a group.

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Although unplugged, students create physical artifacts (their communication devices) to solve the problem of long-distance communication.

Standard(s):

• CA NGSS 1-PS4-4

• CA CS K-2.NI.4

Objective:

Students will use Makey Makey kits to design and build physical communication devices that use light or sound to send signals across distances. They will explore how communication networks function by using physical computing to create devices that transmit signals between group members.

Materials Needed:

• Makey Makey kits

• Conductive materials (e.g., bananas, foil, playdough)

• LEDs or buzzers for light and sound signals

• Computers to connect Makey Makey kits

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Ask the class, "How do we communicate with people who are far away?" 

  • Discuss how light and sound can send signals across distances, such as blinking lights or beeping sounds. Introduce the Makey Makey kit as a tool that allows them to design real devices that communicate using physical signals.

• Group Activity:

  • Divide students into small groups. 

  • Each group will use a Makey Makey kit to design a simple communication device. 

  • For example, they might build a light signal using LEDs or a sound signal using a buzzer. 

  • Students will connect their Makey Makey to conductive materials, such as bananas or playdough, and program it to send signals.

• Creating and Coding:

  • Students will use the Makey Makey to program their devices. 

  • For a light signal, they might connect an LED that blinks in response to pressing a conductive object like a banana.

  • For a sound signal, they might program the buzzer to beep in a pattern. 

  • Encourage students to experiment with different inputs and outputs to create unique communication methods.

• Testing and Refining:

  • Once the devices are assembled, students will test them by pressing the conductive materials to trigger the light or sound signal. 

  • They will troubleshoot any issues, such as adjusting the connections or refining the signal patterns, to ensure their devices work properly over a distance.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their Makey Makey-powered communication device, explaining how it works and how they used physical computing to send signals. 

  • Lead a discussion on how networks function in real-world communication systems, comparing their devices to how data is transmitted across the internet or via cell towers.

Equity and Access:

Provide pre-built Makey Makey setups for students who need extra support and ensure that students with varying levels of experience are paired together to collaborate effectively.

Real-World Application:

Relate the lesson to real-world communication devices like telephones, emergency beacons, and radio signals. Discuss how physical computing plays a role in modern communication networks, from smart home devices to satellite communication.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use Makey Makey kits to build physical devices that send light or sound signals.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify how signals can be used for communication and build devices to model this process.

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students test and refine their devices, ensuring the signals are transmitted correctly.

Standard(s):

• CA NGSS 1-PS4-4

• CA CS K-2.NI.4