Telegraph & Morse Code
This hands-on lesson will teach students about a form of communication that was prominent during the middle of the 1800's. Telegraphs, they were revolutionary as they helped to communicate over long distances. In this lesson students will learn a small part of the process in sending a message across the country. They will program their Circuit Playground Express to imitate a telegraph that would have been used to communicate, through long and short dashes. This program will allow students to communicate using morse code.
Materials
Circuit Playground Exress (CPE)
Copper Thread
Sewing needle
Regular thread
large piece of felt
felt marker
separate LED piece
Adapter cord
Step 1: Draw Map of U.S
Using a piece of felt as the background, draw an outline of the United States (with a felt marker) on the felt. Making a map will help students to visualize the extent to which telegraphs spread and transformed across America.
Coding
Step 2: Sew CPE to felt using normal thread
Step 3: Connect Adapter Cord to CPE
This CPE on the East coast will represent the initial message sent.
Step 4: Place small LED on other side of map (west coast)
This West coast LED will represent the telegraph station that received the message from the East coast messenger.
Step 5A:
Sow with copper thread from A0 to Positive side of LED
Step 5B:
Anchor LED to felt through positive side.
Step 5C:
Sew with copper thread from Negative side to ground (GND) on CPE.
Using the CPE Telegraph
Students can then create their own codes with these telegraphs. As stated below a word can be made with long blink and a short blink.
Button A represents a "dot", and you tap the button.
Button B represents a "dash", and you hold the button down.
International Morse Code
