Part 2: Can You Code With Makey Makey?
How did your students do with the first part of our challenge? If you are ready to move on this challenge is going to have students start with Code.org. This will help students get use to coding on a computer and hopefully by the end of this challenge students will be able to use a Makey Makey to make music!
What you need per student…
What you need per group...
- Computer
- Makey-Makey
- Playdough
What you need to do...
Start with Code.org
- Start by breaking students up into groups of two or solo if distance/virtual learning.
- Have students create a team name.
- We are going to start coding on Code.org.
- We are going to see how easy coding can be on the computer, and then move on to Makey Makey.
- Give students the following directions (they are going to code without even knowing it).
- Go to Code.org.
- Scroll down and to the purple box Student, and click on Try Code Studio.
- Scroll down to Hour of Code and click on View More with the white arrow box.
- Scroll down and click on Classic Maze.
- Watch the video and have fun coding!
- If students are in groups, students can take turns doing the coding.
Makey Makey fun
- Once students have completed about 5 or 6 mazes they will move on to our Makey Makey station!
- Students will go to this website to play the BONGOS apps.makeymakey.com/bongos.
- Students will grab their Makey Makey and plug the keypad piece into the computer using the USB port.
- Students will take the alligator clips and clip one side to the bottom right of their makey makey and hold the other end in their hand.
- Student will then be able to touch the Makey Makey arrows and circles and play the Bongos!
- BUT WAIT...that was way too easy, so let’s challenge ourselves a little bit.
- Take two pieces of playdough and set them next to the Makey Makey.
- Then take one of the alligator clips and attach it to one of the arrow buttons and then stick it into the playdough.
- Next you will take another alligator clip and attach it to one of the circles and stick the other side into the playdough.
- Once you have completed this, try to tap the playdough. Does it make a sound?
- No, because you need to hold your original alligator clip, so pick up your alligator clip that is plugged into the bottom right corner.
- Now try touching the play dough, does it make a sound?
- Have students find something else in the room that they think might be conductive to help make music and give it a try!
- Finish by having students fill out their reflections on their Creator Sheets.
We would love to see you try this STEM Challenge. Share your results with us through social media! Looking for part 1? Click here.
Happy Making,
Maker Maven