Sketch It! Code It!: Drawing and Coding Curriculum Connections
Introduction: Sketch It! Code It!: Drawing and Coding Curriculum Connections
Use Scratch and Makey Makey to make your poems interactive!
Step 1: Pick a Poem to Visualize
Find an intriguing poem (or write one for this project.)
Educator Tip:
More details about this project here.
Here is a full gdoc you can share with students! Students can create visuals or make found poetry. Also, here is an adapted version for 4th grade!
Step 2: Create Four Drawings to Visualize Poetry
Create four pencil drawings to help us visualize your poem.
Here is an example of a finished poem project.
Important Tips
* Make your drawings dark and retrace with pencil often!
* Draw a connection to the edge of your paper so you can easily clip an alligator clip.
* Don’t forget to draw a connection for Earth!
Step 3: Record Audio in Scratch
Record four separate audio samples in Scratch. 717
Here are some of my favorite student projects!
Important Tips
* Remember to program each arrow key as a different line (or stanza ) of the poem.
* You can edit your audio clips in Scratch!
* Use the handout in this guide to get started programming in Scratch.
Educator Tip:
This is a great tip sheet from MM for getting started with audio, Scratch, and Makey Makey!
Step 4: Program Drawings
Connect your drawings to Makey Makey and program your drawings to "say" your audio samples.
What are you Learning?
* With each re-read you are reaching a deeper comprehension of the poem.
* By reading aloud, you are also understanding the way poetry is written and how to perform linebreaks, stanzas, etc.
* How to create programs for computer keys (Create events with if/then statements)
* How graphite is conductive (and even loses conductivity over time)
Educator Tip:
Scratch link https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/142039700/
If you want students to create their own poetry, you can also do this fairly quickly with the "black out" poetry technique. (Thank you <PERSON> for this idea!) Students will black out poetry and connect the blacked out portion to Scratch using the Makey Makey. Full guide here
Step 5: Extensions and Other EdTech Poetry Resources
Go Further with Scratch
Go further with Scratch and the writing process by creating a poem generator! Have students write multiple phrases that could accompany drawings and then use the "pick random" block from the operator palette to make their own poetry generator!
Other Resources
* Adapting for Elemakers
* Blackout Poetry and Scratch- Instructables Guide
* Another teacher’s hack on poetry and Makey Makey
* Top Five Lessons for Integrating Makey Makey into the Classroom
* Other interactive poetry ideas
* Lighting up Poetry with <PERSON> 95