Island 6 Makey-Makey: You're In Control
Circuitry
Turn your whole world into a keyboard and mouse with Makey Makey.
The challenge is to make a programmable circuit using Makey Makey software and objects that conduct electricity. This is an opportunity to play the piano on a banana or make the computer ring a cowbell. There is a project idea for everyone. Use creativity to find materials and program software to understand various commands.
Makey Makey-You're In Control
You're In Control
What Are Conductors?
Electrical devices, like light bulbs and toasters, use metal parts and wires. This is because electricity flows easily through metal. When electricity flows through something, we say it conducts electricity and we call that material a conductor. Did you know that other materials conduct electricity too?
Your Body Is A Conductor
Did you know that your body conducts electricity? Your body contains water with particles mixed in. The food you eat and the water you drink mix with liquids in your body. This allows electricity to flow through you. Your body is mostly water. If you weigh 100 pounds, about 65 pounds of that is water.
Electricity will also flow through other things that contain water. MaKey MaKey works with many materials – like fruit and Play-doh – because the water they contain conducts electricity.
What is Makey Makey?
Makey Makey is a computer controller like your keyboard or mouse. The best part is students can hook up your own “buttons”. Students can turn anything that conducts electricity into a button.