Eric Kim- MakeyMakey Project: Animals of the World

Introduction

I made an interactive map that displays 10 unique animals from each continent. This project is great for young kids that are interested in learning more about animals. This project is also useful for people trying to learn more about the biodiversity in this world. This project is impactful because it introduces children to a unique and exciting field in biology: zoology.

• flat piece of cardboard (base of the project)
• printed picture of map (decorate the cardboard)
• pieces of tin foil (conducts the electricity)
• 4 alligator wires
• makey makey motherboard
• computer to run the scratch program

Continent Research

1: Create a new google slide. This will serve as the area to save all your animal pictures. Make 7 slides (1 for each continent).

2. Go to the internet and find 10 unique animals for one of continents. Put these 10 images on one of your slides and organize them neatly. Then take a screenshot of the slide and save it. Repeat this step until you have a screenshot of each slide. You now should have 7 groups of 10 animal photos, each group coming from a different continent.

Setting up Scratch sprites and costumes

1. Create a new scratch project. Then, find a good picture of a map of the world and set it as your scratch backdrop. After that, insert all 7 animal screenshots as backdrops. You should now have 8 backdrops.

2. Create a new sprite and for the costume, insert the same map picture you used as your backdrop. Then, duplicate that map picture 7 times. After that, add one more blank costume. You should have 7 identical costumes and 1 blank costume in the same sprite.

3. For the 7 identical map costumes, use the erase tool to get rid of everything except for the continent of your choice. Repeat that 7 times. You should have 7 edited map costumes, each costume is a different continent that has been isolated.

4. Create a new sprite. This will be your main menu screen. Design a sprite costume that will be your title screen. Don't forget to add the name of the project as well as the instructions. In the same sprite, add a blank costume. You should have 2 costumes: your own title screen.

Coding the Project

1. In the code section of your backdrop, add the block "when flag clicked" and under it "switch backdrop to (map backdrop)."

2. In the code section of your title screen sprite, add the block "when flag clicked" and under it "switch costume to (your title screen)". Under that, add the block "go to x:0 y:0" (This block ensures your title screen is centered). Then, download the Makey Makey scratch extension and put in the block "When __ key pressed" and under that add "switch costume to (blank costume)". It is your choice for what key affects this code. Just remember that this key is the game starter because it makes your title screen go away.

3. In the continents sprite, add the block "when flag clicked" and under it "switch costume to (blank costume)". Under that, add "set color effect to 50" (This changes the color of your continent costumes which allows the player to distinguish which continent they are selecting). Add the Makey Makey block "When __ key pressed" and under it add "next costume" and "wait 0.2 seconds" (This code cycles between continents so you can choose different places; the wait code adds a debounce time to prevent the costumes from cycling super fast). It is your choice for what key affects the cycling of continents.

4. Add the Makey Makey block "When __ key pressed" and under it "switch costume to (blank costume)". Under that, add "switch backdrop to (image of map)". This code serves as the "back" button. After the player selects a continent, they press the given key to return to the map screen to look at other continents.

5. Now, we are making the code for when the player selects a continent to see the animals. Add the Makey Makey block "When __ key pressed" and under add an if/then block. Next to the word "if", add the operator with the "=" and on the left side of the "=" add "costume number". On the right side of the "=" add 1. Inside the if/then block, add "switch costume to (blank costume)" and "switch backdrop to (corresponding backdrop of animals)". For example, if your first costume in your continents sprite is North America, then the backdrop will switch to the picture of North American animals.

6. Repeat step 5 until you have a condition for every single continent. DON'T FORGET to change the right side of the "=" from 1, to 2, to 3, etc. This is because you need an individual condition for each continent sprite that you made (North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica). Also, DON'T FORGET to change the "switch backdrop to (corresponding backdrop of animals)" accordingly.

Building the Board

1. Cut out a flat piece of cardboard the same dimensions as your decorative map picture
2. Glue or tape the decorative map picture to the cardboard
3. Glue or tape pieces of tin foil in the shape of arrows onto the cardboard
4. Attach paper clips to the tin foil to conduct the electricity to the alligator clips

Connecting the Board

1. Attach one alligator clip to each paper clip and connect the other end of the alligator clip to the corresponding locations on the motherboard
2. Connect the motherboard to your computer

To summarize...

Click the up start button on the makey makey board begin the interactive map experience. Press the right arrow key to cycle between continents. Press the select key to select desired continent and observe the 10 unique animals of said continent. Press the left arrow key to return back to the map page.

VIDEO: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MWvw7R2MgcWyEfkuobyRn-MU16DgbnTb/view?usp=sharing