Dash & the Science of Sound: Coding with Waves! (Gr. 4-9 Co-Taught Student Workshop)

Dash & the Science of Sound: Coding with Waves!

Get ready to turn up the volume on STEM learning! In this exciting hands-on workshop, students will explore the fascinating world of sound waves using Dash the Robot. Through interactive coding challenges, students will investigate how sound travels, how pitch and volume work, and how vibrations create sound.

Students will explore the patterns of waves and their connection to sound by . They will program Dash to draw wave behaviour, focusing on key properties like amplitude (wave height) and wavelength (distance between peaks). Students will use sequencing, loops, and functions to review the elements of volume and pitch. Then they will be introduced to how these elements relate to amplitude and wavelength. Students will learn that amplitude measures how tall a wave is and affects how quiet or loud a sound is, while wavelength measures the distance between waves and affects how high or low a sound is. Through this hands-on coding activity, students will reinforce their understanding of sound wave properties in an engaging and interactive way.

Students will be able to: 

• Identify and describe the patterns of waves in terms of amplitude (height of the wave) and wavelength (distance between wave peaks).

• Explain how changes in amplitude affect the volume (loudness) of a sound.

• Describe how changes in wavelength relate to pitch (high or low tones) in sound waves.

• Recognize examples of waves in everyday sounds and describe their characteristics.

• Use sequencing, loops, and functions to analyze sound and sound waves.

Let’s make some noise—and some code—as we explore sound with Dash!

Thank you FIRST Canada for funding this co-taught lesson so that it's free of charge for classrooms everywhere!