Your Voice is Power Module 0 | EarSketch Teachers

Competition Home

Module 0

Introduction to EarSketch

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*This module is undergoing updates to reflect the additions made in the most recent lesson plan.

MODULE 0 OVERVIEW

MODULE CHECK IN

Time to get students excited about coding through composing their own beats. Students will learn the connections between coding and music. They will be introduced to the EarSketch platform, create an account, and code their first lines of music.

OBJECTIVE

Students will learn how to navigate the EarSketch platform and run a basic script.

LEARN CODE

Sections are related musical units consisting of multiple measures. Each section expresses an idea or feeling.

An algorithm is a process or set of rules to be carried out by a computer. Algorithms can be written with computer code.

DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) are specialized computer software for recording, editing, and playing digital audio files, or clips EarSketch is a DAW that allows audio clips to be placed on a timeline using computer code.

A script is a series of instructions that is executed in a specific order by a computer. An EarSketch script consists of a comments section, setup section, music section, and a finish section.

The API is a set of tools to accomplish a specific programming task.

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COMPUTER SCIENCE STANDARDS

2-AP-10

Use flowcharts and/or pseudocode to address complex problems as algorithms.(6-8)

3-AP-13

Create prototypes that use algorithms to solve computational problems by leveraging prior student knowledge and personal interests. (9-10)

3B-AP-10

Use and adapt classic algorithms to solve computational problems (11-12)

MUSIC STANDARDS

Before beginning this lesson, make sure that each student can access the EarSketch Website from their device.

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EarSketch will not work on a mobile device (iPad, phone), so each student will need to have access to a computer.

EarSketch will not work offline, so each student will need reliable internet access during Lesson 0 and the EarSketch sections of Modules 1-5.

The EarSketch website is : earsketch.gatech.edu.

Complete all student work as a student:

Review the Coding Cha-Cha Slide Activity

Create your own account on EarSketch (Register in the right corner of the platform's Home Page)

Go through the bubble tutorial. Familiarize yourself with EarSketch Terminology.

Watch the introductory video on the EarSketch Workspace.

Review how to create a script and copy code into the script.

Practice printing a command.

All students will need to have access to a computer with an internet connection. EarSketch will not work on mobile devices. The site earsketch.gatech.edu will need to be whitelisted by your district IT department.

AWESOME! LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE READY TO TEACH MODULE 0!

DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES

LESSON PLAN

SLIDES

STUDENT NOTEBOOK

FOLDER (ALL RESOURCES)

RECOMMENDED PACING

0 - 10 minutes: Engage - Coding and Music: What is the Connection?

10 - 25 minutes: Explore - The EarSketch Workspace

25 - 45 minutes: Explain - Creating a Script

45 - 60 minutes: Elaborate & Evaluate - Coding in EarSketch

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LESSON

WELCOME

to the "Your Voice is Power" remix competition! Later this week,

you will have the opportunity to remix Pharrell’s song Entrepreneur through using the EarSketch tool. Before you get started mixing some beats, you need to learn a little more about EarSketch. Today, you will learn how to work the EarSketch platform and run a basic script.

WHAT IS EARSKETCH? WHAT IS CODE?

EarSketch is a web-based program that teaches you how to code by composing music. Wait--have you guys coded before? Do you know what it means to code? Maybe you used Scratch or Code.org before and have done some coding. If you haven’t, no worries - we are going to start with something I know you do know - dancing!

Is everyone ready to learn how learning the steps of a dance is like coding-- Get ready to Cha Cha!

Cha Cha Slide Dance

3:39

The Cha-Cha slide is just like Code! Code is a set of instructions for a computer to perform, and the Cha-Cha slide is a list of dance moves to perform! Coding is also just like a recipe! It’s just a set of directions for a computer to follow.

DANCE STEPS

RECIPE

Take It Back Now

1

Step backwards with your left foot.

2

Step backwards with your right foot.

3

Step backwards with your left foot.

4

Bring your right foot to meet your left.

One, Two, Three, Hope This Time

1

Jump forward with your feet together.

2

Repeat as many times as the caller specifies.

Image by Food Photographer | Jennifer Pa

Irresistible Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 c. butter

1-3/4 c. flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1-1/4 c. sugar

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

1 c. chocolate chips

1

Heat oven to 375F

2

Cream butter and sugar.

3

Combine dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture. Mix in chocolate chips.

4

Drop by heaping tablespoons 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes.

Using code or “functional notation,” you are going to code a dance, just like the Cha-Cha slide. On your paper, describe one dance move instruction on each line, using the format below. Code a dance that is at least 8 lines long!

action(body part, direction, number of times)

Student Workbook page 1

DANCE CODE EXAMPLE

YOUR DANCE

1

clap(hands, together, 8)

2

step(left foot, left, 1)

3

step(right foot, backward, 1)

4

hop(both feet, forward, 1)

5

hop(both feet, forward, 1)

6

stomp(left foot, down, 1)

7

chaCha(whole body, in place, 2)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

When you are done, pass these instructions to a friend and have them follow your algorithm line by line. Does your algorithm work as expected? If not, place a “#” on the line where your program “crashes” and see if you can improve it! For example, let’s try out my dance!

The steps of the Cha-Cha slide are an algorithm. An algorithm is a process or set of rules to be carried out by a computer/person. Algorithms can be written with computer code. Your code will simply be a set of instructions and in EarSketch -- that set of instructions will tell the computer how to play music.

Add the following term in your Student Workbook.

Student Workbook page 3

DEFINITION

TERM

A process or set of rules to be carried out by a computer/person. Algorithms can be written with computer code

ALGORITHM

Click to reveal the term

EXPLORE THE EARSKETCH WORKSPACE

Are you ready to apply your new coding skills to compose some awesome beats?

Check out some students just like you who use EarSketch and are coding music. You will even hear from 2020 Competition Winners and listen to their music. They started off as EarSketch beginners, just like you!

Introduction to the OUTKAST Imagination Rubric

1:00

CREATING AN ACCOUNT

Everyone will need to create an EarSketch account. An EarSketch account allows you to log in from any computer and always access your code. With an account, all of your work is automatically saved in EarSketch. Follow the directions below to create your account. If you already have an account, go ahead and log in at this time.

Open your browser to get started!

1

Go to earsketch.gatech.edu

2

Click the "Start Coding" button at the top right of the page.

3

Go to the top right corner of the EarSketch platform and click "Create / Reset Account"

4

Select "Register a New Account"

5

Create a username and password. Email is optional.

6

Click "Create Account" to complete the process. Write down your username and password to remember!

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EARSKETCH BUBBLE TOUR

You may be asking -- Why code and music? How do they go together?

The music industry is infused with computer programmers, from sound engineers to streaming site developers, basically everywhere you look in music, you will see technology. Combining music and computer science is the next step in recording innovation and creativity.

One example of this crossover is Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW. This is often the main tool for producing music on a computer and is used in most recording studios. A DAW is specialized computer software for recording, editing, and playing digital audio files. Pharrell’s studio uses the DAW Pro Tools and you may have heard of Garage Band.

Add the following term in your Student Workbook.

Student Workbook page 5

DEFINITION

TERM

Specialized computer software for recording, editing, and playing digital audio files

DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION (DAW)

Click to reveal the term

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EarSketch is a Digital Audio Workstation with special tools that allows audio clips to be placed on a timeline using computer code. We are going to click through a quick tour of the EarSketch workspace. Just like a real sound engineer, you will be coding and editing music. If you have used other DAWs, you will recognize many parts of this workspace as you take this tour.

Check out the Quick Tour to familiarize yourself to the EarSketch platform!

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Learn more about the EarSketch Workspace using this curriculum, which includes a longer video tour and additional descriptions.

CREATING A SCRIPT

It’s time to create your script. How many of you have heard that word before?

You may have heard it used in your English-Language Arts or Theatre class. A script is a written text with instructions of what to say in a play/tv show/movie. A script in coding is similar. A script a series of instructions carried out in a specific order by a computer. Your script in EarSketch is your list of instructions for the computer to play your music, just like a script gives actors/actresses instructions on what to say when they perform.

Add the following term in your Student Workbook.

Student Workbook page 5

DEFINITION

TERM

A series of instructions carried out in a specific order by a computer.

SCRIPT

Click to reveal the term

Let’s learn how to create a script in EarSketch!

1

Click on the blue line, "Click here to create a new script" in the middle of your screen to create a new script.

2

Name your script, Day 0 EarSketch, and select the coding language you will use in EarSketch with your class (Python or Javascript*).

3

Click the blue "Create" button.

4

View the code editor at the center of your workspace window.

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TIP

Python or JavaScript? Click here to check out our recommendations.

Python is a general-purpose computer programming language that is used by many large companies, and is one of the ten most popular programming languages in the world. Python has been used for web development by companies like Yahoo and Google. In addition to web development, Python can be used for game development, science, education, and graphics. Games that have been created with Python include Civilization 4, Battlefield 2, and Crystal Space. Other well-known companies that have made extensive use of the Python programming language include The National Weather Service, NASA, IBM, Disney, and Nokia.

CREATING A SCRIPT

Let's take a quick look at our script. Every script in EarSketch will be structured in four sections. You will use comments (notes to the programmer) to show the different sections of your script.

COMMENTS SECTION

You can use comments anywhere in your code, but the top area of the code allows you to enter a short description of your code. You can add your name or the title of the code here.

SETUP SECTION

This code tells the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) how to prepare to make music. init() initializes, or turns on, the DAW. setTempo() allows you to choose a tempo for the project which can be anywhere from 45 to 220 beats per minute.

MUSIC SECTION

The most important section. All of the details of your code and composition go here.

FINISH SECTION

The most important section. All of the details of your code and composition go here.

We will be diving into each of these sections throughout the “Your Voice is Power” remix competition. This is just an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the parts of your script.

SCRIPT BROWSER

All scripts are automatically saved in the scripts browser for you to access every time you log in. This folder is located in the second folder in the left column menu indicated by the brackets icon. If you click on the folder right now, you should see the name of today’s script at the top of the list in the scripts browser.

You will never lose your work in EarSketch. When you close your web browser today, you can open up EarSketch tomorrow, log into your account, and find your script in your scripts browser.

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CODING AND COMPOSING

EarSketch is all about coding and composing, so let’s add a few lines of code that will insert sound files into your script.

1

Type (or copy) the following code into your script on line 13.

2

Click "Run" in the upper right corner of the code editor.

3

If your code does not run, you may have an error. You can check the console (space below the code editor) to look for errors. If you have an error- check to make sure that you copied the code correctly. The error message in the console identifies the line of code with the error. An example of an error in the console looks like this (In this example, I left a letter out of the sound clip on line 16)

If your code ran successfully, you can now view your code in the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Your audio clips are shown in colorful rectangles along a timeline in the (DAW).

4

If your code ran successfully, you can now view your code in the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Your audio clips are shown in colorful rectangles along a timeline in the (DAW)

5

To listen to your music, click play. You can also use the other buttons at the top right of the DAW to control the play of your song such as reset, mute, volume, and loop. Take a few minutes to practice using these buttons.

CURRICULUM AND REFERENCES

In your quick tour, you learned that EarSketch is a DAW with extra features. So what are those extra features? These extra features allow you to place audio clips using code. EarSketch adds extra tools within its programming languages to accomplish the goal of creating music.

The code you copied above had one of those tools: fitMedia(), which inserts audio clips into the code. This collection of tools is called an Application Programming Interface, or API. Other examples of APIs include the Google Maps API (a set of tools for embedding maps into websites or apps) and the YouTube API (tools for embedding YouTube videos in websites).

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REWIND

PLAY

METRONOME

VOLUME

PRINT TO CONSOLE

It’s time to show your new role as a coder in your final EarSketch Task to print a command. On line 17, type print ‘Your name is a coder’. For example, If my name was Pharrell, I would write on line 17- “ Pharrell is a coder

It’s time to show your new role as a coder in your final EarSketch Task to print a command.

1

On line 17, type the following: print"[Your name] is a coder"

For example, if my name was Pharrell, I would write on line 17: "Pharrell is a coder"

2

Click "Run"

3

Check out the console -- your print command should print there.

THE WRAP UP

Congratulations, you are a coder and ready to start Module 1! You learned how to:

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Create an EarSketch Account

Open a Script

Find the sections of a script

Run your code

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Play your music

Look at the console for errors.

Use the resources in the API and Curriculum folder

NO EXIT TICKET!

We will begin the Your Voice is Power Competition during the next module. See you there!

BACK TO HOME

MODULE 0

Module 0

Introduction to EarSketch

MODULE 0 OVERVIEW

MODULE CHECK IN

OBJECTIVE

LEARN CODE

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COMPUTER SCIENCE STANDARDS

2-AP-10

3-AP-13

3B-AP-10

MUSIC STANDARDS

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AWESOME! LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE READY TO TEACH MODULE 0!

DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES

RECOMMENDED PACING

LESSON

WELCOME

WHAT IS EARSKETCH? WHAT IS CODE?

DANCE STEPS

RECIPE

1

2

3

4

1

2

1

2

3

4

action(body part, direction, number of times)

DANCE CODE EXAMPLE

YOUR DANCE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

DEFINITION

TERM

ALGORITHM

EXPLORE THE EARSKETCH WORKSPACE

CREATING AN ACCOUNT

1

2

3

4

5

6

EARSKETCH BUBBLE TOUR

DEFINITION

TERM

DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION (DAW)

CREATING A SCRIPT

DEFINITION

TERM

SCRIPT

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