Lab Name GarageBand Noise Wave Modulation Experiment.
Subject Area Art and Science
Grade 7 and 8
Topic GarageBand Wave Modulation, testing noise simulation using GNU Radio.
Experiment Title Viewing audio signals, compare and contrast two opposite genres of music by analyzing the results.
Hardware Linux machines (ex laptop, raspberry pi).
Software GarageBand, GNU Radio, Music Converter, COSMOS toolkit framework.
Number of Sessions to teach the topic 7-8 sessions
Educational standards to be addressed Art Standards
  • Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources
  • Standard 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art.
  • Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.9
Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.9
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.5
Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

MS-PS4-1
Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing waves with both qualitative and quantitative thinking.
Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include electromagnetic waves and is limited to standard repeating waves.

MS-PS4-2
Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both light and mechanical waves. Examples of models could include drawings, simulations, and written descriptions.
Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to qualitative applications pertaining to light and mechanical waves.

MS-PS4-3
Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on a basic understanding that waves can be used for communication purposes. Examples could include using fiber optic cable to transmit light pulses, radio wave pulses in wifi devices, and conversion of stored binary patterns to make sound or text on a computer screen.
Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include binary counting. Assessment does not include the specific mechanism of any given device.
COSMOS concepts to be used for the lab
  • Modulation of waves.
  • Understand the frequency of a wave.
  • Create music and view sound waves using GNU Radio.
  • Create a drawing of their sound wave.
  • Measure the chorus of a song and view the sound wave it creates.
  • Wireless signals, attenuation of the signal over the air, signal strength indoor/outdoor, relationship between signal strength and distance.
K12 Educational Goals (How the educational goals are achieved through teaching using the experiment, how the topic is connected to the COSMOS concepts used)
  • Teaching sound modulation the frequency of a wave and how it is created.
  • Using GNURadio students will be able to create a simulation of noise as connected to the COSMOS testbed.
Short Description and Walk-through of the experiment
  1. Compare and contrast two opposite genres of music
  2. Use GarageBand to view and create original music.
  3. Students will visualize a wave that they have created on their own.
  4. Students will understand waves and frequency, and students will create their own music.
  5. Students will be able understand sound frequency and modulation using GNURadio.
  6. Using tabloid paper students will create a drawing of their original wave signal, additionally they will annotate the lyrics of the chorus from song under the wave signal.
  7. Students will understand and draw a piece of artwork based on the modulated wave and turn the annotated wave into a drawing.
  8. Using GNURadio students will be able to create a simulation of noise as if it were connected to the COSMOS testbed.
Testbed mapping of the experiment The experiment can be extended by executing it into a testbed (ORBIT/COSMOS) through the following steps:
Students can transmit their originally created music to the testbed and see the level of noise once it is download. Students can compare and see if any data packets were dropped or did the .wav or mp3 file keep its sound quality.

Experiment Execution

Select the song you prefer to observe the waveforms and press START to begin the experiment. In order to terminate the experiment press STOP.
Mozart - Requiem Pharrell Williams - Happy

Experiment Material

NGSS Lesson Plan
Worksheet
Students Handouts
MP3 Songs

© 2018 COSMOS Project. Created by Harry Tittle, Urban Academy for Future Leaders.