STEM Wonders GRADE 8

1st Edition

STEM

8th Grade

Name:
Roll no:
Section:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Project Team/Co-Author

ED-TECH Research and Development Department
Tarib Ahmed

Chief Operating Officer- TechTree

Muhammad Taha

Chief Technology Officer- TechTree

Uzair Iqbal

Manager Ed-Tech and Research- TechTree

Saad Bin Imtiaz

Head of Trainings & STEM Research- TechTree

The entire computing curriculum in the STEM wonders book series have been mapped
with the attainment levels of ICDL & Single National Curriculum Pakistan education

policy 2021.

All rights reserved by TechTree. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any part by any means at any time.

Content STEM Wonders

CO N T E N T S 01 INTRODUCTION TO MS ACCESS 01

1.1 Database: An Overview
1.2 Database Management System
1.3 Introduction to MS-ACCESS

02 MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION 17

2.1 STORYBOARDING
2.2 Capturing and Editing Multimedia
2.3 Recording
24. Fixing Photos and Adding Effects
2.5 Create an Animated Story

03 STEM RESOURCES 43

3.1 Foam Rocke
3.2 Creating an Electromagnet

3.3 Binary Coded Bracelets

04 ROBOTICS 71

4.1 What is Robotics?
4.2 What is a Robot?
4.3 Nimble Bot
44. Getting Started with mBlock
4.5 Project I – LED Blinking
4.6 Project II – Buzz! Buzz!
4.7 Project III – Driving Motors

05 ELECTRONICS 99

5.1 Introduction to Circuits
5.2 Resistor
5.3 LED – Light Emitting Diode
54. Buzzer
5.5 Capacitor
5.6 555 Timer IC
5.7 Battery

Content STEM Wonders

CO N T E N T S 5.8 Slide Switch
5.9 DIY Elementary Kit
5.10 Lighting up the LED
5.11 Let’s make the Buzzing sound
5.12 NAND Gate
5.13 NOR Gate
5.14 Buzz Game
5.15 Blinking LED using 555 Time

06 BUILDING A WEBSITE 116

6.1 Introduction to CSS
6.2 HTML – A brief Introduction
6.3 HTML v/s CSS
64. Types of CSS
6.5 Visual Studio Code
6.6 CSS Selectors
6.7 Colors
6.8 Fonts
6.9 Borders

07 INTRODUCTION TO
PYTHON 136

7.1 What is Programming?
7.2 How to write programs?
7.3 What is a programming language?
74. Introduction to Python
7.5 Algorithm
7.6 Flowchart
7.7 More Python!
7.8 User input
7.9 How to design a program

STEM Wonders

0 1S e ct i o n

Introduction
to MS Access

Students will learn :

1. Database: An Overview
2. Database Management System
3. Introduction to MS-ACCESS

01 MS Access STEM Wonders

1.1 Database: An Overview

What is data? Data is information that we collect about the world. To make this
information useful, people need to be able to classify, sort, organize, represent, and
interpret it.

Let’s explore some different types of data: FUN FACT
> The leaves of a tree are green.
> Ali’s hair is brown. Data is a collection of facts.
> A bicycle has 2 wheels. Information is how you
> Yesterday was Friday.
> Saad’s favorite food is pizza. understand those facts in
context. Data is everywhere.

When we gather a set of data, it can provide
well-organized information about something
more specific!
For example, a hospital collects data about its
patients and creates an organized set of
information. These types of data were frequently kept in file cabinets before the invention
of computers.

1.1.1 What is Database?

A database is a collection of information that has been organized in a way that allows a
computer to search and retrieve it fast. The information in a database can be sorted,
changed, or searched using a database system. The data itself can be kept in a variety of
ways; before digital computers, card files, printed books, and other methods were
employed, but computer files today hold the
majority of data.

Do You Know?

An electronic address book is a simple
example of a database system.

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

1.1.2 Why is Database Important?

Databases are used to keep mountains of data organized and easily accessible to an
authorized user. Depending on the nature of its data, each organization uses a unique
database. The Database Management System is used by major corporations and
financial institutions. It’s because this system application makes it simple for the user and
the administrator to manage the database’s data and information.
The database is important in many ways:
> Store and retrieve related data efficiently.
> It allows multiple users to access the database at the same time, which makes it more
efficient.
> Allows a company to make well-informed business decisions.
> Security may be improved over paper files.
> Database management is cost-effective as compared to keeping records on paper.

1.1.3 Database Types

There are four different types of databases.
> Relational Database
> Hierarchical Database
> Network Database
> Object-oriented Database

A relational Database model is the most popular database model in all database types. A
relational database is one in which the data is arranged as a set of tables with rows and
columns that have a pre-determined association. The main elements of a relational data-
base are tables, fields, and records.

Table: A table in a database is a collection of related data organized in a table structure.
It’s made up of columns and rows.

Friend’s Address Book

Name Add re s s Contact Number Email Address

Saad Gulshan e Iqbal, Block 5 021 3589745 [email protected]

Uzair F.B Area, Block 4 021 3678745 [email protected]

Hamza North Nazimabad, Block L 021 3487254 [email protected]

Faizan Gulistan e Johar, Block 10 021 3598124 [email protected]

Raheel DHA, Phase 4 021 3842391 [email protected]

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

Record: A record is a horizontal collection of information in a database; the content of
those fields is unique to that row.

Friend’s Address Book

Raheel DHA, Phase 4 021 3842391 [email protected]

Field: A field is a single data unit that is unique inside each entry/row, but the overall data
category is shared by all entries. For example, “address” is a field shared by all named
entries in the Address book; nevertheless, the address field’s content is unique to each
named entry. The term field is frequently used synonymously with the column.

Name: Raheel

Address: DHA, Phase 4

Contact Number: 021 3842391

Email Address: [email protected]

1.2 Database Management System

A database is a collection of data that is organized and managed in such a way that it can
be easily updated and retrieved. A database management system is a software program
that may be used to edit, verify, and access the database.
For example, Airlines use this software package to book tickets and confirm reservations
which are then managed to keep a track of the schedule.
For example, The Railway uses a database management system to book tickets and
confirm bookings to maintain track of the schedule of trains.

1.2.1 Function of DBMS: Do You Know?

The functions are: Access, MySQL, and Oracle are examples
1. Organizes Data of popular DBMS software.
2. Integrates Data
3. Separates Data
4. Controls Data
5. Retrieves Data
6. Protects Data.

Organized Data

The data is arranged or structured according to the data definition language’s
specifications. These specifications are introduced by the database administrator when
the database is created, and they may be reintroduced if the database configuration
changes. Data is organized in the most appropriate way for each application.

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

Integrates Data Separates Data

Data are interconnected or linked together Between application program and their
at the element (specified field of data) level associated data, a database management
and can thus be assembled in several ways system acts as a filter. It segregates
during the execution of a specific application application logic from the input/output
program. The database management system logic required to generate addresses,
is the vehicle that collects, combines, and follow chains or links, block/unblock data,
returns to the user a portion of the find records, and select data items.
accessible data.

Controls Data Retrieves Data

An application programmer sees a database A database management system can be
management system as an extension of the used to obtain a data record:
operating system software. It manages how > In sequential order (in its physically
and where data is physically stored as it stored > sequence)
receives data storage requests from the > In the order provided by the user
host program. It locates and returns required > Randomly by key
data elements to the program during data > Randomly, based on address
retrievals. > Through a structural relationship
The entire data record or any piece of it
Protects Data can be returned to the user.

A database management system safeguards
and preserves a database’s content as well
as the relationships between data elements.
Data are safeguarded against unwanted
access, physical damage, computer system
failure, concurrent updating, and some
disruptions caused by host software.

1.3 Introduction to MS-ACCESS

1.3.1 What is Microsoft Access, and how does it work?

Microsoft Access is a database management software. It is part of the Microsoft Office
family and uses the Microsoft Jet Database Engine.
Microsoft Access offers database functionality and programming tools for creating
user-friendly forms. You can quickly and efficiently analyze large quantities of data.
MS Access is used frequently by software engineers and data architects to build
application software. These are some of the most popular MS Access applications:
> Bill management and account management.
> It can be used to build website databases.
> It can be used to compare data or identify a relationship between existing data.

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

Differences between Access and Excel

Microsoft Access and Excel have a lot in common, yet they’re also quite different. Here
are some significant differences between them:

Access E xce l

MS Access works with text, numbers, Microsoft Excel is mostly used to work
files, and various types of data. with numerical data.
MS Access has more data storage MS Excel has fewer data storage capac-
capacity than MS Excel. ity than MS Access.
MS Excel is non-relational.
MS Access is relational.
MS Excess is useful for creating charts, and
MS Access is a database management graphs, and performing simple calculations.
system that stores and manages data.

Database Object

Table:
A table in a database is a collection of related data organized in a table structure. It’s
made up of columns and rows.

From:
A form is a type of database object that can be used to design a database
application’s user interface. Forms make it possible to see real-time data from a table. It
is primarily used to simplify the process of editing or entering data.

Query:
When a table has been created and the programmer or user is seeking a calculated
output, these calculated outputs are called queries. This could include filtering and
calculating, sorting, updating, and so on.
Report:
Reports are objects in a database that are used primarily for formatting,
calculating, and printing selected data.

Macros:
Macros are miniature computer programming constructs. Macros allow you to create in-
structions and processes in your forms, such as searching, navigating to a
different record, or running a calculation.

Modules:
This allows the programmer to create a set of pre-defined instructions in the database.
These instructions can be used across the entire database

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

Microsoft Access Data Types

These are the most commonly used data types in Microsoft Access databases.

Data Type Description Size

Short Text Short Text, includes numbers that do not require Up to 255
calculation. (For example, phone numbers). characters.
Up to 63,999
Long Text This data type can be used for long text and characters.
alphanumeric data.

Number Numeric data is used to store mathematical 1,24, ,8 and 16 bytes.
Date/Time calculations. 8 bytes.
The years 100 to 9999 are stored as Date/Time.

Currency It can be used to store numeric data and 8 bytes.
Auto currency values with up to four decimal points. 4 bytes (16 bytes, if
Number If a new record has been created, MS Access it’s set as Replication
Yes/No assigns it a unique number. This is usually used as ID).
the primary key.

It stores only logical values Yes or No. 1 bit.

Attachment It is used to store files such as digital Up to 2 GB.
OLE photographs. Each record can contain multiple
objects Audio, video and other Binary Large Objects can Up to 2 GB.
Hyperlink be stored in OLE objects.files.
Text or combinations of text numbers are stored. Up to 2048
Calculated This text serves as a hyperlink address.files. characters.
You can write an
This allows you to create expressions that use expression that uses
data from one or multiple fields. information from one
or more fields.

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

1.3.2 Creating a Database Fig 1.3

Follow the steps to create a Database in MS Access 2016
from Scratch.
1. Open MS Access 2016, and click on “Blank Database”.
(Fig 1.1)
2. A new pop-up window will appear. Rename the name of
Fig 1.1

the database as per your wish.
3. Click on “Create”. (Fig 1.2)
4. A blank database will appear on the screen.
5. Start creating fields for your database.
6. Click on “Click to Add”. (Fig 1.3)
7. Choose the type of data you want
to enter.
8. Rename the field. (Fig 14. ) Fig 1.2

9. Create and rename all the required fields.
(Fig 1.5)

Fig 14.

Fig 1.5

10. Start filling out the data in the
respective records. (Fig 1.6)
11. Now let’s save the Database.
Click File. (Fig 1.7)
12. Click Save. (Fig 1.8)
13. A pop-up window will appear. Fig 1.6
Rename the Table name. Press Okay. (Fig 1.9)
14. After pressing Enter the Access Database is saved.

Fig 1.7

Fig 1.9 Fig 1.8

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

Database Object

Microsoft Access and Excel have a lot in common, yet they’re also quite different. Here
are some significant differences between them:

1. Filed name can be up to 64 characters long.
2. Field name can be any combination of Alphabetical Letters, Numbers, Spaces, and
Special Characters.
3. Period “.”, Exclamation Mark “!”, Accent Grave “`”, and Brackets “[]” are not allowed.
4. Field names cannot begin with a space.
5. Can’t include a double quotation mark (“) in table, view, or stored procedure names in a
Microsoft Access project.

Opening an existing Database

To open an existing database, please follow the following
steps.

1. First open MS Access 2016, click “Open”, and then click
“Browse”. (Fig 1.10)
2. After clicking the “Browse”, a pop-up window will appear.
Browse to the folder containing the database. Select the
database file. Then click “Open”. (Fig 1.11)

Fig 1.10

3. Now click “Enable Content”, then
double-click on the Table name. (Fig 1.12)

Fig 1.11 Fig 1.12

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

1.3.3 Modifying Table Design

Add or Delete a Field

1. To Add a Field, click on the small down arrow next to
“Click to Add”. Now the desired datatype. (Fig 1.13)
2. A new field “Field1” will appear. (Fig 1.14)

Fig 1.13

Fig 1.14

3. Now to delete the recently added field right-click on the field name.
4. A pop-up window will appear, click “Delete Field”. (Fig 1.15)

6. The field named “Field1” will be deleted. (Fig 1.16)

Fig 1.16

Move a field Fig 1.15

1. To move a field click on and hold the field Fig 1.17
header as shown in. (Fig 1.17)
2. While holding the field header, drag the field to
the desired place. (Fig 1.18)
3. The field will be moved. (Fig 1.19)

Fig 1.18 Fig 1.20

Fig 1.19

Hide and Unhide Fields

1. To hide a field, right-click the field header, then click “Hide
Fields” as shown in Fig 1.20.
2. The field “Field1” will be hidden now. (Fig 1.21)
3. To unhide fields,
right-click on any field
header, then click “Unhide
Fields”.
(Fig 1.22)

Fig 1.21

10 Fig 1.22

01 MS Access STEM Wonders

4. A new pop-up window will appear. All hidden fields will be
“unchecked”. See Fig 1.23 “Field1” is the hidden field in the
shown figure.
5. “check” the hidden field, then click “Close”. (Fig 1.24)
6. The field “Field1” will appear. (Fig 1.25)

Fig 1.23
Fig 1.25

Freeze and Unfreeze Fields Fig 1.24

1. To freeze any field, right-click the field header, then click “Freeze
Fields”. (Fig 1.26)

2. The frozen field will appear at the beginning of Fig 1.26
the Table.
(Fig 1.27)

Fig 1.27

3. To unfreeze fields, click on any field header.
Now click “Unfreeze All Fields”. (Fig 1.28)

Fig 1.28

Freezing any fields enable users to keep an area of the
database visible while scrolling through the other areas of

the database

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

Change Field’s Format

1. Click on the field header you want to format. (Fig 1.29)
2. Click “Table Fields”. (Fig 1.30)

Fig 1.29 Fig 1.30

3. Now format the field as per your needs. In (Fig 1.31)
you can see that we are changing the datatype of
the field “Student Name”.

Fig 1.31

1.3.4 Average, Sorting, Filtering, and Searching Data

We can use formulas to perform different mathematical operations. To find the average
numbers, follow these steps.
1. First create a database or open an existing one. (Fig 1.32)
2. Now click the “∑ Totals” in the toolbar.
3. Now a new record will be added name “Total”. (Fig 1.33)
4. To find the average. Click on the field you want the
average of.
5. A new pop-up window will appear. Select and click
Fig 1.32

“Average”. (Fig 1.34)
6. After clicking, the average of the student’s marks will
appear. (Fig 1.35)

Fig 1.35 Fig 1.33

Fig 1.34

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01 MS Access STEM Wonders

Sorting Data

Sorting data is very useful in a database. We can sort numbers or names in ascending or
descending order.
1. Click the small down arrow in the field header.
2. A pop-up window will appear. Sort the data in the order you
want. (Fig 1.36)
3. See Fig 1.37 to see
the sorted data.
4. Data in the figure
is stored according to Fig 1.36
the highest to lowest marks.
Fig 1.37

Filtering Data
Filtering data is very useful in a database. Filtering any data will hide all the unnecessary
data.
Note: Data will not be deleted, it is only hidden.
Follow the following steps to filter out data.
1. Click the small down arrow in the field header.
2. Unchecked data you don’t want. To view data of
students from section “A” only, uncheck “B” and “C”. Then Fig 1.38
click “Okay”. (Fig 1.38)
3. Now only the data of section “A” students will
appear. (Fig 1.39)
Fig 14. 0

Searching Data
Searching data is very important in a database. As databases have a lot of data, looking
for a single entry will take a lot of time. MS Access has a quick search bar. Follow the
steps to search for data.
1. Go to the quick-search bar at the bottom of the MS Access. (Fig 14. 0)
2. Now type the data you want to search, it can be a name, a phrase, a date, or any num-
ber. For example, let’s search “Saad”. (Fig 14. 1)
3. Matching data will be highlighted. (Fig 14. 2)
4. To find the next matching entry just press “Enter”. Fig 14. 1

Fig 14. 2

Fig 14. 3

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End of Section - 01 MS Access

Let’s do it!

1. Which of the following is not a type of MS Access database object?

a. Table.
b. Form.
c. Worksheet.
d. Module.

2. The size of the yes/no field is always ________.

a. 1 Bit.
b. 1 Byte.
c. 1 Character.
d. 1 KB.

3. The size of a field with number data type cannot be ___________.

a. 2
b. 4
c. 8
d. 16
4. What can be the maximum length of a short text field?

a. 120
b. 255
c. 265
d. 75
5. Which of the following database object hold data?

a. Forms.
b. Reports.
c. Queries.
d. Tables.

14

Answer the following!

1. What is the Microsoft Access database & tell some of the most
important uses of MS Access?

2. What is a form that you can create in MS Access? Also, write how can
you create a form?

3.What are queries in MS Access? Write down some commonly used
queries?

15

End of Section - 01 MS Access

4. What are the major components of MS Access?

5. What are the differences between a form and a report?

Fo r m Report

Project!

Create a database that stores student name, class, section, roll
no., and marks of 4 subjects.

16

Contents

Sectio n

02

Multimedia
Presentation

Students will learn :

1. STORYBOARDING
2. Capturing and Editing Multimedia
3 .Recording
4. Fixing Photos and Adding Effects
5. Create an Animated Story

02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

2.1 Storyboarding

You’ve all watched movies in the cinema, and some of
you may have created home recordings of family trips,
celebrations, and so on. You might have noticed that
these home movies have a few elements in common:
• The image is shaking in all directions.
• The shots are either long and boring or extremely

brief.
• The camera angle is rarely anything other than the

cameraman’s shoulder height (which is similarly
boring) .... and so on.

It doesn’t have to be this way! In reality, if you take the time to pre-
pare ahead of time, every video you produce, as well as your other
media projects, can be made to seem a lot better.
So, let’s look at how the pros do it to gain some ideas and maybe
adopt some of their tools to help us design our own works.

2.1.1 The Script

The first phase of your strategy requires you to answer Do You Know?
a critical question:
What will I be trying to discuss? Johann Zahn envisioned the first portable
What is the plot of my film? camera tiny enough to be useful for pho-
Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect just now! Even
a basic film about you and your classmates on a typical tography in 1685.
school day is an excellent starting point for your first,
well-planned film.
So, after you have the basic concept, it’s time to tell
the tale. What exactly do you want to convey in your
film about a day at school?

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

It’s time to write your script!

A script contains three essential elements: heroes, action, and dialogue. The formalized
paraphrase “action” is written in the present tense and describes what is happening at the
time or what your “actors” are doing. All of the things your characters say are referred to
as “dialogue.”
The “heroes are the main characters are doing. The “dialogue” is all characters of your
movie. For example, a very dialogue, could be something like this:

Scene 1: Students are inside the classroom. It is raining outside. All the students are in
the classroom paying attention.

Ahmed leans towards his desk mate Amir and whispers:
- Are you prepared for today’s exam?

One more thing you need to know is that in a script, the story is divided into scenes.
What is Scene?
A scene is the activity that takes place in a certain location at a specific moment. For ex-
ample, during a lesson, this may be the “lesson scene,” but when the bell sounds and you
go out to recess, the scene changes since the location has changed.

Note: You don’t have to include every detail regarding the setting. This is a task for the
director. He has the ultimate say after discussing all the specifics with the rest of the

2.1.2 Storyboard

You will create your movie’s storyboard as the final stage of your film planning. Don’t
worry, it’s not that tough, but it does demand some sketching abilities. The storyboard is
similar to a comic book of your entire film. During découpage, you have already completed
the majority of the task. You will now just sketch what each shot should look like.
Essentially, you put all of the information you’ve written down for each shot into an image.
You may also provide pointers or directions for movement.
All of your hard work will be completed after you have completed your storyboard. You
may now go out and film your film. It will be simple if you plan well and stick to your story-
board. Enjoy your Moviemaking!

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

2.2 Capturing and Editing Multimedia

You’ve all seen and heard wonderful images, movies, and music. Wouldn’t it be great if you
could make something and share it with your friends? It’s not so difficult, after all! We are
surrounded by several technology that can assist us. Digital cameras, cell phones, video
cameras, and, of course, computers are all examples of electronic devices. All of these
gadgets generate media files including your work. However, you must know which ones are
your images, films, and so on. So, first, let’s learn how to tell various media files apart.

2.2.1 Media Files

Each file is given a name and an extension, such as “Techtree.jpg.” In this case, the file
extension “jpg” indicates what sort of file it is. “Techtre.jpg” is a JPEG image.
By inspecting the extension of different media files on your computer, you may quickly
identify them.

Here are the most common file types for your media files :

Image file (picture, drawing jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp, .tif
or photo)

Image file (vector drawing) .ai, .eps, .svg, .dwg

Sound file .wav, .wma, .mp3, aac

Video file avi, .wmv, .mpg, .mp4, .mkv,
3gp, .mov

2.2.2 Video Files

So, how will you record your own videos? Until recently, the video camera was the most
common gadget. More and more smartphones now have video capability. If you don’t have a
video camera, you may use your phone, a tiny digital camera, a DSLR, or even the webcam
on your computer.
Have you ever wondered why a video taken using a digital video camera appears better
than one taken with a cell phone? A video camera just has one job: to capture video, and
it does it well, but a mobile phone has so many other features and is so compact that it
cannot execute every duty completely. Remember that when it comes to video quality, the
source device that was used to collect it is a significant element.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

Compressing a file :

Consider this : You utilized your family’s video camera to record your school’s theatrical

production, and you now want to post the video to YouTube for your friends to see, as

well as save a copy to your computer for personal archives. The video file recorded by

your camera is likely to be extremely huge , much larger if you have an HD video camera,

so it will take up a lot of space on your computer and will also take a long time to upload

to YouTube.

So, what are your plans? You will just compress your file. A file gets compressed when

it is changed to take up less space. However, when you compress a file, some quality is

lost. But don’t panic; there are several powerful compression algorithms that guarantee

a file that is significantly smaller than original with just a minimal loss of quality that is

barely noticeable. Some popular codecs are:

Codecs and Containers

There are several compressions that may MPEG-2 MPEG-2 is the format in which movies
MPEG-4 are stored on DVDs, and MPEG-4 is a
newer and better video format.
be used to reduce the size of a video.

These are known as codecs. A codec DivX, XviD It was very popular for compressing
compresses a video file so that it can movies in the past.

be saved on your computer, but it also VC-1 It’s used in Blu-ray Discs, video games
decompresses the stored file so that it and Windows Media.

may be seen. Your computer comes with H.264 It’s used for high-definition videos
a number of codecs pre-installed, but and streaming video on the Internet.

you may always add more if necessary.

So, a reasonable query would be if a video file extension indicates the compression type
utilized - the video codec. No, it does not! The kind of container is indicated by the
video file extension. A container is a group of files that seem as a single file to you. A
container typically contains a video codec and an audio codec, but it may also contain
additional elements such as subtitles.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

Smart Tip

f your computer is unable to play a media file
because it lacks the necessary codecs, you

have two alternatives. You may either install a
media player application that supports a

variety of formats, such as VLC, or you can
install a codec pack, which is a collection of
common codecs that will be installed on your

computer.

Here are the most popular containers (notice that names are the same as the video
file extensions).

AVI (Audio Video Interleave with extension .avi).

Matroska (with extension .mkv).

MP4 (the extension can be either.mp4 or .m4v).

QTFF (QuickTime File Format with extension .mov).
The main difference between different containers is not only the codecs they support but also
what other features they support - like subtitles or chapters.

Do You Know?

The most popular video file formats today are.
avi, which has been around for a long time, and.
mp4, which is gaining popularity due to its com-

patibility with mobile devices.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

2.2.3 Sound Files

You’ve most likely heard about MP3. You probably have some MP3 tunes on your PC,
portable media player, or smartphone. But just what is MP3?
Today, MP3 is the most used digital music format. MP3 files are identified by their
extension “.mp3.” You’re probably wondering why it’s so popular. It is because a song in
MP3 format takes up far less space than other formats. This is because the audio data
in MP3 files is compressed.
Uncompressed audio files and compressed audio files are the two major forms of sound
files. The difference is that an uncompressed audio file sounds precisely as it was re-
corded, therefore it has the highest possible quality but takes up a lot of space, whereas
a compressed audio file is considerably less in size but has some quality loss.
MP3 and WMA are the most widely used compressed audio formats (Windows Media
Audio). WAV is the most widely used uncompressed audio format.

OK, now that you know some things about the FUN FACT
types of sound files, when you create a sound
file, you must always ask! yourself two things : You can convert your songs, to MP3
format for backup purposes or you
> What is the content, music or speech? can buy them from online stores like
> Where is it going to be used? Computer,
iTunes or Amazon.
Hi-Fi, Home Cinema, or transmitted over the .
internet.

Be Safe

When you are using headphones,
don’t turn the volume too high, it’s
nice to enjoy your favorite song,
but you may damage your hearing

if it;s too loudteam (director of
photography, sound engineer, set

designer etc).

If it’s music, you’ll probably require a high-quality sound file; if it’s just speech, you won’t,
because the human voice isn’t as complicated as music.

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Second, size isn’t as crucial if you’re going to save your sound files on your computer

or play them on your Hi-Fi audio system, but if you’re going to upload them to a web-

site or email them to a friend, you’ll probably want a minimal file size for speedy trans-

mission.

After you’ve answered these questions, you’ll need to learn about two crucial audio

characteristics that are present in any recording or sound editing program: sample rate

and bit rate. The sample rate determines how detailed the sound will be. The degree of

compression is determined by the bit rate.

The greater the sample rate and bit rate, the better the quality,

but also the necessary storage space. Smart Tip
So, how can you know what sort of sound file
you require? It’s actually fairly straightforward.

If you want the highest quality and don’t mind Don’t compress a file below 128 kbit/s because after
taking up a lot of space, you may use an un- that point the loss in quality starts to be noticeable. On
compressed sound file like WAV or a lossless the other hand, if you want near excellent sound quality

but not a huge file, you can use a sample rate of 44,1

compression method. You receive a smaller file KHz and a bit rate of 320 kbit/s.

with no information loss when using lossless

data compression, and you may apply it on any

type of data file.

2.2.4 Sound Files

We use digital cameras to capture pictures. You probably already have a little camera sit-
ting around, but even if you don’t, today’s smartphones can capture good images. You’ve
certainly seen some variations in photographs shot with a digital camera vs those taken
with a smartphone: cameras create larger, sharper, and clearer images. This is due to cam-
eras having superior lenses and larger image sensors, both of which are critical to photo
quality. You may have also spotted “14 MP” written on your digital camera or even some
of the most recent smartphones. This signifies that the camera can take 14 Megapixels
(14 million pixels) photographs. But what exactly is a pixel?
Every digital image is made up of small squares stacked on top of each other. Every such
square has a color, so when they are all assembled, the image we perceive looks like a
mosaic of small colored tiles. Pixels are the name given to these little squares. So a 14
Megapixel picture is made up of 14 million of those small colored squares, or pixels.

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Fig 2.1

A shot taken with an 8 MP smartphone, for example, does not necessarily appear better
than one taken with a 5 MP digital camera! Because a camera has a larger and superior
lens than a phone, the image will be clearer and sharper, despite its smaller size. The
lens’s quality is critical, especially for low-light, night, or sports photography.

Image files, like all other media files we’ve examined so far, may be compressed or
uncompressed.

Here are the most common file types for your media files:

JPEG (with It’s a compressed image file format much smaller in size than the
extension jpg) original image file, but also causes a certain loss in image quality,
which most of the times is not noticeable. JPEG files are good for
TIFF (with web images, non-professional printing, em presentations.
extension tif)
It’s an uncompressed or lossless compressed file format bigger in
size than JPEG, but with the highest image quality files are good for
professional publications and large size prints.

GIF (with It’s mainly used for web graphics because it supports transparency.
extension.gif) It has fewer colors and it’s small i are good for web graphics, but
not good for photos.
PNG (with
extension.png) This format was created to replace GIF and JPEG image supports
transparency, gives a very good image qual has a small file size. PNG
files are excellent for any use o Internet or presentations.

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2.2.5 Importing Media

Digital cameras are excellent multimedia devices because they allow you to capture both
photographs and video. After you capture a photograph or record a video with your cam-
era, you’ll want to import or transfer the data to your computer for editing and storage.

To store photos and videos on your computer: Fig 2.2
> Connect your camera to your computer.
You usually connect it via a USB cable. Alter-
natively, if your computer has a card reader,
you can also insert the camera’s memory card
directly into the card reader.
> After your computer recognizes your de-
vice, the AutoPlay window (1) will appear.
> Click Open folder to view files. (2)
> The window that contains your camera files
will appear. (3)
> Cut or Copy and paste them to where you
want. (4)

Fig 2.3 Do You Know?

26 All digital cameras and smartphones take JPEG
photos. It’s the most commonly used image
format because of its small file sizes, good

quality and the fact that JPEG images can be
transferred and viewed on any computer with-

out any further processing.

02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

hands on!

Turn on your computer and look for
your media files. Take note of the
suffix of each media file. Is there a
suffix you’re unfamiliar with? Can
you figure out what it is?

2.3 Recording

You will now learn how to record and edit your own sound clips using Audacity, a free and
downloadable audio editing and recording tool from the internet.

To record your voice: To play a specific part of
the sound clip:
> Make sure you have a microphone con-
nected to your computer.
> Click the Record button (1) and start
speaking into the microphone.
> To stop recording, click the Stop button.
(2)

> Click and drag the mouse
pointer to select a part of
the sound clip. Notice how
the selected part is now
highlighted (1)
> Click the Play button or
press the Space Bar.

Fig 24.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

Fig 2.5 Fig 2.6
Fig 2.7
To copy a highlighted part to
another point in your sound clip:
> Click the Copy button (1) or press
Ctrl + C.
> Click where you want to paste
the copied part. (2)
> Click the Paste button (3) or
press Ctrl + V.

Do You Know?

If you want to move a specific part of
your sound clip to different areas, use

the Cut command.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

To mix sounds:

> On the File menu, click Import (1) and then click Audio. (2)
> Locate and select a sound that you want to mix with an already open recording.
> A new waveform will appear under the previous recording. (3)
> Press the Space Bar to listen to the two sounds together.
> While you are listening, use the Gain slider (4) to change the volume.
> When you are done making changes, click File and then Export. (5)
> Save your file. (6)

2.3.1 Sound Effects Fig 2.8

Let’s add some sound effects!

Change Pitch

This effect lets you adjust the pitch of a sound clip by moving it up or down. You may
match the pitch or tone of a song to the tone of your own voice and sing along by
making slight modifications to the pitch or tone of a song. When mixing two tracks,
some experienced DJs aim to match their tones so that they are harmonic with one
other.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

To change the pitch of the sound clip: Fig 2.8
> Select a part of the waveform.
> On the Effect menu, click Change
Pitch. (1)
> Move the slider at the bottom of the
window to the right or left. (2)
> Click Preview (3) to listen to the
change.
> If you like it, click OK (4) to apply
this effect to the selected part.

If you move the pitch slider far from the center,
the effect is extreme. On the right, you will sound

like a chipmunk and on the left, like a very deep
voiced man. Try it out!

Noise Reduction

Your sound clip may contain noise at times. For example,
even when you’re not talking, a microphone might cause
problems.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

To remove that annoying noise from your recording:

> Find a part of your sound where there is only noise and no music
or voice and select it. (1)
> On the Effect menu, click Noise Reduction. (2)
> Click the Get Noise Profile button. (3)
> Select all your sound or a part from where you want to remove
noise.
> Click Effect and then click Noise Reduction (2) again
> Click OK. (4)
> Play your sound to make sure you are satisfied with the result.
If not, click the Undo button (5) and try again with a different noise
selection.

Fig 2.9

hands on!

Why don’t you try your luck at producing a tiny radio show?
Make a recording and play some music in the background.
Then, play a karaoke song and request that a student perform

it.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

2.4 Fixing Photos and Adding Effects

Your sound clip may contain noise at times. For example, even when you’re not
talking, a microphone might cause problems.

2.4.1 View images and videos

You may have a large number of photographs on your computer, such as images
downloaded from the Internet, photos shot with your digital camera, or an artwork
generated using Paint. With “ Gallery,” you can see all of your photographs. Here is
some fundamental facts you should be familiar with.

Fig 2.10 Fig 2.11

32 Fig 2.12

02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

It is now time to discuss video or video clips. A video clip (or simply video) is a type of
short film that you may produce on your computer or record using a video camera. You’ve
previously learned how to use Windows Media Player to watch a video on your computer.

Do You Know? Fig 2.13

There are a lot of photo editing, programs. One Be Safe
of the most popular is Adobe Photoshop. But if
you want to make simple editing, use Windows To fix a photo edit a video or an audio is re-
ally time consuming. Always safe your work
Photo Gallery, which is free.
regularly and take a backup of your files,
imagine what will happen if you lose all your

work.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

2.3.1 Sound Effects

Don’t be concerned if your digital images aren’t flawless or the way youd’ like them to be.
You may quickly alter and improve them, removing flaws such as red eyes, little spots or
dots, and so on. Everything can be fixed using the editing software on your PC.

Red Eye removal

People with red eyes appear frequently in your photographs. This issue is occasionally
caused by the camera flash.

To remove that annoying noise from your recording:

> Open a photo with Windows Photos and on the menu bar, click
Edit and Create. (1)
> Click on Edit, (2)
> In the Adjustments group(3), then click red eye. (4)
> Select a red eye with your mouse pointer and then click it. (5)
> Save the fixed image

Fig 2.14 Fig 2.15

Fig 2.16

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

Retouch

Small blemishes may appear on your images from time to time. This might happen for a
variety of reasons, such as a dirty camera lens. Do you wish to make them vanish? No
worries.

To retouch a photo:

> In the Adjustments group, click Spot Fix (1).
> Select a small area around the spot with your use pointer (2)
and see what will happen. (3)

Fig 2.17

Fig 2.18

Fine Tune

You can also adjust shadows, highlights and contrast of your image.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

To retouch a photo:
On the Edit tab, in the Adjustments group, click Light. (1)
> A sidebar with all the adjustment settings will appear.

Fig 2.19

The Contrast in your photograph is the difference between the bright and dark areas.
When the contrast in a photograph is reduced, the bright regions get darker and the dark
portions become brighter. Typically, this produces bland images, whereas the contrary
produces more dramatic images.
Shadows are the dark areas in your photograph. You may brighten only the dark regions
of a photo by raising the shadows.
Highlights are the brightest areas of your photograph, such as the sky and clouds in this
case. Similarly, you can darken or brighten these areas as needed.

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

2.5 Create an Animated Story

Now it’s time to put it all together and make an animated story. You can use your own
photos or pictures from the Internet, as well as your own sound recordings or any music
you want for this project. You can also use videos that you took with your video camera
or videos that you found online. You can add some visual effects to your movie to make it
look nicer. Let’s get started with Windows Video Editor

To add videos and photos:

In the Project Library, click on “From this PC”. (1)

> A new window will open, locate and click the photos to add to

your movie. (2)

> Click Open (3) Smart Tip
> Your media will be imported into the Video Editor.
(4)

You can select more than oner file at the same
time and add them with one click.

Fig 2.20

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

To change how long one or more of your photos are going to
appear in your movie:
> Select the photo you want (1)
> Click on duration and set time or type a custom time in the
text box. (2)

2.5.1 Pan and Zoom Fig 2.21

If you work with images, you will need Pan and Zoom to give your photo story life and
movement

To apply Pan and Zoom effect:

> Select the photo you want (1)
> Click on Motion (2)
> Select the effect you want. (3)
> Click Done and the effect will be
applied to your photo. (4)

Fig 2.22

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

2.5.2 3D Effects

3D effects can be added to images or films. This will add an artistic touch to your film.

To apply 3D Effects:

> Select the photo you want (1)
> Click on 3D Effect (2)
> Select the effect you want. (3)
> Click Done and the effect will
be applied to your photo. (4)

2.5.3 Filters Fig 2.23

You can also add filters to your images!

To add Filters

> Select a photo. (1)
> Click on Filters (2)
> You can select any filter to
apply it on your photo. (3)
> When you are ready, save your
project by clicking the small Save
project button (4)

Fig 2.24

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2.5.4 Music

Almost done! Remember, there is no film without titles or introducing yourself, the
director, or the actors.

To add Music:

> Click on Background Music on top right corner. (1)
> A menu screen will appear in front of you with different
music to add in your video. (2)
> You can also adjust music’s volume. (3)
> Click on Done (4) to apply it in your video.
> You can also select custom music. (5)
> Browse your computer to add the music and then click
open. (6)

Fig 2.25

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02 Multimedia presentation STEM Wonders

2.5.5 Text

Almost done! Remember, there is no film without titles or introducing yourself, the direc-
tor, or the actors.

To add Title and Text:

> Click on Add Title Card. (1)
> A red screen will appear in front of the photo or video
that was selected. Now click on Text (2)
> In the text box, type the title you want. (3)
> On the Animated Text Style (4), select any font you like
> Select the layout. (5)
> At any point, you can click Play to view the changes you
applied.
> When you are ready, save your project by clicking the
small Save project button (6)

Fig 2.26

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2.5.6 Export and Share

To save your movie:

> On top right corner, click on Finish video. (1)
> Choose the video quality. (2)
> Click on Export. (3)
> Select a location to save your movie and type the name
of your movie. (4)

Fig 2.27

Group Project!

Form a group and research the latest technologies. Choose a technolo-
gy. After you’ve decided on a topic, you’ll conduct some research again.

Following the study, you will begin developing an animated video.

42

0 3S e ct i o n

STEM
Activities

Students will learn :

1. Foam Rocket
2. Creating an Electromagnet
3. Binary Coded Bracelets
4. Moon Phases

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03 Stem Activities STEM Wonders

3.1 Foam Rocket

3.1 Foam Rocket

Students will construct rockets made from pipe insulating foam and use them
to investigate the trajectory relationship between launch angle and range in a
controlled investigation.

3.1.2 Introduction Fig 3.1

The foam rocket skyrockets through the air. It gets all
of its thrust from the elastic rubber band’s force. A
rubber band has been stretched. The rubber band quickly
returns to its original length when the rocket is released,
launching the foam rocket in the process. The foam
rocket is technically only a rocket in
appearance. Real rocket thrust typically lasts several
seconds or minutes,
causing continuous acceleration until the propellants run
out. After a quick pull, the foam rocket coasts. In
addition, the mass of the foam rocket remains
constant during flight. Real rockets consume propellants,
reducing their overall mass.

3.1.3 Material

> Foam Pipe insulation
> Rubber Band
> Cable tie clips
> Tape
> Scissor
> String
> Tape measure

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03 Stem Activities STEM Wonders

3.1.4 Instruction

Constructing a Foam Rocket

1. Using scissors, cut one 30-cm length of pipe foam for each team.
2. Cut four equally spaced slits at one end of the tube. The slits should be about
12 cm long. The fins will be mounted through these slits.
3. Cut a 12 cm length of duct tape down the middle to make two pieces. Place one
piece over the other, sticky to shiny side, to make the tape double-strong.
4. Slip a rubber band over the tape and press the tape around the nose end of the
rocket (opposite the end with the slits). Press the tape tightly and reinforce it
with another length of tape wrapped around the tube.
5. Cut fin pairs from the foam food tray or stiff cardboard. Refer to the fin dia-
gram. Both fin pairs should be notched so that they can be slid together as shown
in the diagram. Different fin shapes can be used, but they should still “nest” to-
gether.
6. Slide the nested fins into the slits cut in the rear end of the rocket. Close off
the slits with a piece of duct tape wrapped around the foam tube. The rocket is
finished.

Making the Launcher

1. Print the quadrant pattern on card stock paper.
2. Cut out the pattern and fold it on the dashed line.
3. Tape the quadrant to the meter stick so that the black dot lies directly over the
60 cm mark on the stick.
4. Press a push tack into the black dot.
5. Tie a string to the push tack and hang a small weight, such as a nut or a washer,
on the string. The weight should swing freely.
6. Refer to the diagram to see how the launcher is used.

3.1.5 Observation

Assign duties for your team. You will need the following positions:
Launch Director, Launcher, and Range Officer. (Team members will switch jobs lat-

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03 Stem Activities STEM Wonders

First Launch:

Launcher - Attach the rocket to the launcher and pull back on string until its
tail reaches the 60-cm mark. Tilt the launcher until it is pointing upwards at an
angle of between 10 and 80 degrees. Release the rocket when the launch com-

Launch Director - Record the angle on the data table. Give the launch com-
mand. Record the distance the rocket travels.

Range Officer - Measure the distance from the launcher to where the rocket
hits the floor (not where it slides or bounces to). Report the distance to the
launch director and return the rocket to the launcher for the next launch.

3. Repeat the launch procedures four more times but with a different angle
(between 10 and 80 degrees) each time.

4. Run the entire experiment twice more but switch jobs each time. Use the
same launch angles used for the first set of launches.

5. Compare your data for the three experiments.

Data Table 1 Data Table 2
Launch Angle Distance
Launch Angle Distance

Data Table 3
Launch Angle Distance

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