Web App “Oscilloscope” for Everyone! (Find Teaching Materials with Scratch!)
No Oscilloscope? No Problem! Class Ideas for Visualizing Sound with Scratch and Free Tools
Have you ever wanted to show students the volume or waveform of sound in a science class but found that professional oscilloscopes are just too expensive and complicated to use? Teaching students how to operate them can be a hassle, making it a high barrier to entry for classroom use.
That’s where a digital, oscilloscope-like teaching tool comes in handy! With just a PC or tablet and an internet connection, you can visualize changes in sound in real-time without any special equipment.
Using Scratch to Visualize Sound in Real-Time!
Scratch is a popular programming tool used in elementary and middle schools. You can create a simple program using a microphone input to display sound volume as a real-time graph.
Here’s a great example: oscillo_1 https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/18315338
How to Use:
- Turn on the microphone (you may need to allow permission in your browser settings).
- Click the green flag.
- Make a sound, and… a bar graph will appear and move!
Students will be amazed as they see the concept of sound volume visualized right before their eyes. This simple project is a perfect way to introduce or review the concept that “sound is a wave” without needing any expensive equipment.
Free Web Oscilloscope: “XXY OSCILLOSCOPE”
For those who want to view waveforms more professionally, we recommend this web app. You can use it on any device—PC, tablet, or smartphone—as long as you have a web browser. No app installation is required.
XXY OSCILLOSCOPE https://dood.al/oscilloscope/
This tool captures audio and displays the waveform in real-time. Detailed instructions on how to set it up are available on the website.
Other Useful Tools
- SoundBeam (App) This is a paid app, but it is very useful for teachers to have for experiments and verification.
The web app “XXY OSCILLOSCOPE” introduced in this blog post is a fantastic tool that makes visualizing sound in an educational setting easy, solving the problem of expensive and complicated physical oscilloscopes.
Freqounter (App) This app analyzes the frequencies contained in a sound. It’s great for checking tuning forks or musical instruments.
AFG (Free Software) This is a signal generator app that can produce sounds at a frequency you choose. It’s useful for understanding the concept of pitch.
理科実験の頼れる相棒！簡単操作で周波数を自由自在に設定できる無料アプリ『Audio Function Generator』（AfG）
For Teachers Who Want to Use Scratch in Science Class
Beyond what we’ve covered, Scratch has many other teaching materials for science, including simulations and tools for observation logs. I also have my students create their own teaching materials with Scratch, which promotes inquiry-based learning. You can easily apply these projects to various topics like sound, light, and motion, so I encourage you to explore what’s available.
You don’t need expensive equipment to incorporate visualization into your science lessons. By using Scratch and other web apps, you can create “aha!” moments for your students.
If you know of any other useful tools, please let me know! I’d love to share them in an article.
