Sending Messages

Plan

We will use a mind map to compare different ways of sending messages.

2Connect is a mind mapping tool in Purple Mash. Mind maps help us to show and record what we are thinking.

Find and open the “Messages Mind Map” in your 2Dos.

This mind map already shows two ways we send messages; by letter and by email. See how to add more, choose pictures and connect them in the video.

1. Add and connect as many different ways of sending messages that you can think of.
2. Don’t forget to save your work regularly.

Sending Messages in the Past

You probably added modern ways to send messages.

Here are some from the history books.

Smoke Signals

Stone age people must have realised that the smoke from their cooking fires could be seen from miles away. Patterns can be made in the smoke by covering and uncovering the fire and these patterns can send a simple message.

Beacon Fires

At night, the flames from a fire can be seen from a distance. Lots of high places in England have names like “Beacon Hill” or “The Beacon”. These are places where huge bonfires would be lit to send a message.

This is Danby Beacon in the North York Moors.

Carrier Pigeon

Homing pigeons always fly back to the place they were raised as chicks. People used them to carry important messages in the past. Now, people still do it as a hobby.

This pigeon was called “Beachcomber” and it is famous for sending the first message about the D-Day landings at Dieppe in 1944.

Semaphore

Semaphore is a special way of moving flags to send a message. It was used up until the end of World War I in 1918.

Huge towers were build across Europe with enormous paddles instead of flags. They could be seen for miles and were used to send messages across the continent.

Morse Code and Telegraph

After the invention electrical equipment, it was possible to send messages using electricity. Long wires connected between cities and towns to make a telegraph system.

Highly trained operators were able to send messages rapidly by tapping a special key. Each tap was either short (dot) or long (dash) and messages were sent using Morse Code.

Here are some children to explain it all.

Improve Your Mind Map

You can find these images in Purple Mash to add to your Mind Map.

Look in the school folder called “Messages”.

Extension - Comparing

Now you’ve thought of different ways that we send messages, compare them.

What are the good things (advantages) and bad things (disadvantages) of each?

There are lots of ways to show your comparisons on your mind map. Here are two ideas.

1. Add a note and put in the good and bad things (easier).
2. Add two extra nodes, one for good things and one for bad things, then put notes into the right place (clearer).

Need some help?

The mind map you are using has some notes attached. You can use these to help you.

Press the “Show notes” button in the toolbar. The video shows how you can copy and paste text from the notes into your map.