Sending Messages with Patterns
Aligned to 4-PS4-3 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Information can be sent from place to place using patterns, like flashes of light, sounds, or symbols. People and machines agree on what each pattern means so the message can be understood.
Worked examples
Example 1
A lighthouse blinks its light in a pattern of long and short flashes. Ships far out at sea read the pattern and know which coast they are near.
Example 2
Morse code turns letters into short and long beeps, so a whole sentence can travel down one wire.
Example 3
A digital photo is stored as a long string of numbers. Patterns of information can be copied perfectly, which pictures on paper cannot.
Practice questions
- Think of a pattern used to send a message, like a school bell ringing. What does the pattern tell people?
- Make up a simple code using taps or flashes to send the word "yes" to a friend.
- Compare two ways to send the same message and tell which one works better over a long distance.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Enviar mensajes con patrones
La información puede enviarse de un lugar a otro usando patrones, como destellos de luz, sonidos o símbolos. Las personas y las máquinas se ponen de acuerdo en qué significa cada patrón para que el mensaje se entienda.
Ejemplo 1: Un faro hace parpadear su luz en un patrón de destellos largos y cortos. Los barcos lejanos en el mar leen el patrón y saben cerca de qué costa están.
Ejemplo 2: El código Morse convierte letras en pitidos cortos y largos, así una frase entera viaja por un solo cable.
Ejemplo 3: Una foto digital se guarda como una larga cadena de números. Los patrones de información se pueden copiar sin error, cosa que las fotos en papel no.
More Physical Science lessons
Teach this lesson today
An AI tutor that guides with questions instead of just giving answers — all K–12 core subjects, every child in the family.
Start free — no card required