MUSIC TO OUR EARS
Reed made out of a straw! Jeff demonstrating the change in pitch depending on the length of the straw by blowing into the straw to create vibrations.
longer=lower pitch
shorter=high pitch
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Here are some of the ways we explored sound as a class!
Jeff playing the Theremin to teach pitch and volume!
*Moving two hands between the two metal antennas, one can create different sounds by moving close to or away from the two antennas, one controlling frequency(pitch) and the other amplitude(volume). ​
Playing the Theremin in the Halloween spirit!
Using a slinky to learn about sound waves!
hard whaps=loud
soft whaps=quiet
slow hands=low pitch
fast hands=high pitch
Citation: Youtube video by SciShow Kids. Published on Dec 14, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-xKZKxXuu0
Learning about sound waves!
Hands-on Activities Exploring Sound
What happens when you hit a tuning fork and dip it in water?
Here is the link to purchase a tuning fork!
Tuning Fork & Water Experiment
As a class, we also explored what it would do when you hit a tuning fork hover it over salt.
-It made the salt jump around and dance!
Tuning Fork & Salt
Video explaining a tuning fork and ping pong ball!
Youtube video by Aberdeen Science Centre
Published on Aug 4, 2015
Making sound with a cup and rubber bands!
The different ways I made sound with my cup!
Put rubber bands inside the cup and shake it
one rubber band wrapped around the outside of the cup
2 rubber bands crisscrossed on the open end side of the cup
two rubberbands crisscrossed on the bottom/closed end of the cup
As a class, we focused on manipulating these variables:
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tightening vs. loosening bands
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thick vs. thin bands
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how hard vs. soft you pull the band back
BIG PICTURE:
Hard whaps: loud
Soft whaps: quiet
Faster whapping: more frequent, higher pitch(thin rubber bands)
Slower whapping: less frequent, lower pitch(looser/bigger rubber bands)
This is what happens when you blow into a bottle with or without liquid:
-coke bottle with liquid: higher pitch because there is less air inside the bottle.
-coke bottle without liquid: lower pitch because there is more air in the bottle
Just as a big dog with more air has a lower bark & a small dog with less air has a higher bark!
Making Instruments To Explore Sound!
#1: Pin Strummer
Materials Used:
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wood block
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bobby pins
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tape
Construction Process:
We started by finding a platform to tape the bobby pins too. We found wood sitting around the classroom which worked perfectly! Then, we played around with where to put the bobby pins and realized that changing how far each bobby pin is on/off the wood block, changed the sound. So we tapped them down in all different positions to create different pitches. We also pulled open the bobby pins to allow them to be "played" by pushing down the top.
Inspriation: http://redtri.com/homemade-instruments/
*** In the video when we say Mandolin, we mean PIN STRUMMER! We mixed it up on the website. ***
#2: Rainstick
Materials Used:
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paper towel roll
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ducktape
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coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters)
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newspaper
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scissors
Construction Process
We started out making our rainstick by taking a paper towel roll and taping one end with newspaper to close up the end. We then started taping around the whole roll, leaving one side open. We then filled the stick with coins: dimes, quarters, pennies, nickels. Then we added a newspaper piece to the other end and closed it up with tape. Finally, we had a rainstick that can be played by shaking it or tipping it from side to side!
#3 Water Xylophone
Inspiration:
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-As well as Jeff's demonstration in class using water and coke bottles to represent the change in sounds when blown into.
Construction Process:
We wanted to create one more instrument to add into our poem performance that represented both changes in pitch and amplitude. We remembered the cokebottle demonstrations from class and how it changed the sound from blowing, so we used the same idea. We got three glass bottles, filling up one almost full and the other about halfway full of water, leaving the last one empty. We then found a metal knitting needle and used that to tap on the glass to play the instrument, creating different sounds.
Materials Used:
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3 glass bottles
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water
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knitting needle
Putting It All Together!
Sounds are all around.
Everywhere they can be found.
From the skies that rumble
To the depths of the jungle,
Sounds are all around.
As the rain starts to fall
If you listen closely, you can hear the birds call.
The elephants pound their feet
Warning of danger they might meet.
The rain starts to pour
The lions let out a vicious roar.
The monkeys make loud chatter,
Thinking they are the only animals that matter.
You may hear the snake slither through the brush,
If you only remember to hush
Sounds are vibrations that travel to the ear,
Through the air we can then hear.
Everywhere they can be found.
Sounds are all around. ​
**we added in another instrument, a milk jug, to represent the elephants pounding their feet. We felt like none of our instruments represented that sound sufficiently so we improvised.**
Sound travels to our ears through the air by vibrations. Vibrations move particles in the air creating a vibration effect (moving something back and forth). Sound travels through mediums. A medium is any state of matter including air, gases, liquids, and solids. Sounds are measured by frequency (pitch). Frequency is described as the rate at which a vibration occurs within a certain time. When we hear a high or low sound, we are hearing the pitch of a sound. For example, a soundwave(whap) that is fast and more frequent, creates a higher pitch. A low pitch is heard when the whaps are slower and less frequent. Finally, the amplitude (loudness) is how loud or soft a sound is. Amplitude is how high or low a soundwave is, creating a loud or soft sound. For example, hitting a drum hard creates a loud sound versus when you lightly tap it, the sound is softer.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star