Music Makers

Materials

Pan Flute

· Cardstock

· Marker

· Scissors

· 8 Straws

· Washi Tape

Xylophone

· 4 Plastic Bottles

· 2 Plastic Cups

· Water (not included)

· Food Coloring

· Marker

· Stickers

Guitar

· Plastic Container

· Rubber Bands

· Stickers

Procedure

Pan Flute

1. Using the centimeter ruler on the STEM SAK bundle box, measure a piece of cardstock that is 2 centimeters (cm) tall and 5 cm wide. Mark it with the marker, and cut it out using the scissors.

2. Measure the straws at the following lengths and mark them:

i. 17.5 cm

ii. 15.5 cm

iii. 13.5 cm

iv. 12.5 cm

v. 11 cm

vi. 10 cm

vii. 9 cm

viii. 8.5 cm

3. Using the scissors, cut each straw at the mark. Place them alongside one another in order from largest to smallest on top of the cardstock—the straws next to each other will be roughly the width of the cardstock. Align the straws so that the tops are all the same distance above the cardstock.

4. Wrap a long piece of washi tape around the cardstock and the straws to keep them in place. Wrap another piece below the cardstock.

5. Using the marker, number the straws from 1-8.

6. Your pan flute is complete! Blow through the tops of the straws to hear the different pitches. Create a song, and write down the numbers that represent each pitch to help you remember it.

Xylophone

1. Remove the lids from the 4 bottles. Place them in a row.

2. Fill one of the plastic cups with water, and add the food coloring.

3. Use the other plastic cup and the ounce (oz) and cup measurements on the side to measure the following amounts of water, then add them to each of the bottles.

i. 1 oz

ii. 1 ½ oz

iii. 2 ½ oz

iv. ⅓ cup (2 ⅔ oz)

4. Use the marker to tap the opening of each bottle to play the xylophone! Playing them in order will sound similar to 1-4 on the pan flute. What do you notice about the amount of water in the bottle compared to the pitch?

5. Replace the lids on the bottles to save the xylophone for later. Use the stickers to decorate the bottles!

Guitar

1. Decorate the plastic container using the stickers. This will be the body of the guitar.

2. Wrap the rubber bands around the container and pluck them to determine the pitch—which ones will be higher pitched? Which ones will be lower?

3. Place the rubber bands in order from the lowest pitch to the highest pitch. The guitar is complete!

The Science Behind It!

What do you hear when you listen to music? You might think it’s sound but it’s actually pitch and frequency. A pitch can be high or low, while frequency is how many times a note occurs. A note is a single sound or pitch that you can hear and it travels through your ear canal to your brain for interpretation. If you pluck your guitar strings at the same time, you are creating harmony. A melody is a string of pitches, which are high and or low, one after another. You can hear the melody singing Happy Birthday or a lullaby. Sound is a type of energy we can hear that is made from vibrations. The vibration makes sound waves that go back and forth through the air, water, or wherever the sound was made. Enjoy your music!