Sound Sleuths

Materials

Cup Phones   

  • 2 Cups
  • Yarn
  • 2 Paper Clips

 Pellet Drum

  • Wooden Skewer
  • Beads
  • Cardboard Tube
  • 2 Balloons
  • Yarn/String

Kazoo

  • 2 Tongue Depressors
  • 1 Bendy Straw
  • 1 Large Rubber Band
  • 2 Small Rubber Bands

Procedure

Cup Phone

  1. Make a hole in the center of the base of both cups, using the pin.
  2. Tie one paperclip to one end of the string.
  3. Pull the other end of the string through the hole in one of the paper cups. (The paperclip should be inside the paper clip).
  4. Insert the free end of the string into hole in the bottom of the second paper cup. Insert it from the outside of the cup.
  5. Pull enough string through the hole to enable you to tie the second paperclip to the end of the string.
  6. Pull the cups apart so that in each cup the paperclip rests flat on the floor of the cup and the string is taut. (You can tape the pins down if needed).

 Kazoos

  1. Take the large rubber band and stretch it over one of the tongue depressors from end to end.
  2. Next, use scissors to cut two pieces (about 1 inch each) from your straw.
  3. Place one of the straw pieces UNDER the rubber band on the tongue depressor, about ½ inch from the edge. Place the other straw piece ON TOP of the rubber band, also ½ inch from the edge.
  4. Now, take the second tongue depressor and place it over the straws exactly on top of the first one. Pinch it tightly o that the lose piece don’t wiggle out. Tie your smaller bands on each side of the tongue depressor.
  5. Let the music begin. Place those sticks to your lips and blow to hear the wonderful sound of the kazoo.

Pettle Drum

  1. Take your wooden skewer and place it through the hole on the cardboard tube.
  2. Take your yarn or string and stick one end into the hole opposite your skewer and slide it through to the other side. Make sure both sides are even and both ends can reach the center of the drum. (If you have too much cut it).
  3. After you have measured tie a knot on both sides.
  4. Attach an even amount of beads to each string and then tie another knot to keep the beads in place.
  5. Take your balloons and cut off the tips of the balloons. Open  the cut sections of the balloons and cover both sides of the cardboard tubes
  6. Now time to make noise! To play your rattle drum, place the skewer between your palms and rub them back and forth to rotate the drum. The beads will hit the balloons and make a drum sound.

The Science You Should Know 

We know that sound is a type of energy made from vibrations and sound is energy we can hear. Sound is created when something vibrates. The vibration makes sound waves that go back and forth through air, water or wherever the sound was made.