Project 3 : Sound

39-245 Project 3 : Outreach Activity for Engineering Education
By Arbtip Dheeravongkit Mike Wykosky MinSoo Choi Stacie Marie Hogya
== Engineering Principle =============== Children will learn how sound works and learn that sound is a wave. Sound waves need to travel through particles that can vibrate such as air, water, wood, metal and so on. If there is no particles sounds will not be able to travel.
== In Class Activity ================ This activity is called "Sound Waves". In the activity, children will learn that sound is a wave. What to do : 1. Cut the balloon so that it has a large, flat surface area and stretch the balloon around one end of the soup can. Secure the balloon with the rubber band. 2. Glue a small mirror or aluminum foil to the center of the stretched balloon. Be sure that the reflective side is facing up. 3. Place the can on a table and secure it so that it doesn't roll away. 4. Turn the lights out and shine the flashlight onto the mirror at an angle so that the light bounces off the mirror and reflects on the wall. 5. Clap your hands next to the open end of the soup can. Observe the reflection on the wall. 6. Shout into the open end of the can. Observe the reflection on the wall.
== Take Home Activity =============== After this activity is completed, children will be able to answer the question : Can sound travel through things? What to do : 1. Drop the metal strip onto a table. Observe the sound it makes. 2. Tie a piece of string to the middle of the metal strip, leaving approximately 15-20 inches of string on either end. 3. Wrap the ends of the string around your index fingers, leaving the metal strip dangling in front of you. Make sure that both ends of the string are taut. 4. Place your index fingers in your ears. 5. Tap the spoon against the edge of the table. Observe the sound it makes then compare with the sound it made when you dropped it on the table earlier. 6. Tap the metal strip against other things and observe the sounds you hear. What happens if you strike things gently, or with more force? 7. Write about your observations. How do you think you can hear the sounds the metal strip makes, even though your fingers are in your ears?
== Age Group =================== This activity is designed for children age group of 9-12 years old.
== What will the Children do? ======= We are going to introduce the question we want to find an answer to as a court case Question : "Would you be able to hear an explosion in outer space?" We would present the story as a skit, or a picture book. Then we would have the children make a guess "hypothesis" and explain why. Then we would explain the lesson on how sound travels in some format, ie. Book. We will break the children up into groups of 3 and have them do the activity "Sound Waves" and at the end ask them to rule on the court case through the knowledge they gained.
== How will the children learn? ====== Learning by the lesson "Book" and then seeing how the principle works through the experiment.
== Supplies ====================== In Class : 1. 10 empty clean soup cans with ends cut off. Note: we will do this before hand. 2. 1 bag of large balloons. 3. 10 small flashlights. 4. 10 small pieces of mirror or aluminum foil. 5. Scissors. 6. 1 bag of rubber bands. 7. Glue. 8. Gavel (Machined) Take Home : 1. Metal Strips (Machined) 2. String. 3. Scissors. To be Machined : 1. Gavel - Fused deposition. 2. Metal Strips - Cyber Cut.
== How does our activity meet requirements? == 1. It engages all children by - Letting them have hands on experience demonstrate the scientific principle. - Having them for a hypothesis from what they learned. 2. It is fun and appealing because it works the learning in a fun investigating way paralleling scientists as detectives. 3. It accommodate all the children for the given amount of time. 4. We are using 2 components of design : Gavel and take home metal strip. 5. It takes up very little space. 6. We will have all required handouts. 7. The take home echoes the same principles from class. All materials are easily acquired.