Search Results

In this activity, learners create a traditional Mexican noisemaker (a matraca) using cardboard, craft sticks, and a wooden dowel.

In this activity, learners explore how musical instruments are engineered.

In this activity/demo about piezoelectricity, learners discover how some crystals produce electricity when squeezed.

Play-Doh is conductive! Use the semiconductive qualities of Play-Doh to make your own squeezable instrument. Pico Cricket is required.

This is a perfect summertime lunch activity! Pico Cricket is required (micro controller). First, get a bunch of cut up fruit, line them up, then plug a piece of fruit with a Pico Cricket sensor clip.

This activity requires a Pico Cricket (tiny computer). Learners work on designing and building a sound sensor out of household materials, like plastic wrap and cardboard.

This is a virtual representation of a sound mixer containing pre-looped sounds of animal, insect, and environmental noises.

In this activity, learners listen to songs and decode hidden messages based on the same principle as a modem. As a final challenge, learners decode the binary messages in a music video.

Build a phonograph record player using a cactus needle, a record, LEGOs gear box, and a piece of paper! This activity uses a Pico Cricket to turn the motor.

In this design challenge activity, learners build a four-stringed instrument that can play a tune.

In this activity, learners construct a traditional handicraft toy that illustrates a motion commonly associated with violins and earthquakes.

In this activity, learners construct wands that play different notes depending on information from light sensors programmed via a PICO Cricket.

In this activity, learners build their own sound machines and explore the interplay of motion and sound.

Build a musical ice theremin by programming a micro controller, like a Pico Cricket to respond to resistance generated by the ice melting, or the ice being touched.

With a bit of PVC, a laser, a can/cup, and a small mirror, you can make a device that visualizes you voice or any sound transmitted into the cup/can.

This is a virtual representation of a sound mixer containing pre-looped sounds of animal, insect, and environmental noises.

Learners build a simple electromagnet, then use this electromagnet to transform a yogurt container into a working speaker. They can connect their speaker to a radio and listen as it transmits sound.

From this How To slide show, you create an Audio Tape Bow that can play distorted audio sounds by running it across a tape head.

Put on a pair of gloves and be the conductor of your invisible orchestra!

In this design challenge activity, learners add headphones to a previously built instrument (see "Build a Band" activity) to make it easier to hear.