Educator

Featured Activities

STEM Activities for Your Classroom

Sound Off!

Music is a form of communication. How so? Why is music such an important part of our human experience?

Make a fun sound contraption with simple materials found around your home!

Materials:

  • two large craft sticks (about six inches long)
  • one wide rubber band
  • two small rubber bands
  • one plastic drinking straw (different colored straws will help in this activity)
  • ruler
  • scissors
  • paper for data collection
  • pen or pencil

Think About It…
What sounds can you make? How do your fingers feel as you play your instrument? What happens to the sound as you move the straws back and forth? Is there a pattern to the tone of the sound?

Did you enjoy this activity? Consider these career connections:

Sound Engineering Technician

Also called an audio engineer, he/she assembles and operates sound equipment. She may record, mix, edit, or reproduce music, voices, and sound effects for television, movies, podcasts, sports, and other events.

Audio Technician/Editor

This person might capture a recording of a live performance, balancing and adjusting the sound. Their work is on the technical parts of the recording.

Production Sound Mixer

The Sound Mixer captures audio on the set and location, mixes and balances the audio while it is being recorded. Works to fix background noise, echoes, distortions, etc.

Music Producer

The Producer works on the creative/administrative side of recording to produce soundtracks for musical artists.

Foley Artist

These musical artists create and record overexaggerated everyday sounds, such as footsteps, ice being stirred in a glass, and other sound effects.