Science can be found everywhere you look… and listen! This week for STEAM Saturday, you and your child can learn about the science of sound when you work together to Make Your Own Harmonica! Here’s what you’ll need to create your music-making machine:
- Two large craft sticks (at least 6” long)
- One wide rubber band (#64 size is recommended) and two small rubber bands
- One plastic drinking straw
- A ruler
- Scissors
- A pen or pencil and papers
Now that you’ve gathered all your materials, it’s time to make your harmonica! First, stretch the wide rubber band lengthwise over one of the craft sticks. Using your scissors, cut four pieces of straw measuring 1” to 1.5” long. Place one piece of straw under the rubber band perpendicular to the craft stick about 2” from the left side of the craft stick, and another under the rubber band about 2” from the right side of the craft stick. Then place one piece of straw above the rubber band just to the right of the straw on the left, and the final piece of straw above the rubber band just to the right of the straw on the right. See the photo for a demonstration of what this will look like.
Next, you’ll need to work as a team. While one person holds the straws in place, the other should put the second craft stick on top of the straws and secure it in place at the ends with the two small rubber bands. The ends of the sticks should be pinched together, and there should be a small space between them in the middle created by the straws.
Now, it’s time for our musical experiment. What will happen? When you blow on your harmonica, the air will make your rubber band vibrate, making a sound! During this experiment, you are going to explore how the sound changes when you change the position and the number of straws and your harmonica. Let’s get started!
Using your pen and paper, draw a table with two columns and five rows. The first column should be labeled “distance between the middle straws.” Fill in the rows in that column with the following: 2.5”, 2”,1.5”, and 1”. The second column should be labeled “tone of sound.”
As always, get as creative as you want, and above all, have lots of fun learning together!
We’ll see you right back here next Saturday for another STEAM Saturday activity! Scroll through the rest of our website to learn how Critchlow Adkins is Building Brighter Futures for the children and families we serve!
