Hi-Five Tetris Lesson Plan

Posted on by Finn Smith in Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, Any Age, Life Science, Physical Science, Skin: Living Armor

As we have worked on developing programming to help our visitors engage with our special exhibition, Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity, we have also adapted those programs into classroom-style lessons that classroom teachers, home school teachers, or any educator can use to expand their students’ learning before and after visiting the museum. 

In this lesson, we are getting curious about why and how our skin conducts electricity, and how it compares to other conductors. Your students will play a video game controlled by hi-fives, then test different conductors to make their own controller!

Use the links below to access the lesson plan and any accompanying files or printouts: 

Hi-Five Tetris Curriculum

Conductivity Worksheet 1 (Younger Students)

Conductivity Worksheet 2 (Older Students)

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School Day Out Workshops

Posted on by Bryan Simpson in Ages 9-12, Experiments, Physical Science, Teens

School Day Out at the Museum! Join us on October 20th and again on November 10th for a series of fun, interactive engineering-based workshops for kids ages 8 and up. Each group will be led by CSU College of Engineering students and will focus on creative problem-solving for some of today’s most fascinating challenges.

 

Participants will discover solutions to engineering challenges by exploring five disciplines: mechanical, electrical, civil, biomedical, and chemical engineering through hands-on activities designed to simulate a collaborative lab environment and spark their imaginations.

 

The groups are limited to 15 people per each 90-minute session. Registration is required and can be accessed HERE

 

October 20

12:00-1:30 Chemical Engineering – Discover the best way to make slime

1:30-3:00 Biomedical Engineering – Build lower limb prosthetics

3:00-4:30 Civil Engineering – Fabricate spaghetti bridges

 

November 10

12:00-1:30 Electrical Engineering – Design and build saltwater circuits

1:30-3:00 Mechanical Engineering – Create “Mars Rover Egg Landers”

 

This is a great opportunity for another adventure in Discovery!

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Daily Discovery: Straw Rockets

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Engineering & Math, Experiments, Physical Science

Post written by Charlotte Conway, Public Programs Coordiantor. Activity adapted from NASA/JPL

Daily Discovery: Straw Rockets

Blasting off! Practice the engineering design process by creating your own soda straw rocket. Design, launch, and then modify features of your rocket just like engineers working on rockets today.

Rocket Design Background

Modern rocket design began near the beginning of the 20th century. While much has been learned and rockets have grown larger and more powerful, rocket designs are still improving. Engineers developing new rockets must control variables and consider failure points when improving rocket designs. By changing one variable at a time, engineers can determine if that change leads to an increase or decrease in performance.  They must also consider how their design might fail, and work to improve their design. These incremental changes allow engineers to improve rocket performance and increase the amount of mass they can lift into space.

Supplies:

  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Soda Straw (plastic or reusable)
  • Meter stick or meter measuring tape
  • Rocket template and data log (Printable PDF)

Instructions:

  1. Carefully cut out the large rectangle on the rocket template. This will be the body of the rocket. Wrap the rocket body around a pencil length-wise and tape it closed to form a tube.
  2. Carefully cut out the two fin units. Align the rectangle in the middle of the fin with the end of the rocket body, and tape it to the rocket body. Nothing should stick out past the bottom of the rocket body.
  3. Do the same thing for the other fin, but tape it on the other side of the pencil to make a “fin sandwich.”
  4. Bend the part of the fin that looks like a triangle 90 degrees so that each fin is at a right angle to its neighbor. Looking at the bottom of the rocket, the fins should look like a + .
  5. Twist and pinch the top of the rocket body around the tip of the pencil to create a “nose cone” for the rocket. Tape the nose cone to prevent air from escaping and to keep it from untwisting.
  6. Measure the cone from its base (right where it starts to narrow) to its tip, and record the length in your data log and the on the rocket itself. Once completed, it should be about 13 cm (or 5 in) tall.
  7. Remove the pencil and replace it with the soda straw.
  8. In your designated launch area, away from people and other hazards, blow into the straw to launch your rocket.
  9. Use a meter stick or measuring tape to measure the distance it travels. Record the distance of the launch in your data log.
  10. Now, try to improve your design! Make a new rocket by altering the template. Try different rocket lengths, fin shapes, or fin angles. Remember to only change one variable at a time to see how each rocket launch performs and compares to the original design. Repeat the steps above for every launch, record each design change, and rocket-flight distance in your data log.
  11. You can decorate your rocket for fun if you would like to as well!

Safety First: Launch in a place with a large open area. You may ask parent permission to move furniture to create space. Or, consider launching your rocket outside if that is an option for you.

 

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Fort Fund.

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Daily Discovery: Bubble Science!

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 6-8, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Experiments, Physical Science

Post written by Hannah Curtis, Education Assistant.

Daily Discovery: Bubble Science!

Bubble baths, a carbonated summer time drink, bubble gum, or the result of the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar. We all know and love bubbles, but what’s up with them always being round? Come explore the science of bubbles with us and experiment with non-spherical bubbles!

Why are Bubbles Always Round?

Bubbles are simply one substance inside of another forming a sphere. These substances are usually a gas inside a liquid. The bubbles we know best are made with dish soap or glycerin and water, and are created using the CO2 gas that we naturally exhale from our lungs. You’ve probably wondered why bubbles are always round, why can’t they be square or a triangle. Well, when you blow a bubble and it begins to float in the air, this bubble will always be spherical. The water and soap molecules that make up the bubble like to be close together creating a force called surface tension creating a shape that has the smallest surface area, which happens to be a sphere, rather than a cube or pyramid.

Bubble Cage for Non-spherical Bubbles!

Supplies:

  • Pipe Cleaners
  • Straw or bubble wand
  • Water
  • Dish soap
  • Glycerin (optional)
  • Medium – large bin, bowl or container

Instructions:

  1. To create your cube bubble cage, start by cutting 6 full pipe cleaners in half to make 12 smaller pipe cleaners.
  2. Twist together the ends of four pipe cleaners to make a square. Do this again so you have two pipe cleaner squares.
  3. Now twist the remaining pipe cleaners to each corner of the two squares to form a cube. Remember a cube has 4 corners and 6 sides.
  4. Get your bubble solution ready. In a large enough bowl or container to fit your cube, fill it with water and add dish soap to make it nice a foamy. (As you test your experiment, you may need to add more soap as needed. You may also add glycerin to your solution to strengthen the bubble film).
  5. Submerge your bubble cage into the bubble solution and swish it around a few times.
  6. Remove the cage from the solution and ensure that each side of the cage has a bubble film.
  7. Now gently, but with some force move the cage from side to side. This will cause the bubble films to come together into the center of the cage. A square bubble may appear just from this movement so keep your eyes peeled.
  8. You can add in another bubble into the center with a straw or bubble wand by blowing a small bubble in the center of the cage, creating a cube bubble.
  9. This process may take a few times to get right. Experiment further and see what other bubble shapes you can create!

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Fort Fund.

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Daily Discovery: Explore your State – Spelunking!

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Any Age, Crafts, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Physical Science

Post written by Hannah Curtis, Education Assistant.

Daily Discovery: Explore your State – Spelunking!

The recreational past-time hobby of cave exploration! It’s not every day you get to explore around in a dark, musky, million-year-old, nature made cavern, but when you do, you may be surprised what you see inside! Let’s explore together the history of caves in Colorado, and learn how they were formed!

History of Caves!

Spelunking, or caving, has been a hobby of enthusiasts as early as 1895 and became a part of important scientific explorations and research. Through caving, we know more about geological process and ecosystem science. Cave environments are fragile and animals that live in them can be easily disturbed. Cave formations can be damaged by the lightest touch and even one’s breath. Cave dwelling species such as cave shrimp and bats thrive in the constant temperature and humidity of caves and bats will use caves to hibernate during the winter season. Too much human contact inside caves with these species can be damaging to the cave environment and these vulnerable species.

You can visit a variety of caves throughout Colorado, but Cave of the Winds and the Glenwood Caverns are historically fascinating and beautiful. Cave of the Winds was founded in 1881 by two brothers, George and John Pickett, but the cave systems are millions of years old! After it’s discovery and continued excavation, tours of the cave began to the public and even electricity was installed in 1907. These caves are one of Colorado’s oldest and famous attractions!

Inside Iron Mountain, Glenwood Caverns is more than 16,000 feet long, and was opened to visitors in 1895 by Charles W. Darrow and his family, who homesteaded at the top of the mountain near the cave entrance.

Cave Formation!

The formation of caves is called speleogenesis, and it can happen under a variety of geological processes. They can be formed through chemical or water erosion, by tectonic forces, microorganisms, or pressure and atmospheric changes. The types of caves most often formed and many of the ones found in Colorado are called Karst Caves. These caves are made from limestone, which dissolves in acidic solutions such as groundwater that hold organic acids. Over time, this acidic ground water seeps through cracks, faults or joints in the ground dissolving the limestone and eventually enlarges into a cave.

This process continues inside the cave forming mineral deposits called speleothems. There are many different types of speleothems, some you may be familiar with. Stalactites are mineral deposit that form on the roof of caves when dissolved calcium bicarbonate (dissolved limestone) drips and crystalizes back into limestone, similar to how an icicle is formed in the winter. A stalagmite may form underneath a stalactite when the drippings fall to the cave floor and deposits the limestone into a cone shaped mound. You can usually find stalactites and stalagmites together, and they may even grow so large that they may combine into one big column. Other speleothems are flowstones, helictites, or soda straws, which all form in unique way based on how the calcium carbonate flows through down cave walls and ceiling.

Grow your own Stalactite and Cave Diorama!

Supplies:

Stalactite Formation

  • 2 plastic cups
  • String or yarn
  • Epsom salt, sugar or baking soda
  • Water
  • Paper

Cave Diorama

  • Cardboard box
  • Modeling clay
  • Colored paper
  • Natural elements (rocks, stones, grass, dirt)
  • Markers
  • Recycled materials (egg cartons, bottle caps, etc).
  • Glue or tape

Instructions:

  1. To begin forming your stalactite, heat up a quart of water on a stove. Make sure to have guardian supervision for this step.
  2. Once hot, pour your choice of Epsom salt, sugar or baking soda to the pot, stirring to dissolve. Continue adding gradually until you have dissolved 3 cups of your solvent. (Note: you can dissolve without hot water, this speeds up the process and allows you to dissolve more into your solution).
  3. Pour equal parts into the two cups.
  4. Cut a piece of string around 1 foot.
  5. On top of a piece of paper or paper plate, drape each end of the yarn into the cups so that each end is completely submerged. You can weigh your string down using a paper clip.
  6. Between the cups allow the string to slack in the middle creating a dip, this is where your stalactite will form forming.
  7. Over the course of a few hours to a few days the water will move from the cups to the string and begin dripping and crystalizing.
  8. If you wish, begin constructing your cave using materials you have handy in your home. If you wish to put your newly forming stalactite into your cave, use the flaps of a cardboard box to hide the cups and only your stalactite showing.

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

Image Credit: uncovercolorado.com

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Fort Fund.

 

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Daily Discovery: Hydro Power!

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Experiments, Physical Science, Poudre River Fest Daily Discovery

Post written by Hannah Curtis, Education Assistant.

Daily Discovery: Hydro Power!

From waterwheel mills, paddle wheel boats, to modern day hydroelectricity, our water resources have assisted humankind in meaningful ways. Come back in time to take a peek at historical Fort Collins and see how the Poudre River influenced the local flour mill. Then, check out how engineers have utilized the power of water to create electricity, and discover more by creating your own paddle boat!

Hydro Power Explained

Hydro power, or hydroelectricity, is the conversion of energy from flowing water to electricity. Similar to wind turbines, hydropower plants use the force of flowing water to turn propellers in a turbine to spin a generator, which creates electricity. Hydropower plants are often large dams, and utilize natural bodies of water like rivers or lakes, like the Crystal Dam in Gunnison, CO. They can also be part of man-made reservoirs or storage systems. Almost all U.S. States generate electricity via hydropower. Colorado hydroelectric plants produce 1,000-5,000 billion kilowatt-hours! Discover more here!

Before the invention of hydroelectricity, hydropower was simply the ability to harness the power of flowing water to move machinery. Ranch-Way Feeds, the livestock feed manufacturing company in Fort Collins, began as the Lindell flour mill built in 1868, built by “Auntie” Stone and Henry Peterson. The mill sits on the bank of the Cache la Poudre River, a perfect spot to draw water from the river to power the mill.

A water wheel was a popular tool used in flour and lumber mills as well as mining. There are three types of waterwheels, and they depend on the location of the river compared to the mill and how fast the water is moving.

Elastic Band Paddle Boat!

It may not be a hydroelectric powered boat, but you can still utilize water resources for innovation, transportation and play-time. This DIY boat reflects the design and function of a water wheel, but real paddleboats are coupled with steam engines to turn the paddle wheel to propel the boat forward.

Supplies:

  • Rubber Band(s)
  • Bathtub, sink, pool or large bucket
  • Water
  • Paper
  • Pencil

Additional Supplies:

These are suggestions, feel free to use what you have at your home

  • Popsicle sticks
  • Glue
  • Tape
  • Styrofoam
  • Plastic utensils
  • Plastic bottles
  • Aluminum cans
  • Scissors
  • Straws
  • Chopsticks

Instructions:

Brainstorm & Evaluate:

Take some time to think up, design, and sketch the basic shape and components of your boat. Think of the materials you have in your home that you could use and re-purpose. How large is your body of water, will your boat fit?

Prototype Development:

Gather your materials, and begin building. Where is the best spot to add your paddle wheel? Will all your materials float?

Testing:

Wind up your rubber band, place the boat in the water and observe what happens.

Evaluate:

Was your boat a success, or does it need a few touch ups? Continue to develop and test until your boat meets all your requirements.

Bonus:

What alterations can you make to your boat to make it move faster and more efficiently without weighing it down?

Remember, water is a valuable resource. Once finished, consider reusing your body of water to give your dog a bath, to water your plants, or simply wash your hands

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Fort Fund.

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Daily Discovery: Bending Light and Eyesight

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Experiments, Physical Science

Post written by Angela Kettle, School Programs Coordinator.

Daily Discovery: Bending Light and Eyesight

Have you ever noticed that your legs look out of place when you dangle them in the pool, or that the straw in a glass of water looks bent? This is called refraction. Refraction occurs when light bends as it passes from one medium to another – for example, from the front of a glass, to the water inside, to the back of a glass. Experiment with refraction for yourself in the activity below!

Supplies:

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Crayons, colored pencils, or markers (optional)
  • 2+ different kinds of drinking glasses, filled with water – make sure the glasses are transparent
  • Your Observation Journal (find out how to make one here), or use another sheet of paper to record your findings

Instructions:

Part 1

  1. Draw an arrow on a sheet of paper. Note which way the arrow is facing (right, left, up, or down).
  2. Fill up a glass of water.
  3. Put your glass of water down, and put yourself at eye level with the water in the glass. Hold your drawing at arm’s length, so that you can see it through the glass. What do you notice about the way your drawing looks now? What about if you look at the image through the glass from a different angle?
  4. Repeat the experiment, this time with a different kind of glass. Does the image stay the same as the last glass, or does it change?
  5. Write or draw your findings in your Observation Journal.

Part 2

  1. Draw something new – whatever you like! Make sure that whatever you draw has certain parts facing one way or another (for example, you could draw a face with the eyes looking left, or a cat with its tail on the right side of the paper and its head on the left side).
  2. Look at your drawing through your glass of water, like you did with the arrows. What do you notice?
  3. Play around with your drawing and your glass. Try looking at the image from lots of different angles, through as many different kinds of drinking glasses as you can. How many different images can you create from your original image, just by experimenting with refraction?
  4. Record your findings in your Observation Journal. Share what you find by tagging us on social media and using #DailyDiscovery.

From Drinking Glasses to Eyeglasses

Refraction might seem like a fun magic trick, but did you know that refraction is what makes it possible for humans to see? Light is refracted as it passes through the cornea and the lens of the eye. This allows the light to come into focus on the retina, where it is converted into a message that the brain can understand.

Sometimes, though, refraction can go wrong, causing what’s called nearsightedness or farsightedness. When people are nearsighted, it means they can see things that are close to them, but not far away. Usually, this is caused by the eye being too long, causing light to focus in front of the retina. When people are farsighted, it means they can see things that are far away, but not things that are close. Usually, this is caused by the eye being too short, causing light to focus behind the retina. Both nearsightedness and farsightedness can also be caused by problems with the shape of the eye’s lens.

Thankfully, errors in refraction can be corrected with eyeglasses. First, an eye doctor (an optometrist) tests a patient’s vision to figure out her prescription (a way of measuring a person’s vision). From there, an engineer uses this prescription to make unique lenses. This lens is engineered to refract light so that it focuses in just the right spot on the retina, allowing the patient to see clearly.

Eyeglasses through the Ages

Eyeglasses have undergone many changes as engineers have figured out more efficient ways to craft them… and as fashion has changed, too! Here are a few historical photos from our Archive and a piece from our Collection at the museum! You can learn more about eyeglasses and fashion from our recent blog post, parts of which are adapted below:

The museum’s artifact collections offer a retrospective look (which is 20/20, of course) at the history of innovation in eyewear. Pince-nez spectacles, which had no earpieces and stayed in place with a nose clip were quite popular early in the 20th century but fell out of fashion as they became associated with older generations.

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

References & Additional Resources

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Fort Fund.

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Daily Discovery: Shadows! / Descubrimiento en casa: Sombras y siluetas!

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, Daily Discovery, Descubrimiento en casa, Discovery at Home, Español, Experiments, Physical Science

Post written by Hannah Curtis, Education Assistant.

Daily Discovery: Shadows!

The simple relationship between light and dark. Shadows are everywhere, and we all have a shadow, well sometimes! Explore the realms of natural light during the day and artificial light at night and experiment with how shadows change.

Supplies:

  • Sunlight
  • Toys or objects around your house
  • Sidewalk chalk
  • Sidewalk space
  • Flashlight
  • Paper
  • Coloring utensils

Instructions:

Natural Light Shadows

  1. During a sunny day, find space on the sidewalk to which you can draw with chalk or use paper and coloring utensils.
  2. Place a household object or a toy on the sidewalk and check out the shadow that is created. Move your object around and observe how the shadow changes.
  3. Find a spot where you will leave your object all day. Draw the shadow the object on your canvas. Check back every 30 minutes or hour to trace the shadow at that time without moving your object.
  4. At the end of the day before the sun goes down, pick up your object and see the different shadows that were created by one object over the course of the day!
  5. You can also experiment with the shadows of nearby trees or even family member.

Artificial Light Shadows

  1. After the sun sets and there is not more sunlight, you can create your own light and shadows using a flashlight or lamp.
  2. Turn off indoor house lights and direct the flashlight onto a bare wall or ceiling.
  3. Using your hands to form different shapes, you can create different shadow images onto the wall. Test out these different hand shapes or create your own shadow puppet shows.
  4. Try taping a piece of paper onto the wall, and draw the silhouette of a family member.
  5. Discover what happens when you bring objects closer to the flashlight, what about further away? How does the shadow change?

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

Image Credit: Rookieparenting.com

 

Traducido por Károl de Rueda y Laura Vilaret-Tuma.

Descubrimiento en casa: Sombras y siluetas!

La relación entre la oscuridad y la luz es muy simple. Las sombras están por todas partes, y algunas veces, ¡hasta nosotros también las proyectamos! Vamos a explorar la luz natural durante el día y la luz artificial por la noche para experimentar cómo se forman las sombras y cómo se cambian las siluetas.

Artículos necesarios:

  • Luz natural
  • Juguetes/objetos que tengas en casa
  • Una acera o banqueta
  • Tiza o gis para la acera y/o utensilios para colorear
  • Una linterna o lámpara eléctrica portable
  • Papel

Instrucciones:

Para formar sombras en la luz natural

  1. Durante un día soleado, busca un sitio en una acera o banqueta donde puedas colorear con tiza o usar papel y utensilios para colorear.
  2. Pon algún objeto o juguete sobre la acera y mira la sombra que forma. Mueve y gira tu objeto para observar cómo esta cambia.
  3. Busca un lugar donde puedas dejar tu objeto todo el día, y colócalo encima de una hoja de papel. Dibuja su silueta sobre este, y regresa cada treinta minutos o cada hora para trazar una nueva silueta en ese tiempo sin mover tu objeto.
  4. Antes del anochecer, recoge tu objeto y observa la evolución de las sombras que dibujaste durante el curso del día.
  5. ¡También puedes experimentar con las siluetas o sombras de los árboles alrededor, o hasta con algún miembro de tu familia!

Para formar siluetas usando luz artificial

  1. Después del ocaso y cuando ya no haya más luz natural, podrás crear tu propia luz artificial usando una lámpara o linterna.
  2. Apaga las luces de un cuarto y enciende la lámpara dirigiéndola hacia una pared o hacia el techo.
  3. Crea diferentes formas con tus manos y colócalas al frente de la lámpara para hacer diferentes imágenes. Más abajo te damos algunas ideas para crear personajes ¡y organizar tu propio espectáculo de sombras!
  4. También podrías pegar un papel blanco sobre la pared y trazar la silueta de un miembro de tu familia.
  5. ¿Qué pasa cuando acercas o alejas tus manos de la fuente de luz? Descubre cómo cambian las sombras y siluetas, mientras te diviertes en familia.

¿Te gustaría descargar esta actividad? Haz clic aquí para obtener un archivo PDF.

Para encontrar actividades, ideas y mucho más descubrimiento en casa, ¡síguenos!

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Fort Fund.

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Daily Discovery: Singing Glass / Descubrimiento en casa: Copas musicales

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Ages 6-8, Ages 9-12, Daily Discovery, Descubrimiento en casa, Discovery at Home, Español, Experiments, Physical Science

Post written by Eisen Tamkun, Music Programming Lead.

Daily Discovery: Singing Glass

Wine glasses aren’t just for wine. Learn how to make them sing!

Supplies:

  • Wine glasses – the more the better (not all work – experiment to see which work best!)
  • Water
  • Tape
  • Pen

Instructions:

  1. Wash your hands to get any dirt off so they are squeaky clean.
  2. Fill the glass about half way with water.
  3. Take your pointer finger and dip it into the water; then with slight pressure, run your finger in a circular motion along the rim. If it feels too dry, just give you finger another dip!
  4. The key is maintaining the same amount of pressure as you move your finger along the rim. And pretty soon you will have a new musical talent! Just remember the three things needed to make that glass sing: moisture, pressure and glass type.
  5. Now that you have mastered making your glass sing, it’s time to start experimenting! Using the tape, mark where the water level is. Add or take away some water and listen to
    how the sound changes.

Nicely done! You have gained a new musical talent. Practice creating different tones with multiple glasses and water levels, and host a singing glass concert for you family!

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

Follow along with our Daily Discovery! Click here for all activities that you can do at home.

 

Traducido por Károl de Rueda y Laura Vilaret-Tuma.

Descubrimiento en casa: Copas musicales

Las copas de vino no se usan solamente para beber. ¡También pueden hacer música! Aprende cómo hacerlas sonar siguiendo unas instrucciones sencillas.

Artículos necesarios:

  •  Copas de vino vacías, mientras más, mejor. (Hay algunas copas que no suenan, así que primero prueba para ver cuáles sirven mejor para esta actividad)
  • Agua
  • Cinta adhesiva
  • Pluma

Instrucciones:

  1. Lávate las manos hasta que estén super limpias.
  2. Llena una copa con agua hasta la mitad.
  3. Mete la punta de tu dedo índice, sácalo del agua y después, con un poco de presión, mueve el mismo dedo en forma circular sobre el borde de la copa; esta debe emitir un tono musical. Si se siente un poco seco, simplemente moja tu dedo en el agua otra vez.
  4. La clave para mantener este sonido es el aplicar la misma cantidad de presión sobre el borde de la copa. ¡Ya estás adquiriendo una nueva habilidad musical! Solo recuerda los
    tres elementos para hace música con las copas: humedad, presión, y el tipo de copa que usas.
  5. Ahora que ya has hecho música, ¡es hora continuar el experimento! Llena otras copas con diferentes cantidades de agua y usando cinta adhesiva, marca el nivel del agua en cada una. Aplícales presión con tu dedo índice como aprendiste en esta actividad, y ¡observa cómo cambia el tono musical!

¡Bien hecho! Ya has ganado un nuevo talento musical. ¡Organiza un concierto de copas musicales para tu familia!

¿Te gustaría descargar esta actividad? Haz clic aquí para obtener un archivo PDF.

Para encontrar actividades, ideas y mucho más descubrimiento en casa, ¡síguenos!

Educational opportunities like this are supported in part by Bohemian.

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Daily Discovery: May the Fourth Be With You!

Posted on by Ben Gondrez in Any Age, Daily Discovery, Discovery at Home, Experiments, Physical Science

Post written by Eisen Tamkun, Music Programming Lead

Daily Discovery: May the Fourth Be With You!

Do you have a favorite Star Wars sound? Maybe the yell of a Wookie, the hoots, tweets, and coos of R2D2, or even the sound of Vader breathing through his helmet. No matter what sound pops into your head Star Wars would not be the same without it.

Who do we have to thank for all of the amazing sounds we hear in the Star Wars Universe? Why, sound designers, of course! And the sound designer who is responsible for all the sounds in Star Wars is Ben Burtt. It was Burtt’s job to discover all the sounds we hear in Star Wars.

Want to test your Star Wars knowledge? Use the activity below to guess what sounds Burtt took from our world and used to build the amazing Star Wars Universe. Then, be a sound engineer and make your very own blaster sounds at home. May the Force be with you!

Make Your Own Star Wars Sounds

Supplies:

  • Metal Slinky or metal clothes hanger
  • String

Instructions:

  1. Take the metal slinky/clothes hanger and tie a 12 inch piece of string to it.
  2. Wrap the string around one finger and let the slinky/hanger dangle on the end.
  3. Place the finger with the string wrapped around it it your ear and listen.
  4. And Viola! Can you hear laser blaster firing? Try knocking the hanger against another object. How does the sound change?

Want to download these directions? Click here for a handy PDF!

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