JSF STEAM Kit 3.0
DIY Kazoo
In this project you will build your own DIY Kazoo.
Warning! Engaging in the project will make you the Scientist, Technologist, Engineer, Artist and Mathematician.
Materials
1 one business card
1 brown (wide rubber band)
2 colored (narrow/ skinny rubber bands)
2 Wooden Craft Sticks
Optional: a ruler, markers, coloring utensils, scissors
Directions
With both wooden craft sticks, place your name on each. You can decorate all sides. You are the artist at work.
Gather one wooden craft stick and 1 brown (wide rubber band). Place the brown rubber band lengthwise around the wood craft stick. Set aside after the following step.
Take one business card fold in half; forming a square shape. Open the card and tear along the line. This doesn’t have to be exact; just as equal pieces as possible. Be the mathematician; if four isn’t equal make another fold. This is a “trial and error.”
Take one of the pieces and fold in fourths. You are creating a small piece of paper that looks like a wad.
You are the artist when it comes to paper folding.
Repeat the last step with the other piece.
Gather the wooden stick with the rubber band you placed in the first step.
Take one of the folded pieces and tuck it under one end of the rubber band on the stick.
The second half of the other folded card place on the opposite end and place on top of the rubber band.
The next step is tricky; ask a friend for help.
Take the last wooden craft stick and place it on top with the side of the folded cards.
While holding the sticks together; take one of the colored (skinny rubber bands) and wrap one end. This will hold the DIY kazoo in place.
Final step is to use the last rubber band and wrap the opposite end.
Congrats you are now an engineer of your own DIY Kazoo!
Using and tuning your DIY Kazoo
Grab the middle of the wooden craft sticks. Stretch the stick bending them open. Don’t worry… you can stretch this about an inch wide. This is your new technological DIY sound producing device! Technologist also has times where they need to fine tune their instruments.
Blow into the center of the DIY Kazoo. Imagine this is a micro size birthday candle. You want to send a straight stream of air through the DIY Kazoo.
What is happening?
Humans are the few species that uses sound as communication. We have vocal cords to thank for that aka the larynx. Sound travels through air which is made up of molecules. In our bodies, air is pushed through this organ. The vibration from the larynx creates a sound that makes our voice.
The DIY Kazoo works in the same manner. Air is pushed through the two wooden craft sticks and vibrates the brown/ wide rubber band. As the rubber band vibrates it hits the sides of the wooden craft sticks creating a sound.
If you were to light squeeze the wooden sticks together while blowing through. You will hear a change in tone.
Try this Experiment
What kind of tone do you hear when you light squeeze the wooden crafts sticks? What tone do you hear when you release them?
You can also use different kinds of rubber bands. The ones that is wider or thinner. Find which ones are the best with you.
You can also use Popsicle sticks instead of large wooden craft sticks. Just wash to sanitize the sticks. Don’t want the taste of Ramen noodles.
Make some scientific discoveries a scientist.
MAFS.K12.MP.6.1
Attend to precision.
MAFS.K12.MP.5
Use appropriate tools strategically.
LAFS.K12.R.1.1
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.