For our final PED 3131 assignment, we needed to design a lab activity that can be used in an intermediate science class and demonstrate it to the class. My group members and I have decided on "Making a Speaker". This activity is designed for a grade 7 or 8 science class for the unit Structures and Mechanics. It is meant to be a hook activity to get students
engaged in the upcoming unit, sparking students' thinking and interests about
constructing a product or structure with a specific function. Students would be given various types of materials, such as paper cups, plastic tubes, etc. They can use these materials to make a speaker and investigate how different materials can affect the sound quality.
To prepare for our demonstration, we test-designed our own speakers so that we can have an idea of which materials give a better sound quality. For example, we found that using a plastic tube with a wide diameter produces a louder sound, but the sound was more muddled. While using paper cups gave more detailed sound quality.
Demonstration/Execution of the Activity
After giving some background knowledge about sound and waves, students will be given time to look at the materials available and brainstorm within groups which materials will be most effective and how they want to build the speaker. Teachers should ensure that tools and materials are safe to use, providing instruction and/or demonstration on how to use certain tools correctly.
This project involves a “choose your own adventure” style activity; therefore the materials provided will differ for each group. A mini game has been set in place to determine which group will choose first to make it a fun and fair experience. It is also important to remind students this is strictly a learning activity.
At the end of the activity we had a competition to assess the speakers' volume (using a decimeter), sound quality, and esthetics. We also gave the class a brief explanation about what might have affected the sound from the observations of the speakers made during our testing before the demonstration and the speakers made by the groups. As this activity is a hook for a new unit, it can serve as a diagnostic assessment (Assessment for Learning) for teachers on students' knowledge on materials and structures. Teachers can walk around the classroom and observe while the students are building the speakers.
Some products made by the groups during the demonstration:
The demonstration was a success! Everyone had fun building the speakers. It was an enjoyable experience to work with my group members: Deepaul, Weam and Karmen to design this activity!
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