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Exploration

unit: siblings whispering by wong sze yuen

graffiti tunnel by jmiller291 , used under CC BY-SA

"awesome echo" by Emma Koi

boy yelling in forest by Zurijeta

Zac by Ric Moxley

grand canyon at sunrise by sumikophoto

Zac's echo in the grand canyon by Ric Moxley

group of friends by aslysun

two people whispering by sezer66

slo mo drum by The Chernett Family

Speaker Vibrations affect Objects by BluePigProductions: Eric van der Aar

cups vibrating from speakers by ReggieErf

Activity

graphic pencil by JohannPoufPouf , used under Public Domain

kitten by Okssi

seagull by CocoParisienne , used under Public Domain

two differently sized cups by Maistrenko Ihor

Credits

Display Engineering Materials

Your students will have the chance to come up with their own experiments with the phone. But before students attempt to modify and improve the design of their telephones, they need to know which materials are available to them. During Step 15 of the experiment, we suggest you show students which of these will be available.

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“This was wonderful! The class was teachable in a 45 minute period and students had the hands-on opportunity to understand vibrations! I appreciate that the materials are easily gotten at a dollar store and around the school. Now that's my kind of science lesson. The children were astounded, which really surprised me. I guess i've forgotten what it was like not to know these things. They were thrilled with thte discovery of vibrations. I think next time, I'll start with a one minute recording of the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" ;) Thanks to the MS team.!! You folks rock it! ”

“It was everything. The teacher materials prepared me to teach and assess the lesson. The required materials for the mystery were easy to gather and prepare. The video clearly explained each step and had great questions. The students loved the activity and learned the concept. When I told them that I plan to use this curriculum for the remainder of the year they all cheered!”

“The paper cup phones are a GREAT way to "deliver the message" to the students that sound/vibrations DO travel. They loved the activity, and I loved how intently they were listening for the whispered number through the cup. It was soooo quiet :) I took pictures and plan to hang them outside the classroom.”

“The investigation was amazing! The students were able to explain how the paper cup telephone works using science vocabulary. The looks on their faces when they could hear their partner whispering was priceless!”

“We have been using a different science curriculum for awhile. My son was hesitant to try something new, but was so glad that we did! He loved the engaging and informative videos, and he was so happy making the paper cup telephones. He enjoyed making them so much, we made several types, experimenting with types and length of string and different types of cups. He didn't want the lesson to end!”

“The string phones were so much fun! the kids didn't want to stop at two changes to their phones. They wanted to try changing everything! Thank you so much for putting together great lessons that are so easy and fun.”

“I did this with a Special Education class that has reading and writing issues. They were VERY excited. Even before tying the cups together, they were excited to discover how the cup and string reacted to their voices. The written portion was small enough to not overwhelm them and we could discuss and model appropriate answers.”

Paper Cup Telephone worksheet	1 per student
Paper Cup Telephone Answer Key teacher-only resource	1 per class
Paper Cup Telephone Teacher Tips worksheet	1 per class
Engineering Materials Students will experiment with different materials for their paper cup telephones. They will need more paper clips and additional items, such as construction paper, different sized cups, yarn, ribbon, or dental floss.	Details 2 items per student
Pencil	1 pencil per student
Coated Paper Clips (#2) We recommend coated, because they are stronger. You can use any paper clip that is about 1" long, not jumbo paper clips.	Details 1 clip per student
Paper Cups (8 oz)	1 cup per student
String	6 feet per student

How far can a whisper travel?

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How far can a whisper travel?

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Featured Reviews

Activity Prep

Prepare String

Display Engineering Materials

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