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Project Goal

Students will learn about basic physics of standing waves on guitar strings.
Students will understand how the frequency (perceived as pitch) of the string vibration changes as the effective length of the string is changed by fretting it.
Students will learn about the impact of electricity and an amplifier on the guitars and sound waves and the immense pickup in volume.
Students will measure the frequency of the vibrations of a guitar string as the effective length of the string is changed by fretting it.
Students will understand how a guitar is constructed and how string tension raises and lowers the pitch.
Students will gain self-esteem performing for their peers and the community.
Students will have FUN!
By using electric guitars and amplifiers my students will extend learning about STEM through lessons in the music class that address electricity, electronics, technology, & design. They will also learn the mathematics of how frets are spaced on the guitars and the science behind electromagnetic pickups using the amplifiers. They will use these concepts in community and peer performances that will build their self-esteem while incorporating STEM knowledge into their songs. We'll be creating STEAM! 

 

Category

School-Wide, Grade-Level, Or Class Events/Programs - Parent Nights, Honor Roll Celebrations, EOY Events, etc. 

 

How Project Benefits Students

My students need an electric guitar and electric bass with amplifiers, picks and speakers to enhance lessons in STEM as they rock out in music class. Students in grades 3 – 5 will work with partners to investigate sound frequencies as they rock out on authentic electric guitars.
Lesson Plan
What is sound?
Sound is a wave, a pattern-simple or complex, depending on the sound-of changing air pressure. Sound is produced by vibrations of objects. The vibrations push and pull on air molecules. The pushes cause a local compression of the air (increase in pressure), and the pulls cause a local rarefaction of the air (decrease in pressure). Since the air molecules are already in constant motion, the compressions and rarefactions starting at the original source are rapidly transmitted through the air as an expanding wave. When you throw a stone into a still pond, you see a pattern of waves rippling out in circles on the surface of the water, centered about the place where the stone went in. Sound waves travel through the air in a similar manner, but in all three dimensions. If you could see them, the pattern of sound waves from the stone hitting the water would resemble an expanding hemisphere. The sound waves from the stone also travel much faster than the rippling water waves from the stone (you hear the sound long before the ripples reach you). The exact speed depends on the number of air molecules and their intrinsic (existing) motion, which are reflected in the air pressure and temperature.
Sound on the guitar
Now it is time to take a look at how sound waves are produced by a musical instrument: in this case, the guitar. For a scientist, it is always a good idea to know as much as you can about your experimental apparatus!
(Students share one of the 10 acoustic classroom guitars to investigate.)
The guitar has six tightly-stretched steel strings which are picked (plucked) with fingers or a plastic pick to make them vibrate. The strings are anchored beneath the bridge of the guitar by the bridge pins. Each string passes over the saddle on the bridge. The saddle transmits the vibrations through the bridge to the soundboard of the guitar (the entire front face of the instrument). The soundboard, with its large surface area, amplifies the sound of the strings. (One way to see this for yourself is with the mechanism from a music box. First try playing it while holding it in the air. Then, place it in contact with the soundboard of the guitar and play it again. You'll see that the sound is greatly amplified by the wood.)
(Students practice this concept.)
When a guitar string is picked, the vibration produces a standing wave on the string. The fixed points of the string don't move (nodes), while other points on the string oscillate back and forth maximally (antinodes). The string can vibrate at several different natural modes (harmonics). Each of these vibrational modes has nodes at the fixed ends of the string. The higher harmonics have one or more additional nodes along the length of the string. In this project, we will be focusing on the fundamental mode of vibration, where the two endpoints are the only nodes of the standing wave.
After learning on an acoustic guitar, I plan to extend learning to the electric guitar and bass guitar to understand electricity and amplifiers.
Once they have investigated the design of the guitars purchased through this project, they will be ready for acoustic engineering as they work together with students in grades K-2 to design and create a shoe box guitar.
 

 

Expected Outcome(s)

100% of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will investigate the basic physics of standing waves on guitar strings.
95% of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will understand how the frequency (perceived as pitch) of the string vibration changes as the effective length of the string is changed by fretting it.
100% of intermediate grade students will understand the impact of electricity and an amplifier on the guitars and sound waves and the immense pickup in volume.
100% of students in grades one and two will understand how a guitar is constructed and how string tension raises and lowers the pitch by working cooperatively with intermediate aged students to create their own shoebox guitar.
STEM projects will come to life for my students when they use electric guitars and amplifiers as a hands-on way to extend understanding of sound as it relates to STEM concepts. The result will be a deeper understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

 

Detailed Cost Summary

My students need an electric guitar and electric bass with amplifiers, speakers and picks to enhance lessons in STEM as they rock out in music class. Once students in grades 3-5 have completed first half of the project, they will work with students in grades 1-2 using the 'maker materials' to create shoe box guitars. All participating students will receive awards.  

 

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