Sponsored By
Cadette
STEM Kits
“Symphony
of Noise”
“Breathe”
These activities are from the Leader Guide
Book, “How to Guide Cadettes Through
‘Breathe.’” Additional activities were developed exclusively by Girl Scouts - Western
Oklahoma to correlate with the themes and
practices outlined in the Leader Guide and
the Girl Guide books. Your STEM Kit in A Box
contains the necessary supplies to complete
each activity, except where noted. You will
use these materials to help the girls earn their
Journey badges as Cadettes. These activities
MUST be completed as part of their Journey
throughout the course of the year. Each kit
includes a leader guide that gives background
information on the activities. It is recommended that the girls guide themselves
through these activities with minimal guidance from you, the leader.
Chris Simon, STEM Coordinator
Girl Scouts – Western Oklahoma
[email protected]
Phone: 405-528-4475 or 1-800-698-0022
This kit is provided through an award from the Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR program
and is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. IIA-1301789.
Project title: “Adapting Socio-ecological Systems to Increased Climate Variability.”
Any opinions, findings & conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. www.okepscor.org
Sponsored By
OK NSF EPSCoR Content Reviewers: Dr. Jody L. Campiche, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics and
Extension Economist, Oklahoma State University; Dr. Renee McPherson, Associate Professor of Geography and
Environmental Sustainability and Girl Scout, University of Oklahoma
Cadette
STEM Kits
“Breathe”
“Symphony
of Noise”
In this activity the girls will explore the noises people routinely send and
receive through the air. They will make observations and describe how
the noise or lack thereof made them feel. They will hopefully begin to
think about the Earth sounds they love and how what they value can
influence how they choose to care for nature.
Activity
Materials:
° Let the girls know that they will be allowed
to bring noise making gadgets ahead of
time. These include but are not limited to:
radios, cell phones, iPods with speakers,
iPads, toy drum, etc.
° Timer or clock
° Challenge slips (attached) - These should
include things like:
° Everyone, answer together:
What is 8 x 7?
° All together: Recite the alphabet.
° Shout your birthday starting with
(name girl and go clockwise).
° Take a deep breath and then
exhale - all together
° Do 10 jumping jacks – all together.
° Send a wave around the circle.
° Everyone shout a word that
rhymes with “air” – no repeats.
° All together: Count backwards
from 15.
° (girls can add their own – “any silly
thing”)
° Sounds of nature (CD included, or digital
download)
Background information on sound:
Sound is a form of energy. It is a vibration, or wave, that travels through
matter (solid, liquid, or gas) and can be heard. Sounds are nothing more
than disruptions of the molecules in matter, like air. They can happen with
varying degrees of intensity (amplitude) and frequency. Amplitude
relates to loudness, and frequency relates to pitch (how high or low the
sounds are). Sound waves can also vary in complexity, giving rise to a
given sound's timbre (compare the same note at the same volume
played on two different instruments, (e.g., guitar and trumpet). Sound can
be transmitted by materials other than air.
Sounds are produced when objects vibrate. The vibration is started by
some mechanical movement, such as someone plucking a guitar string or
knocking on a door. This causes a vibration on the molecules next to the
mechanical event (i.e. where your hand hit the door when knocking).
When these molecules vibrate, they in turn cause the molecules around
them to vibrate. The vibration will spread from molecule to molecule,
causing the sound to travel. As they vibrate, particles of air are pushed
together in a particular pattern. This pattern is a sound wave. Sound
energy travels in compression waves. In this, matter vibrates in the same
direction as the energy that travels through it.
Sound must travel through matter because it needs the vibration of
molecules to propagate. The matter that transports the sound is called
the medium.
The speed of sound refers to how fast a wave or vibrations pass through
the medium. Usually, speed of sound refers to the speed of sound waves
in air. However, the speed of sound varies from substance to substance.
For example, sound travels faster in water than air. Sound travels even
faster in steel.
In dry air, sound travels at 768 miles per hour (mph). At this rate sound will
travel one mile in around five seconds. Sound travels 4.3 times faster in
water (3,302 miles per hour) and approximately 14.5 times faster through
steel (11,160 miles per hour).
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Cadette
STEM Kits
“Symphony
of Noise”
“Breathe”
Before you start:
Explain the “Symphony of Noise” activity to a Cadette or two who arrive early; invite
them to help you lead this activity. Ask them to set up all the noisemakers in a big
cluster in the middle of the room. To get some background noise going, turn on a TV,
DVD and/or radio if you can.
Activity
SAY: Let’s start by talking about what sound is.
ASK: Do any of you know how sound is made and
heard? (Wait for girls to respond)
SAY: Sound is a form of energy. It is a vibration, or
wave, that travels through matter whether it’s solid,
liquid, or gas and can be heard. Sounds are nothing
more than disruptions of the molecules in matter, like
air. Sounds are produced when objects vibrate. The
vibration is started by some mechanical movement,
such as someone plucking a guitar string or knocking on
a door. This causes a vibration on the molecules next to
the mechanical event (i.e. where your hand hit the door
when knocking). When these molecules vibrate, they in
turn cause the molecules around them to vibrate. The
vibration will spread from molecule to molecule
causing the sound to travel.
ASK: Do any of you know how fast sound travels?
SAY: The speed of sound is how fast the
wave or vibrations pass through the medium
or matter. Usually, speed of sound refers to
the speed of sound waves in air. However, the
speed of sound varies from substance to
substance. For example, sound travels faster
in water than air. Sound travels even faster in
steel.
SAY: In dry air, sound travels at 768 miles per
hour (mph). At this rate sound will travel one
mile in around five seconds. Sound travels 4.3
times faster in water (3,302 miles per hour)
and approximately 14.5 times faster through
steel (11,160 miles per hour).
Does sound travel faster through the air, the water or
something really hard like steel? (Wait for girls to
respond)
(Invite the girls to gather around the
noisemakers, and take out their own sound
gadgets [phone, music players, etc]).
SAY: Sound must travel through matter because it
SAY: “We’re going to use our sound gadgets
needs the vibration of molecules to propagate. The
matter that transports the sound is called the medium.
at the same time in order to send out as much
noise into the air as we can.”
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Cadette
STEM Kits
“Symphony
of Noise”
“Breathe”
Round 1: Symphony of Noise:
Invite one of the early birds to be the conductor of the group “orchestra”.
SAY: (to the girl) Now, you’re going to start the “orchestra” on the count of three and then, after a few
minutes of noise, or whenever you’re ready, hold up your hand and give the Girl Scout Quiet Sign.
(Round 1 will continue for a few minutes, and then allow silence to settle over the group for a minute of two.)
ASK: “What does it feel like to make a lot of noise?”
“What do you love about your phone, music players, etc.?”
“When is there too much sound?”
Round 2: Above the Noise:
Invite another girl to come up and “conduct” the group.
SAY: “Ok, we are going to do it again, but this time we are going to add a little challenge that symbolizes the
challenges we often face – concentrating on getting something done and communication with one another
amid all the noise and distractions in our world.
SAY: (to the girl) When we start our “Symphony of Noise” again, I want you to pull out one of these “Above
The Noise” challenge slips and give tasks to the girls to complete. You can choose one girl at a time, or have
the whole group complete a task, it’s up to you! (Each girl should have a turn to complete a task while the
noise is blaring.)
SAY: (to all the girls) While this is going on it is important to keep things moving, silly is okay and don’t forget:
continue making all the noise you can while multitasking with the challenge.”
(After each girl has had a turn, make the quiet sign) and have the girls sit in silence for 3 minutes [use a
timer]).
Cadette
STEM Kits
“Symphony
of Noise”
“Breathe”
Weighing in on Noise and Silence:
SAY: “Now that you have experienced both a big blare and silence, I want you to weigh in on the impact of
noise and the impact of silence.”
(Here are some guiding questions you could ask. Many of these questions may be naturally brought up in the
girls’ conversation):
ASK: “What’s good about our noisemaking gadgets?
Do you like to stay plugged into your music, even when you are with others?
Do you ever put ear buds in your ears to signify you want to be alone? When do you take them out? What is it
like when you are with other people who are wearing ear buds?
Can you think of a time and an example when noise gets in our way of connecting with one another? With
enjoying each other? While concentrating?
Do you ever wish you were a little less connected and available when someone wants to reach you? Or
maybe that you had a little less information at your fingertips? When and why? What about other kinds of
noise that distracts us? Advertising? Traffic? Anything else?
What was it like sitting in silence together? (If there was giggling or fidgeting, let the girls know that it is normal
because most people are not used to being silent together).
Did three minutes of silence seem like a little or a lot?
What ideas or comments do you have about how silent time together can contribute to our strength as
individuals? As a team?
Do any of you enjoy silence in other ways, such as yoga, meditation or prayer? What do you get from that?”
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Cadette
STEM Kits
“Symphony
of Noise”
“Breathe”
Sounds of the Earth:
Now transition the girls into thinking about the sounds of the Earth. Begin by playing the sounds created by
people (Traffic, jackhammers, etc). Now, play the sounds of nature (Birds, rainfall, etc.).
Have the girls imagine the Earth with no people noises. Ask them how they felt when listening to these
noises.
Ask the girls to write how each sound made them feel and post to the blog at:
http://kidblog.org/GSWESTOKSTEM/
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