: He Pouaka Pakakü — Banjo Boxes
Loading Images

Approach:  One to one
1.2Mb
Focus: Sound generation and transmission 
Resources: “Banjo box”, coloured and brown rubber bands, 2 pieces of dowel, picture
He whakatau kupu: hererapa = rubberband, whaikano = coloured, autangi = musical instrument
picture puare = opening/hole

Questions/instructions:

Ko te kaupapa o tënei mahi, he äta whakaaro ki tënei mea te oro, me te whakaputa oro.
Tuatahi, mäku e hanga tëtahi pakakü mämä.

Waihotia te pouaka, kia rua ngä hererapa, kia rua hoki ngä poro räkau ki te tëpu. Hangaia he pakakü, ka whakamärama ai …

Koinei ngä rauemi hei hanga i tëtahi pakakü mämä. Kia noho whäroa ngä hererapa ki te pouaka. Kaua e pä tëtahi hererapa ki tëtahi. Kätahi ka whakamau i ngä räkau ki raro i ngä hererapa kia pätata atu ki ngä pito o te pouaka.
   In this activity we’ll be thinking about sounds and how they’re made. First I’m going to make a simple banjo.

Place the box, two rubber bands and two pieces of dowling on the table.
Teacher makes banjo box, telling the student.....

These are the materials I’ll use to make a simple banjo. I put the rubber bands around the box lengthwise. I make sure the two rubber bands are not touching each other. Then I put the pieces of wood under the rubber bands near the ends of the box.


[click on picture for enlargement]

Kia oti te pakakü te hanga, ka hoatu ki te äkonga.

Mäu e äta whakatangi ia hererapa, ka äta whakarongo ki ngä oro.

Tukuna te äkonga kia tühura i tënei mahi.		   Once the banjo has been made give it to the student.

Now I would like you to pluck each of the rubber bands and listen carefully to the sounds the two rubber bands make.

Allow time for student to experiment.


[click on picture for enlargement]


% responses
1. He aha ëtahi körero hei whakamärama i ngä oro?

He äwhina: He aha ngä rerekëtanga o ngä oro?

What can you tell me about the sounds?

Prompt: What is different about them?
coloured band makes higher sound/pitch

68
Ki te kore te äkonga i aro he teitei ake te oro o te hererapa whai kano, mäu tonu e whakaari, ka körero “He teitei ake te oro o te hererapa whai kano i te hererapa ura”.

If the student didn’t notice that the coloured rubber band made a higher sound than the brown rubber band, demonstrate and say,
“The coloured rubber band makes a higher sound than the brown one”.

2. Tëna, whakamäramahia mai, he aha i teitei ake ai te oro o te hererapa ura?

Try to explain why the coloured rubber band made a higher sound.
 Explanation:
[coloured band thinner/lighter;
coloured band stretched more tightly]

included both ideas

2
included thickness/mass

86
included tension/tightness

0
3. Whakamäramahia mai, ka pëhea nei te oro e tae mai ai ki ö tätou taringa, mai i te pakakü?

Try to explain how the sound gets from the rubber band to our ears.
band makes vibrations in air which travel to ears and are heard

12
vaguely mentioned air vibrations

22
4. Ki töu whakaaro, ka pëhea ngä oro o ngä hererapa mënä ka tangohia atu ngä poro räkau?

He äwhina: Ka pëhea nei te rerekë o ngä oro?

What do you think would happen to the rubber band sounds if we took the pieces of wood out?

Prompt: In what way might it sound different?
sound will not ring out properly,
or will stop quickly

63
Tënä, me tango atu ngä poro räkau, ka whakamätau ai.

Tangohia ngä poro räkau.

Let’s take out the pieces of wood and see what happens.

Remove pieces of wood.

5. He pehea nei te ähua o ngä oro o ngä hererapa inäianei?

What do you notice about the sounds the rubber bands make now?
sound does not ring out properly
or stops quickly

34
difference in pitch (lower)

12
6. Whakamäramahia mai he aha i rereke ai ngä oro ina tangohia atu ngä poro räkau.

Try to explain why the sounds are different when the pieces of wood are taken out.
stops bands from vibrating properly

61
Whakaaturia ngä pikitia o ngä autangi.

He autangi kei roto i tënei pikitia. He puare kei
ngä autangi katoa.



Show picture of stringed instruments.

This picture shows some stringed instruments.
Notice that they all have a hole.

7. Ki töu whakaaro, he aha te take o te puare o ënei autangi?

Why do you think these instruments have holes in them?
open cavity allows sound to resonate and amplifies sound

18
lets sound in/make sound louder

42
 

Total score:



11–13

4
8–10

33
5–7

40
2–4

19
0–1

4
Commentary:
A majority of students suceeded with most components of this task, but few understood how sound is transmitted by air.
 
Chapter Graphic
 Loading Images