Rubber Band Guitar

Grade level

Grades 2–4

Time

About 30 minutes

Topic

Sound

Answer key

Not needed: answers vary

Kids practice

Sound and vibration, Pitch and volume, Listening

What kids do

Printed on the sheet:

1. You need: an empty tissue box or shoebox and four rubber bands, some thick and some thin.
2. Stretch them around the box and pluck them.
3. My hypothesis: the ___ rubber band will make the highest sound.
4. Tight or loose?
5. High or low sound?
6. Conclusion: what makes a rubber band sound higher? What happens if you pinch the band shorter while you pluck it?

Teacher tip

Use bands of different thickness so kids hear the difference right away.

How to use it

• Let kids touch their throats while they hum to feel vibration.
• Stretch a rubber band across a box and pluck it.
• Let partners compare answers and settle any differences with a book or a video.

Watch for

Mixing up pitch and volume. Loud and soft is volume; high and low is pitch.

Talk about it

• How is loud different from high?
• Where have you seen this outside of school?

Take it further

Make a class band from shakers, drums and rubber band guitars.

US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.