The sound map so far
Creations go on the area for their sound.
Children listen to sounds made from real space data, make something inspired by one, and add it to a shared sound map.
A made thing with one conductive touch point. Touching it on the map plays its sound. The map fills through the day.
What it is made of decides whether it works.
iPads run the Sounds of the Universe programme. Children tap the buttons, listen on headphones, and choose one sound to make from. The sonifications are from NASA and ESA.
Context on sonification and the individual sounds, for parents and older children.
What is a sonification?
Scientists turn information from space, like the brightness, position or movement of things, into sounds we can hear.
Listen, and imagine what created them.
Creations go on the area for their sound.
Tested materials sorted into Conductive and Not conductive.
Six sheets, one print job.
A Makey Makey on the testing board, running the Is It Conductive? experiment: two foil strips on card with a gap, one clip to each. A material laid across the gap closes the circuit. The child is not part of it.
Children sort what they test into the two trays, and use a conductive material as the touch point on their creation.
Nothing happening means the USB is out, a clip is off its foil, or the material is not touching both strips.
A large cardboard installation wired to a Spoke Board, one path per sound into its own terminal.
A plain circle is an empty touch area; the ringed one has a creation joined on. The dotted stub is the link to the computer, behind the panel.
Which materials can we use to trigger a sound? Some materials carry electricity. These are conductive.
Try it: choose a material, place it on the testing board, and see if it completes the circuit.
What does this sound make you imagine?
Explore the map! Touch the creations to hear the sounds that inspired them.
Spoke Board and Makey Makey behind or under the installation, out of reach. Leads against a wall or under the table, taped down.
Test one creation through the whole path before the doors open: touch it and hear the sound it was made from.
Reset the Spoke Board whenever a creation or a button is added.
Trays tidied, split pins and clips back in the tin.
| Hazard | Who it reaches | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Mains electricity | Everyone at the station | The Spoke Board, the Makey Makey and anything they plug into stay behind or under the installation, out of reach. An adult at the station whenever it runs. |
| Trailing leads | Everyone, including under-5s | Against a wall or under the table, taped down along the length. Not across a walkway. |
| Split pins and crocodile clips as small parts | Under-5s | Handed out at the table, not left in an open tray. An adult at the making area. |