Grade 6 (Lesson 4d/2015/2016) : Wild Child (New York, New York)

Sounds like Fun

Objective
Students apply the principles of sound by making a bullroarer.

Materials
Popsicle sticks, hollow eraser heads, rubber bands, index cards, string, stapler, glue.

Procedure

1. Staple an index card to a popsicle stick (see diagram). 
2. Slide an eraser head on to each end of the popsicle stick. 
3. Slide a rubber band lengthwise over the eraser ends of the stick. 
4. Tie a string to one end of the stick just below the eraser.
5.  Leave about a foot of string to hold on to. 
6. Make sure you have enough room to swing the bullroarer over head in a circular motion.

On safety: Make sure there is enough room to safely swing the bullroarer.    

Back in the United States, we see Wild Child using two instruments that make sounds when they are spun through the air: the Bullroarer and the Whirly Tube.

It is believed that the bullroarer was first used by the Aboriginal people of Australia. When swung around in the air on a piece of string it sets up sound waves, thus producing a whirring or howling sound. The bullroarer is used in hunting and in traditional ceremonies as a form of blessing. Bullroarers are also used to send animals into ambush, to alert one tribe of another’s presence, in rainmaking ceremonies, and for healing (see “The Rhythm of Healing” on this page).

This type of instrument has been used all over the world, including the Maori people of New Zealand, in New Guinea, and in various North American Native cultures.

The Rhythm of Healing

The Maori people of New Zealand use a smaller version of the Bullroarer (known as the ‘Porotiti’) for healing rheumatism and arthritis. By spinning the Porotiti over the afflicted areas, the sound vibrations massage the joints of the “patient” in a similar way to modern ultrasound.