With downloadable 3D files and activity sheets, students can explore an early animation device and how it uses the optical illusion of persistence of vision to give the appearance of motion. Emphasis is placed on building a functional zoetrope and allowing your students to be creative in determining its final form.

The 3D printing file for the zoetrope can be downloaded individually. Worksheets and 3D print files for the module can be reproduced as necessary for your classroom.

TERMS OF USE

3D Printing File - Activity

Download and print your very own zoetrope! These .stl files contain a modified version of a zoetrope found in Ingenium's artifact collection and are used in the activities found on this webpage.  They can be reproduced as needed for your classroom, and edited by students to see the impact of their changes.

DOWNLOAD STL OF THE STAND

DOWNLOAD STL OF THE BASE

3D Artifact File

The file below is an unmodified 3D scan of the zoetrope found in Ingenium's artifact collection.  It is not used in the activities found on this webpage, but it can be downloaded, viewed and examined.

DOWNLOAD STL OF THE ARTIFACT

Templates

Download these files to use in the activities below.

BLANK STRIP TEMPLATE

DRUM TEMPLATE

PRE-DRAWN TEMPLATE

PRE-DRAWN TEMPLATE: EXAMPLE

RECTANGLE TEMPLATE

Zoetrope Strips

These zoetrope stripes are part of Ingenium's collection of artifacts. They were made out of paper, their images drawn with ink, and they were likely manufactured before 1900. Download these strips to use in the "Build a Zoetrope" activity

STRIPS

Build a Zoetrope - Activity 1

In this activity your students will build their own zoetropes and learn how it makes a series of images seem like they are moving.

DOWNLOAD ACTIVITY 1 PDF

Create a Zoetrope Strip - Activity 2

Your students will have the chance to stretch their creative muscles and create their own zoetrope strips.

DOWNLOAD ACTIVITY 2 PDF

ArtiFactsheet

The artifacts collected, preserved, and displayed by Ingenium showcase Canada's rich history of innovation in science and technology. Each artifact tells a story of innovation and illustrates how science and technology have contributed to the transformation of Canada. Learn more about this artifact with this "ArtiFactsheet".

DOWNLOAD ARTIFACTSHEET PDF

With downloadable 3D files and activity sheets, students explore an early form of electrical communication, electrical circuits and how codes can be used to transmit information. Emphasis is placed on creating a working telegraph key and seeing how it can be used to transmit Morse code.

The 3D printing file for the telegraph key can be downloaded individually. Worksheets and 3D print files for the module can be reproduced as necessary for your classroom. You can also download the entire Guide as a single file.

TERMS OF USE

3D Printing File

Download and print your very own telegraph key! This .stl file can be reproduced as needed for your classroom, and can be constructed by following the instructions in the guide below.

DOWNLOAD STL FILES

Activity 1: Build your own telegraph key

In this activity you and your students will build a telegraph key and learn about how it uses some basic principles of circuits to send a message.

DOWNLOAD ACTIVITY 1 PDF

Want help in assembling your working telegraph key? Here's a short video that will help.

The science of acoustics, or the science of sound, studies the physics behind the sounds we hear every day. Scientists focus on how sounds are made, how they are transmitted, what forces affect their movement, and how the human ear detects and translates them to our brains.

How it works

Sound is made by a vibration, or wave of molecules, caused by the motion of an object. This requires a medium, or a material, to pass through. Usually, this medium is air. When the object moves, the molecules of the medium also move around it very slightly, causing the air particles to bump into each other. This creates areas where there are many molecules pushed close together (compressions), and areas where molecules are spread far apart (rarefactions). These are sound waves that radiate out from the source in circles. The speed depends on the medium; more dense materials can better transmit sound. When sound waves hit a solid object, they can bounce back as an echo.

Sound waves vibrate at different rates, or frequencies, as they move through the medium.

When a wave is created, the distance between one compression and the next compression is called the wavelength. The faster the sound waves pass a given point, the shorter the wavelength and the higher the frequency. Higher-frequency sounds make a higher-pitched noise. That’s why the big, slow-vibrating low E string on a guitar makes a lower sound than the thin, fast-vibrating high E string.

The vibrations can also squeeze the air molecules together, hard or gently. This squeezing is called the amplitude. The more we push an object to make it vibrate, the greater the amplitude and the louder the sound. That’s why plucking harder on a guitar string makes a louder sound.

Like any other form of energy, sound can change from one form to another. This is the basis of inventions like the telephone – which converts sound energy into electric energy, then back into sound energy once more.

Why it matters

Acoustics are heard in the annoying buzz of your morning alarm, in your conversations, in the chirping of birds outside, and even in the moments you may think of as utterly silent. Without the scientists and engineers who have studied the physics behind sound, we would in a much different world – one without telephones, concert halls, or many medical imaging techniques. What would a world like that look like? More importantly, how would a world like that sound?

A Canadian connection

Originally of Scottish descent, Alexander Graham Bell moved to Brantford, Ontario as a young adult. Throughout his life, he developed an intimate understanding of how sound and human hearing work. As a result, he developed the telephone – a revolutionary device that fundamentally changed the way we communicate forever. The first call was made in 1876 in Boston.

Go Further

Visit the website for the Canadian Association of the Deaf to learn about initiatives to improve accessibility for those with hearing loss.

Try This Out - Make a kazoo
Try This Out - Insulating sound

Image Gallery

Today, wearable technology can be found in entertainment, education, finance, fitness, music, personal safety, and medicine. While body-worn technologies have existed for centuries, today’s wearable technology is often connected to digital software and the Internet. In the health sector, we have fitness trackers like Fitbit and smart clothing like Hexoskin, which measure our biometrics and monitor our healthy behaviours. To make our lives more efficient, we have smartwatches, Bluetooth headsets, and even smart eyewear like Google Glass that places a layer of digital information right before our eyes. To make our lives more fun, we have gaming consoles like the Oculus Rift that immerse us inside of a story, bringing us into a new world of virtual reality.

How it works

Depending on the type of wearable technology, devices work in different, complex ways. However, most wearable technologies today share a few things in common. They are form-fitted to work with the human body, they connect to digital software to collect information and interpret actions, and they connect with networks to permit information to be shared with other devices, people, and databases.

Some devices – such as smartwatches or wireless headphones – use Bluetooth technology to connect all personal devices, in order to synchronize them. Others, like fitness trackers, can measure heart rate and movement, in order to measure sleep cycle and workout performance. They often synchronize with a computer or smartphone, to consolidate data so trends can be identified.

Why it matters

Wearable technology allows us to extend the capabilities of our own bodies. These technologies have a major influence on every aspect of our lives, including our communication with one another and the world.

Most importantly, these technologies can be life-saving. Doctors can use them while performing surgeries to float medical images and consult with colleagues remotely during an operation. In 1996, the “Smart Shirt” was employed by the military of the United States to monitor soldiers’ vital signs and better employ medical care in those critical minutes after injury. Finally, companies like CUFF Smart Jewelry and Lifeline have been introducing wearables which can send an alert if the wearer is in any danger, providing alerts in an emergency.

It must be said, however, that many wearable technologies have not seen the popularity to match their potential. Consumer concerns include limitations of functionality, low battery life, and privacy. Some wearable technologies have the ability to collect and share information that people want to keep private – even if they are not the wearer themselves. However, companies are taking note of these issues and are attempting to improve them, in order to drive further innovation in this field.

A Canadian connection

One Canadian who is putting wearable technology to the test is Erica Wiebe - Rio 2016’s Olympic 75 kg freestyle wrestling gold medalist. Using Hexoskin biometric clothing, she was able to track her performance to refine her training and get the best results. It seems as though her strategy was effective – she even has a gold medal to prove it!

Go further

Check out the Wearable Tech exhibition at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. Discover how wearable technology has evolved throughout history, and try some out for yourself!

Image Gallery