Question: Nathaniel and Sammy are trying to make up a code for sending messages to each other by dropping items in a drop chamber and listening to them. Sammy wants to design a code using blocks made of plastic, metal, and wood. Nathaniel thinks it would be a better idea to use wooden blocks of different sizes and shapes. Which student's method would make it easier to tell the difference between the sounds? Why?
Reference answer: Sammy's. Different materials would make very different sounds. Different size wood would make very similar sounds.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because a wooden blocks, because if you drop 3 thing you can not hear all 3. But if you drop one thing you can hear better.

Student answer: Sammy - If it will be soft or low or high or low the pitch will be different sound! Some will be loud or low!

Student answer: Nathaniel - I picked Nathaniel because he has wood only. And Sammy has plastic metal and wood.

Student answer: Daniel - Because he dropped a popsicle.

Student answer: Nathaniel - I picked Nathaniel because a wooden blocks has a low sound and Sammy wants to use blocks made of plastic, metal, and wood. And the objects will make a low sound.

Student answer: Sammy - Because the metal and wood makes a louder sound kind of like vibration.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Nathaniel is using block because the block are bigger to drop in the chamber to play.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because it is harder than made of plastic.

Student answer: Sammy - Because plastic, wood and metal do not sound the same.

Student answer: Because what if there is only one metal item and you drop it and you hear metal.

Student answer: Sammy - Because if they are the same material you would have to figure what size it was and which one it was, you would be able to tell easier if it was plastic, metal, or wood.

Student answer: Sammy - Because if it was same blocks just different sizes you would not know which sound it was so makes it harder but with Sammy idea they would be different so that is easy so Sammy.

Student answer: Sammy - Because it is different material and it is easier and it is easier because if it was Nathaniel's it would be harder because it is the same material and it all sounds alike.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Nathaniel's because it is wood and it is different sizes.

Student answer: Sammy - Because they are not the same material.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy it would be easier because plastic is difference to wood.

Student answer: Sammys - Because there are different sounds with Sammy's idea.

Student answer: Nathaniel's - Because they all sound the same.

Student answer: Sammy - Because the plastic, metal wood might sound different!

Student answer: Sammy - Because they are different things.

Student answer: Sammy's - Sammy's because they are all different.

Student answer: Sammy - Because Sammy's idea is better because Sammy is different kind of blocks and Nathaniel is just one kind of block but they are different size.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because metal is close to the same sound of the other metals.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because it is wood.

Student answer: Sammy - Because plastic, metal, and wood have different sounds so it will be easier.

Student answer: Sammy - Because Sammy's idea would be easier than Nathaniel's idea.

Student answer: Sammy's - Sammy's, they are made out of different things.

Student answer: Nathaniel - I think because his has these things wooden, blocks.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Nathaniel because, Sammy is softer, and if the plastic is too soft, it will not make a sound, and he or her will not be able to hear it.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because wood all sounds the same but different sizes. Like a big wood and small piece kind of sound the same.

Student answer: Sammy - Because the blocks are made of different material.

Student answer: Sammy - Because those are all different materials.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because plastic and metal make different noises than just wood.

Student answer: Sammy's idea - Because using things all made of wood would be harder to discriminate.

Student answer: Sammy - Because plastic, metal, and wood has different sounds and just wood would make the same sound.

Student answer: Sammy - Because if you used blocks made of plastic metal and wood because it would make a differing noise so it would be easier to know.

Student answer: Sammy - Because if you have different objects for different words it would make more sense.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because a big triangle block would sound the same as a little square block.

Student answer: Sammy's - Because they sound different.

Student answer: Sammy - Because wood blocks of different shapes and sizes would sound the same so Sammy's is better.

Student answer: Sammy - Because you could get down easy.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because it is all the same thing.

Student answer: Sammy - Because you need difference thing.

Student answer: Sammy - Because you know that metal and wood and plastic is better than Nathaniel.

Student answer: Sammy - Because Nathaniel is not the same sizes and Sammy's will.

Student answer: Sammy - I think that it would be easier to to tell apart plastic metal, and wood because metal makes a metallic sound plastic makes a clicky sound and wood blocks make a bangy sound.

Student answer: Sammy's - The all wood would just sound the same.

Student answer: Sammy - Why I think Sammy's idea is better because you can tell if you drop metal in the.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy's method because if we use wood blocks of different sizes then some of the block could sound the same and wood, metal, plastic sound different.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because Nathaniel wants to put blocks of different sizes and it will make a different sound by the length.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy's idea would be much more easier because if you did it with shapes and sizes it would be hard to hear.

Student answer: Sammy's - Nathaniel's idea would not work because it is the same material, wood that would make the same sound. Sammy's idea would work because there is different materials.

Student answer: Sammy - Because metal, wood and plastic make different sounds.

Student answer: Sammy's - Because Sammy's idea uses different materials with different sounds. But Nathaniel uses the same materials with the same sounds.

Student answer: Sammy - Because plastic, metal, and wood is different.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy's idea is easier because if they are using different materials and Nathaniel's idea is only using wood, then you can not really tell them apart even if they are different sizes.

Student answer: Sammy's - Because the materials he mentioned were all different. So if they are all different you can tell the difference between them.

Student answer: Sammy - Because if it were all the same material it would all sound the same but Sammy used different materials to make things sound different.

Student answer: Sammy - Because they all do not sound the same.

Student answer: Sammy - Because a material has a sound. Like cardboard makes a thump and metal makes a ring. So since Sammy has different material, we could discriminate thing easier.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy because wooden blocks will make the same sound and Sammy's code will work because plastic, metal and wood will not make the same sound.

Student answer: Sammy's - Because Sammy's method uses different kinds of blocks and it is easy to discriminate things made of different things than discriminate things all made of one thing.

Student answer: Sammy - One is made out of wood and the different material.

Student answer: Sammy - Because metal makes a very loud sound.

Student answer: Sammy - I thought Sammy's idea was easier because different sizes and shapes is harder.

Student answer: Sammy - Because they are made out of different stuff.

Student answer: Sammy - Because they are different things so you can tell what they are because they are different and just wood kind of makes the same sound.

Student answer: Sammy - I think, Sammy because it has different materials and different sounds.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy got metal stuff.

Student answer: Sammy - I chose Sammy because you can tell the difference of plastic metal blocks of wood.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy is easier to tell the difference because it made it out of different thing.

Student answer: Sammy - Because if you put just wood stuff you will not be able to tell what it is.

Student answer: Sammy - It is Sammy.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because bigger stuff wood blocks.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because the thing will be big or small.

Student answer: Sammy - Because they are all different kinds of material.

Student answer: Sammy - Because they all are different sound with Sammy but Nathaniel make all the same sounds.

Student answer: Because Sammy used lots of different objects, plastic, metal, wood, Nathaniel thinks you should use the same object, just different shapes.

Student answer: Sammy - Because it is all kinds of stuff and Nathaniel is all wood it is hard to tell.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy's is easier because Sammy's idea has metal, plastic, and wood so it would be easier to discriminate the properties of the objects.

Student answer: Sammy - Because plastic, metal, and wood are different materials. And Nathaniel's code would be harder.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because they are all different shapes and sizes so they are easier to discriminate.

Student answer: Sammy's - Because the blocks are made of different things instead of just wood and wood sounds the same.

Student answer: Sammy - Because Sammy has all different things. And it is easy to discriminate.

Student answer: Sammy - Because they to are not the same sounds.

Student answer: Both - Because wooden blocks are just like Sammy's blocks.

Student answer: Sammy - Because they all sound different and blocks sound the same.

Student answer: Sammy - Because Sammy idea is right different sounds is different thing and makes the other person do not know it.

Student answer: Sammy's - I choose Sammy's because the sounds sound different.

Student answer: Sammy - I think Sammy is better because it make a really hard code. Nathaniel does not makes a hard code.

Student answer: Sammy - If you do not know what the thing then you need.

Student answer: Sammy - Because he uses a lot of different items.

Student answer: Sammy - Because you can tell the difference of metal, plastic, and wood. You know it is ding for metal and bom for plastic and hock for wood.

Student answer: Nathaniel - I choose Nathaniel because his idea sounds better than Sammy's because using other kinds of block might be a bad idea.

Student answer: Sammy's - Sammy's method is easier because plastic, metal, and wood sound different and Nathaniel's method is not that easy because she is using wood and sound the same.

Student answer: Sammy - Because if you know the sound that you hear it before.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy will make it easier because you can tell the sound of blocks and the sound of metal.

Student answer: Sammy - Because when you drop something in the drop chamber it will be making sound.

Student answer: Sammy - Sammy's idea is much easier because the method is made of metal, wood, plastic. But Nathaniel is all wood, even though the shapes are different it would be the same sound and will be complicated for Sammy to guess. So I think Sammy's idea is much easier.

Student answer: Sammy's - Because if you use wooden blocks, then it all sound the same and it is difficult to tell which is which.

Student answer: Sammy's - Because you are going to hear the difference easier.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because it would be easier to use different shapes and sizes to detect sounds.

Student answer: Sammy - Because with this method you can get used to sounds.

Student answer: Sammy - Because they are different and different material.

Student answer: Sammy - Because he wanted to use plastic, metal, and wood.

Student answer: Sammy - Because you could know what is the difference of sounds.

Student answer: Nathaniel - Because wood is one material wood, plastic and other materials.