NSTW Homepage NSF Homepage Activity 1 Overview Children will make and test a simple radio wave generator using ordinary household materials. Insulated, 18-24 AWG wire will be thin copper wire coated with plastic, and is available from electronics, hardware, or home supply stores. For this first activity, each team will need its own radio, fork, tape, and battery.
Teams can share radios if they're scarce.
Procedure Divide the group into teams of two or three. Set the stage for the activity by asking youngsters how they think radios work. Ask the children to record their ideas. Introduce this activity by challenging each team to actually create its own radio wave. Then team members should wrap the other end of either one of the wires tightly around the handle of the fork, making sure that the bare copper is touching the handle.