A case study from Finland’s education system—often hailed as a pioneer in experiential science learning—revealed a 35% improvement in scientific literacy among students engaged in hands-on experiments. But let’s be honest, we didn’t really need a study to tell us that learning is best when it’s hands-on. The Young Creators Programme at The Doon School put this idea into action with a workshop that let students not just learn about sound and electromagnetism but actually build something out of it—a functional paper speaker.
Led by Clifford Prince, a research scholar at the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), the workshop took students through the fascinating science of sound waves, electromagnetism, and amplification. But instead of just talking about how a speaker works, they got to build one using everyday materials—paper, copper wire, and a magnet. What started as a simple question—How do speakers work?—quickly turned into an immersive learning experience where theory met reality.
The class 8th students of The Doon School first explored the role of a speaker’s diaphragm—the part that moves to create sound. Turns out, paper is an excellent material for this because it’s both lightweight and strong. They then worked on crafting the coil—thin copper wire wrapped around the top of the paper cone—which, when placed near a magnet, would generate movement as an electric signal passed through it. As the coil moved back and forth, it transferred vibrations to the paper cone, which then amplified the sound into the air.
From understanding electromagnetic induction to physically assembling their own working speakers, The Doon School students saw science leap off the pages of their textbooks and take shape in their hands. Some were surprised by how simple the process was, others were fascinated by the physics behind it, and one even had a moment of realization that copper and bronze aren’t the same!
Workshops like these are what Earthlab Science Club is all about—bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical discovery. By turning a physics concept into a real-world creation, the Young Creators Programme didn’t just teach students about sound; it let them experience it, build, and most importantly, hear it.
Want to know more?
Reach out to Earthlab Club:
📩 Email: info@earthlab.club
📲 WhatsApp: 9997014663