Paper piano: making circuits with everyday things

Abstract

The Paper Piano is a beginner-friendly hands-on activity where participants build a working piano using paper and conductive paint and tune it to the notes of the pentatonic scale. The piano is powered by an Arduino microcontroller. This is part of a series of activities to teach science and engineering concepts using building, crafts, and art. In this activity, participants learn about electrical resistance, how electricity flows through circuits, conductive materials, and the pentatonic scale. We have successfully demonstrated this activity to learners from elementary school age to college students, and participants frequently express genuine astonishment at their ability to construct a working electronic musical instrument out of everyday craft materials. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6lTidhGcgE