| Materials: | One full piece of newspaper for each participant. |
| Directions: | See illustrated directions below. (Note: You can make a big paper popper out of a sheet of notebook paper. To make a BIG popper, use a sheet of newspaper.) |
| Safety Concerns: | None. |
| Questions: | How is this sound made? What seems to "cause" the sound? |
| Concepts: | The popper opens out when it is snapped through the air. As it opens out, it actually catches the air and the paper is pulled open very quickly. Some resources suggest this sound is created in the same way as swift moving aircraft breaks the sound barrier. |
Illustrated Directions: Fold the paper lengthwise down the middle so the narrow end is towards you. Make a good crease and unfold the paper (Figure 1). Now crease the same fold in the opposite direction so it will easily fold both ways on the same crease. Then fold each of the corners towards the middle and crease then into place (Figure 2).
Fold the top point down to the bottom point. Crease it so it stays in place (Figure 3). Now, fold the right-hand corner down so it aligns with the middle crease. Make this fold good and sharp. Do the same for the left-hand corner (Figure 4). Now crease these folds in the opposite direction so these corners will easily fold both ways on the same crease. Your popper should look like Figure 5.
Hold your popper by the bottom points. Tuck the upper right-hand corner inward so that the corner is now inside the popper (Figure 6). Tuck in the upper left-hand corner in the same way and your popper will look like Figure 7. Fold the popper again along the middle crease so it looks like a triangle (Figure 8).
Your big paper popper is ready to pop. Hold the bottom point between your thumb and forefinger. Don’t let go. Snap your hand and wrist downwards sharply. The tucked-in parts of the paper will snap out. The popper should make a loud pop. If the popper is large enough, it will make an extremely loud pop. To use it again, tuck in the corners and snap it downwards.
