Voicebox: The Physics and Evolution of Speech

This booklet and CD-ROM provide a set of practical activities that encourage students to understand human speech at a basic level. It also explores animal sounds and the evolution of human speech, with a clear link to the ‘How Science Works’ part of the curriculum.

The practical activities and interactive software can be used flexibly, as a circus, or a mix of student practical activities and teacher demonstrations. The activities are designed for Key Stage 3, but could be used to support teaching at any level pre-16.

The project is a collaboration between the Institute of Physics and University College London and the resources were produced by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme.

To obtain a copy of the booklet and CD-ROM please email education@iop.org

The digital version of the Voicebox resources can be downloaded (PDF, 5 MB).

The downloadable resources include:

• Student activities: zip files containing the activity sheets in PDF and editable Word formats
• PowerPoint presentations: these contain a complete set of the images used in the booklet and activity sheets
• Further resources include video clips and drag-and-drop interactives that accompany the student activities

Low-cost practical resources to support the activities are available from Mindsets.