| Language and literacy intention(s) | We are learning how to define and explain how sound travels. |
| Opportunities for key competencies development |
Thinking Using Language Symbols & Texts Relating to Others Managing Self |
| Principles and values coherence |
High Expectations Inclusion Coherence Learning to Learn Values Curiosity Inquiry Respect Innovation |
Big Idea - Sound energy is transferred to the substance it travels through, producing vibration.
The students will explore through three different activities about the way sound travels and can be felt as vibrations.
Using the Sound word bank initiated previously and recording what they saw, felt, heard for each of the activities on a Y Chart (PDF 71KB) . They will look for similarities and differences for each of the activities and then write a statement defining sound (PDF 131KB) .
The students will then share with groups their findings and definition of sound.
Sound Exploration Activities
(1) Vibrating Balloon
What You Need
What You Do
Play some music on the stereo.
Inflate a balloon and sit near the speaker holding the inflated balloon in your hands near the speaker.
Get someone to turn the speakers up and hold the balloon near the speakers.
Opportunities to explore –
What To Look For
That the children realise that the vibrations generated by the speaker diaphragm are causing the sound waves to travel from the speakers to the balloon in waves and therefore causing the balloon to vibrate.
(2) Musical Straws
What You Need
What You Do
Flatten one end of a straw.
Cut the flattened end by making a cut on each side of the straw. You need to have two long pointed bits like a reed.
Put the pointed end into your mouth and blow. You need to blow hard to get the air in the straw to vibrate.
Once you are able to get a sound out of your straw try cutting a piece off the straw. What happens to the sound?
What To Look For
The children can discuss other musical instruments that use pipes and those that need a reed to make them work.
The children realise that it is the air vibrating in the straw that creates the sound and that shortening the straw makes a different sound (pitch).
Opportunities to explore –
(3) Speakers and Vibrations
What you need
What You Do
Play some music through the speaker to allow the children to see the diaphragm vibrating at different levels of loudness.
What To Look For
That the children realise that the sound is created by vibrations. The faster the vibrations, the louder the sound.
Want to know how a speaker works?
Playlist | Sound Waves Videos
Applications to the real world
The students think of examples of this in ‘the real world’ and justify their reasoning orally:
Where vibrations could be used for technological use.
Other uses for a diaphragm other than a speaker.
Identify examples of items around used that require fast diaphragm vibrations.
Objects around them that can vary their pitch and what is done for the pitch to change.
As a result of viewing the clips students are posed with the question: ‘Any more ideas or possibilities for using sound waves?’
Assessment opportunities by the teacher using the teaching as inquiry framework
Observation of students’ conversations and working in groups
Students’ opportunity to assess their learning
Students can define how sound travels as a wave producing vibration and cite several examples of this in their everyday world.
Published on: 21 Jan 2011
