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Sound

Readiness

Sound

TEKS Objective

Explore the uses of energy including mechanical, light, thermal, electrical, and sound energy.

Essential Understanding

The student knows that energy occurs in many forms and can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems.

Science Background

What is Sound? NOAA (website) - Students learn the basics of sound, including decibel scale, and work through more in depth content.

What is Sound?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.pmel.noaa.gov

Science of Sound in the Sea: Office of Marine Programs (website) - Information about the movement of sound, particularly in oceans.

Science of Sound in the Sea
Office of Marine Programs, www.dosits.org

The Nature of a Sound Wave: The Physics Classroom (website) - Interactive, illustrated explanation and information about sound, how we sense it, sound waves, frequency and more. Includes links to additional resources for teachers and students and teachers.

The Nature of a Sound Wave
The Physics Classroom, http://www.physicsclassroom.com

Signature Lesson

Sound Wave: Utah Education Network (website) - Students explore and describe how sound is produced and learn uses for this type of energy.

Sound Wave
Utah Education Network, http://www.uen.org

Exploring Sound: K8Science (PDF) - Students rotate through stations for each activity below and record what they learn about sound at each station in their science notebooks.

Supporting Lessons

 

The Phenomenon of Sound - Waves: Discovery Education (website) - Students rotate through six “sound centers” and learn that sound is a form of energy that travels in waves through different forms of matter.

The Phenomenon of Sound - Waves
by Joyce Nelson Bailey and Tracy Coulson, Discovery Education, www.discoveryeducation.com

Physics at Your Desk, Drumming Fingers: American Physical Society (website) - Students investigate the movement of sound waves through a variety of materials.

Physics at Your Desk, Drumming Fingers
by the American Physics Society, www.physicscentral.com

Elaboration Lessons and Extensions

Hilarious Honker: TryScience (website) - Students discover how a plastic or paper cup affects sound vibrations.

Hilarious Honker
TryScience, www.tryscience.org

Exploring with Sound: TryScience (website) - Students use sound to determine the position of the objects making the sound.

Exploring with Sound:
TryScience, www.tryscience.org

Musical Coat Hangers: TryScience (website) - Students discover how sound travels and which materials provide the best sound conductivity.

Musical Coat Hangers
TryScience, www.tryscience.org

CANdemonium: Exploratorium (website) - Students fashion a musical instrument from recycled cans.

CANdemonium
Exploratorium, www.exploratorium.edu

Secret Bells: Exploratorium (website) - Students build a tool that increases the amount of sound reaching their ears.

Secret Bells
Exploratorium, www.exploratorium.edu

Ear Guitar: Exploratorium (website) - Students construct an “ear guitar” with cups and string, and hear the sound produced by string vibrations.

Ear Guitar
Exploratorium, www.exploratorium.edu

Assessment Ideas

Provide students with metal nails of several different lengths and have students arrange the nails in order, based on the sound they produce when struck with a pencil (e.g., from highest pitch to lowest pitch).

Literature Connections

Sound: Reading Essentials in Science. Karpelenia, J. (ISBN-13: 978-0756944520)

Max Found Two Sticks. Pinkney, B. (ISBN-13: 9780689815935)

Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? Martin, Bill (ISBN-13: 978-0312513467)

Simple First Sounds: Noisy Trucks. Priddy, Roger (ISBN-13: 978-0312509248)

Sound. Stille, Darlene (ISBN-13: 978-0756509781)

Adventures in Sound with Max Axiom, Super Scientist. Sohn, Emily (ISBN-13: 978-0736868365)

Related Science TEKS

(5.1A) Science Safety
The student is expected to demonstrate safe practices and the use of safety equipment as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations.

(5.1B) Recycling/Disposal of Science Materials
The student is expected to make informed choices in the conservation, disposal, and recycling of materials.

(5.2B) Ask Questions, Formulate a Hypothesis
The student is expected to ask well-defined questions, formulate testable hypotheses, and select and use appropriate equipment and technology.

(5.2C) Collect Data
The student is expected to collect information by detailed observations and accurate measuring.

(5.2D) Analyze Evidence and Explain
The student is expected to analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct (observable) and indirect (inferred) evidence.

(5.2F) Communicate Conclusions
The student is expected to communicate valid conclusions in both written and verbal forms.

(5.2G) Graphs, Tables, Charts
The student is expected to construct appropriate simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts using technology, including computers, to organize, examine, and evaluate information.

(5.4A) Tools for Collecting and Analyzing Information
The student is expected to collect, record, and analyze information using tools, including calculators, microscopes, cameras, computers, hand lenses, metric rulers, Celsius thermometers, prisms, mirrors, pan balances, triple beam balances, spring scales, graduated cylinders, beakers, hot plates, meter sticks, magnets, collecting nets, and notebooks; timing devices, including clocks and stopwatches; and materials to support observations of habitats or organisms such as terrariums and aquariums.

(5.4B) Safety Equipment
The student is expected to use safety equipment, including safety goggles and gloves.

Related Math TEKS

5.12B   The student is expected to use experimental results to make predictions.

5.14B   The student is expected to solve problems that incorporate understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and evaluating the solution for reasonableness.

5.15A The student is expected to explain and record observations using objects, words, pictures, numbers, and technology.

Additional Resources

What is Energy? K-12 Energy Education Program (website) - Students complete simple activities and experiments to learn about a various forms of potential energy.

What is Energy?
K-12 Energy Education Program, www.uwsp.edu

Your Ears: Kids Health (website) - This interactive article shows the structure of our ears and explains how humans hear sound.

Your Ears
Kids Health, http://kidshealth.org

Glass Xylophone: PBS Kids (website) - Make a “xylophone” from drinking glasses filled with different quantities of water and use it to explore sound energy, pitch and related concepts.

Glass Xylophone
PBS, http://pbskids.org

Sound Is Energy: Oracle ThinkQuest (website) - Interactive website devoted to sound energy, including the difference between noise and music. Includes graphics that illustrate pitch and volume and projects through which students can explore the properties of sound.

Sound is Energy
Oracle Thinkquest, http://library.thinkquest.org

 

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