I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Energy

Essential Question:

How does the study of the characteristics of sound waves aid in understanding that sound is an ener

Bridge:

Motion

Content:

Sound Waves

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To introduce students to the concept of sound by relating it to personal experience.

Activity: Guided imagery of the most beautiful sound you have ever heard. Content for Guided Imagery: "Close your eyes and try to remember the most beautiful sound you have ever heard in the natural world. Note the setting (pause) any colors or smells you may have associated with the sound (pause). How did you feel? (pause) Imagine if that sound could talk and tell you its origin and purpose. You have two full minutes from now." Materials: None

Assessment: Student concentration and participation.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: Students share, compare and contrast their experience. Students write a brief description of their sound.

Activity: "Gather together in groups of four and tell each other all you can about your sounds and experiences associated with your sound. What are the similarities and differences between the sounds you selected? After the sharing and discussions, write down a description of your sound on the index card provided. Include in your description its quality, degree of loudness, pitch and source." Materials: 3" x 5" index cards

Assessment: Ability to share and discuss information with others; quality of descriptive writing.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: Students will expense an understanding of wave energy from a concrete example to a more abstract application.

Activity: Guided imagery of what a sound wave looks like. (Use an audio tape of the ocean in the background.) Content for Guided Imagery: "We are going to use guided imagery again to continue our exploration of sound. Please close your eyes and listen. This time we will explore how sounds might look if we could actually see them and how sounds travel. (Pause 15 seconds. Allow students to concentrate on ocean sound.) Pretend that you are at the ocean watching waves travel along the surface of the water. When there is little wind and the water is calm, the waves lap softly to the shore, touch the sand, and recede back into the ocean. With greater force of wind, the waves hit the shore with more vigor. Sound is also believed to travel in waves. It travels through air, water and solid materials in a wave-like motion. Suppose you hear someone call to you from a distance. The voice sounds are traveling to you through the air. Suppose you are swimming under water with a friend. This friend has a small rock in each hand. He hits the rocks together and you can hear this sound, locate your friend and swim toward him. Sound can travel through liquids. Take yourself back in history and you are with a tribe of Plains Indians. You place your ear to the ground and listen for the vibrations of a buffalo herd as it moves swiftly across the plains. A rumbling of the earth lets you know that a herd of buffalo is heading your way. Sounds travel through solid materials. Imagine my voice moving toward you in a series of waves. As I speak, the sounds travel in waves toward you. The sound of my voice is traveling to you through air. (Speak loudly) As I increase the volume of my voice, these waves cover a wider span of space. (Speak softly) As I decrease the volume of my voice, these waves cover a narrower span of space. (Speak in normal volume, high pitch) As I increase the pitch of my voice, these waves vibrate more times per second. (Speak in normal volume, low pitch) As I lower the pitch of my voice, the sound waves vibrate fewer times per second. If I were speaking in a wide open space toward a rock cliff, we might hear an echo (pause--say softer) an echo, an echo of my voice as the sound waves hit the rock cliff and return." (pause for approximately 30 seconds and allow the students to listen to the sound of ocean waves) Materials: Tape recorder, tape of ocean waves.

Assessment: Students keep eyes closed and appear to concentrate on the guided fantasy.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: Students will learn the basic concepts of sound waves.

Activity: Teacher explains the concept of sound waves--amplitude, frequency. Demonstrate a sound wave by using a slinky. (Reference 2, p. 508) Explain compressional waves--compressions and rarefractions, wavelength. Explain that sounds of higher pitch have more vibrations per second; sound of lower pitch have fewer vibrations per second. Louder sounds have greater amplitude, more energy. Softer sounds have less amplitude, less energy. References: 1) Discover Science, (6th Grade Text); Scott Foresman and Company, 1989, pp. 240-243. 2) Physical Science, (High School Text); Prentice Hall, 1991, pp. 495-534. 3) Focus on Physical Science, (High School Text); Merrill Publishing Company, 1989, pp. 415-422. Materials: Slinky

Assessment: Student attentiveness, asking and answering of questions.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of sound waves by completing a worksheet to determine amplitudes and pitches. They will also draw their "most beautiful sound" (Quadrant One) according to amplitude and pitch.

Activity: Place a copy of "Name that Sound" on the overhead. Give each student or pair of students a copy of the worksheet, "Name that Sound." Have the student complete the sheet independently or with a partner. Once students have completed the task, go over their answers. Have students then draw a sound wave of "their most beautiful sound." Have them discuss their drawing with a partner to determine accuracy of their illustrations. The instructor should move among the students to determine their understanding of how waves can be visualized. Materials: Worksheet "Name that Sound"--one per student or one per group of two students. Transparency of "Name that Sound"-1.

Assessment: Accuracy of answers on worksheet, accuracy of drawing of their "most beautiful sound." References: Sound, Workshop Leader's Guide, Operation Physics, American Institute of Physics.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: Students gain a richer understanding of sound by participating in demonstrations and doing hands-on activities related to pitch and loudness of sound.

Activity: Activities and Demonstrations:

Demonstration: 1) Student can "see" sound waves through a demonstration by observing reflected light off a vibrating membrane.

Materials: Tin can (13 oz. coffee can) with both ends removed, large rubber balloon (neck removed), rubber band, small mirror, rubber cement, flashlight.

Construction: Cover one end of open can with balloon and secure the balloon with a rubber band. Glue small mirror in the center of stretched balloon. One student holds the can. Another student holds the flashlight so that light is reflected off the mirror onto a screen. The student holding the can then yells loudly into the can. The vibration of the rubber balloon should be "visible" by observing the movement of the reflected light.

Note: By having several cans and flashlights, students can experiment with sound vibrations and reflected light; thus, this becomes a hands-on activity as well as a demonstration.

Activity 1: Students can observe compressions and rarefractions of sound waves in water.

Materials: Clear one gallon plastic tanks, tuning forks.

Instructions: Hit tuning fork on thickest part of hand palm, and dip tuning fork perpendicular to the surface of the water. The water will initially spray the tank and perhaps the student, but by looking quickly and carefully at the water around the tuning fork, bars of compressions and rarefractions can be observed. The students may have to repeat this activity several times to see what they are supposed to see.

Activity 2: Hit a tuning fork on the thickest part of the palm of the hand. Listen to the tuning fork. Hit the tuning fork again and place the end of the fork to the table. Compare the volume of sound of the tuning fork in the air to the volume of the tuning fork against the table (solid material).

Materials: Tuning forks, desks or tables.

Assessment: When asked, students should know that 1) sound creates vibrations, 2) sound waves consist of compressions and rarefractions, and 3) sound travels better (has greater volume) in solid material than air.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: Students will utilize their knowledge of sound by creating "musical" instruments from simple materials. They will then evaluate them according to pitch (pitches) and loudness.

Activity: Students will create their own sound maker from 1) soda straws (1 pitch instruments or multi-pitch instrumenhts, 2) water and drinking glasses (bells, chimes), 3) combs and wax paper (kazoos), 4) rubber bands (string instruments), or 5) rulers (percussion instruments). Have students consider the amplitude and pitch of their instruments. Have students compare and contrast the pitch and amplitude of their instruments with those of other students. Have students graph themselves from instruments of loudest to highest pitch. Have students explain how their instruments work.

Materials: Rubber bands, rulers, combs, wax paper, soda straws (various diameters), drinking glasses with various amounts of water, mallets for striking glasses.

Assessment: Students will understand how to create "instruments" of various pitches and amplitude. Students will gain an understanding of how these instruments work.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: Students will use their instruments in a creative way.

Activity: In groups of eight, students will use their created instruments to practice a known or original song (composition) for the rest of the class.

Materials: Instruments created from Quadrant Four, Left Mode.

Assessment: Students will, hopefully, either verbally or non-verbally, express satisfaction and joy over a creative experience and a well understood concept.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: