2: What does sound look like?

This activity from the Science Museum investigates how sound travels, using a kind of gong made from a coat hanger and some string. The gong makes a surprising and intriguing sound – but only when you have your fingers in your ears.

Learning Outcomes:

- Experience that sound is produced by vibrations and travels better through solids than gases
- Use observation and questioning skills
- Understand how sound travels through different materials has useful applications in our everyday lives

Curriculum Links:

KS2 Science: Sound

KS1 &2 Science: Working scientifically

Music, art, poetry - with the idea that music has layers and textures as does art. I used many different genres of music with the idea that many composers fuse styles of music together as do some artists. The poetry was idea from Pie Corbett and it worked very well. Big thanks to Pie for kindly writing us a poem that inspired everyone so much!

Music physics sound simple instrument, connections to higher physics

Briefly examine the structure of the ear and how vibrations are heard as sounds. Compare light and sound waves further. Discuss echoes and how bats or dolphins use echolocation. Talk about deafness and introduce children to British Sign Language.

Suitable for Y5 pupils.

Certain sounds are described as high, such as those produced by a violin, or low, such as those produced by a tuba. A description of a sound as high or low is known as the pitch. The pitch of a sound depends on the number of waves produced in a given time. In this lesson plan, children begin to understand that sound travels in waves, is created by vibrations, and can create different pitches. Children will also investigate and explore how sound travels in waves. Later, they will further explore concepts of sound waves in their visit to the How Does It Work? exhibit.

A fabulous practical for the exploration of how sounds are made. A Powerpoint which can be printed and laminated to form an circus of mini-experiments so pupils can discover how sounds are produced. Detailed word document for recording their findings. Ideal for year 4 sound and can be adapted and extended for older pupils as well.
11 activities in the circus. Answers provided.
Covers the following areas:
• To identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating
• To recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear
• To observe and record what they see and hear at each station.
• To Find patterns between the pitch of the sound and features of the object that produced it
find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it.

This interactive notebook uses cut and stick activities to help your class learn about sound and waves.

-Investigate …the sound waves produced by different musical instruments
-Describe … the loudness and frequency of each musical instrument
-Explain… how a sound is heard by the ear
-Apply…data to a chart of the hearing range of different animals
-Link… ideas about light and sound to thunder and lightning

Activity idea

In this activity, students model how sound travels by sending waves along two stretched plastic slinkies tied together.

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
• understand that sound is a longitudinal wave where particles in the medium vibrate back and forth along the same direction as the wave travels
• see that a wave travels along as a series of compressions and expansions in the medium.

A set of resources to help children understand about sounds and how they are made. It follows the objectives of the 2014 curriculum.

POWERPOINTS:

LISTENING TO EVERYDAY SOUNDS: Twelve everyday sounds to listen to as an introduction to the topic
HOW WE HEAR: Explains how we hear and looks at different parts of the ear and what happens when sound enters it. It asks questions to encourage the children to think about sound and hearing.
WHAT ARE SOUNDS: Explains that sounds are vibrations, discussing how sounds are made and how vibrations travel through air and through solids. Discusses loud sounds, the effects of wind, and how light and sound travel at different speeds, giving examples.
PROPERTIES OF SOUNDS: Explains pitch and volume; how volume changes with distance but pitch does not unless the source of sound is moving. It ends with an activity to describe a selection of sounds.
THE VOLUME OF SOUNDS: Activity to listen to sounds and think about distance and volume.
MAKING SOUNDS: A look at different musical instruments and how they make sounds. Includes drums, piano, and guitar. Suggests different objects the children cound use to create different sounds.
SOUND - MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: Pictures of different instruments for the children to look at and work out how they make sounds.

WORKSHEETS:

SOUND CONCEPT MAP: For the children to record what they already know and what they would like to find out
LISTENING TO SOUNDS SHEET: To use on listening activities
TOPIC COVER X 2: With 'Sound' title; one with a picture, the other without.

DISPLAY:

A4 Sound title
A-Z lettering, with Sound title, one letter per A4 page

INVESTIGATION SHEETS:

A set of different sheets for investigations and recording

PLUS a medium term plan with activities and web links

This 18 page download covers the topic of Sound and Sound Waves.
Gives a colourful and interesting insight into the world around us.
Students will love these worksheets!

Includes:

Sounds in School
Sounds indoors
Sounds outdoors
Pitch and intensity (hard / soft )
Animal Sounds
Sound Waves


Check out the preview!