Curated OER
Vibrating Objects Produce Sound
Students use many different materials and resources in order to study and identify sounds that are loud or soft, high or low, pleasant or unpleasant.
Curated OER
TE Activity: Pitch and Frequency
Students experiment with a vibrating ruler and a kazoo to study the different pitches and frequencies they produce. They create both high and low pitch sound waves. They examine how engineers use sound energy when designing electronic...
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Your Song
Students create instruments to demonstrate their understanding of how the science of vibrations is used to create sounds.
Curated OER
Vibrations
Students explore how vibrations create sound by strumming a rubber band. They feel the vibration of their own vocal chords. Then they explore the motion of sound waves and echoes. They rely on their own hearing to locate others in their...
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Sound Vibrations
Students examine how vibrations are responsible for the sounds we hear. Students experience vibrations using several of their senses.
Curated OER
How Does Sound Travel As Waves?
Seventh graders participate in a number of activities designed to increase their understanding of how sound is generated and how it travels.
Curated OER
Sound: The Vibration of Materials
Students recognize that sound is produced by the vibration of materials. They see that the sound produced is dependent on the type of material that is used. Given four types of material; air, string, wood, and metal, students perform an...
Curated OER
Make a Sound Viewer
Students see, and thus better understand, the vibrations that sound makes through this simple project.
Curated OER
2nd Grade Physical Sciences
Second graders complete activities to measure motion and learn about the Earth's history. In this motion and Earth history lesson, 2nd graders discuss sound and complete a matching sound activity. Students then study the history of Earth...
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Hearing or Sound?
In this hearing worksheet, students complete a graphic organizer by filling in the steps between matter vibrating and hearing the sound.
Curated OER
How Does Sound Behave?
In this sound worksheet, students will brainstorm the cause and effect of sound and how sound behaves in different situations. Students will complete a graphic organizer.
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How is Sound Made?
In this sound worksheet, students will fill in the blank of 4 facts based on what sound different objects make. Based on those facts, students will write in a conclusion about how sound is made.
Curated OER
Graphing Sound
High schoolers formulate an understanding of sound as a vibration and draw their graph as carefully as possible on their observation sheet. They also record how they made the sound and and a description of the sound. Finally, students...
Curated OER
Frequency vs. Size
Students identify and interpret sound as a vibration and what period and frequency are. They also divide the various types of objects so that all objects are explored and the procedures are determined by the students.
Finally, students...
Curated OER
Drums and Sound
Through discussion, demonstration, and observation of
performances by drum groups, students discover how vibrations
create sounds. Through exploration students can infer that when drums are struck they make noise due to vibrations.
Curated OER
Producing Sounds
Third graders examine items that make sounds. When given craft sticks, 3rd graders practice making different sounds with them. Sticks are rubbed together or placed partially on a desk and plucked. Afterward, students discuss the types of...
Curated OER
Sound
Second graders answer the question "What is a sound system?" They investigate sound systems and explain how sound is produced. Students visit the sound museum and at each station they predict how sound is made. They construct a simple...
Curated OER
Sound
Second graders study how sound is produced by vibrations and is transmitted through matter in all directions. They observe how sounds are produced and identify the ways in which sound travels.
Curated OER
Vibrations
Sixth graders use rubber bands, textbooks, pencils, rulers and yo-yos to experiment with the concept of vibrations. They observe changes in pitch according to the speed of vibrations and record their observations in a journal.
Curated OER
Sounds You See, Hear, and Feel
Students explore and create sound wave vibrations using musical instruments and common objects. They compare/contrast and describe actions that cause sound wave vibrations that can be seen, heard, and felt.
Curated OER
Music
Third graders study sound waves and vibrations. They sing a silly round in three parts.
Pennsylvania State University
Applied Physics: Model Analysis of an Electric Guitar
Great site explores the physics behind an electrical guitar. Outlines process for conducting an experiment on sound vibrations and provides animated GIF movies showing the first five modes of vibration.
Pennsylvania State University
Applied Physics: Vibrational Modes of a Circular Membrane (Drums)
Site tracks the vibrations of a drum and provides an animated movie.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Building Banjos
It is said that you can't play sad music on a banjo. Following the instructions for this science fair project, you can make your own rough banjo and see effect the resonator has on the sound. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up...