Inquiry (5E) Lesson Plan

Teacher: Kara Tensing

Grade: 1

Subject: Science

Lesson Title: Sound

State Standard(s): grouped by subject and must be observable and measureable
1.Waves: Light and Sound
1-PS4-1.
Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make
sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Planning and carrying out investigations to answer questions or test solutions to problems in K2 builds
on prior experiences and progresses to simple investigations, based on fair tests, which provide data to
support explanations or design solutions.
Plan and conduct investigations collaboratively to produce evidence to answer a question. (1-PS4-1)
Scientific Investigations Use a Variety of Methods
Science investigations begin with a question. (1-PS4-1)(How does sound work?)
PS4.A: Wave Properties
Sound can make matter vibrate, and vibrating matter can make sound. (1-PS4-1)
Cause and Effect
Simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or refute student ideas about causes. (1PS4-1)
Writing
W.1.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of how-to books on a
given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions). (1-PS4-1)
Reading
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with
peers and adults in small and larger groups. (1-PS4-1)
Mathematics
MP.5 Use appropriate tools strategically.
Learning Objective(s): kid friendly I can statement
I can explain that vibrating materials make sound and sound can make materials vibrate
I can answer the question how does sound work? with evidence from my investigation
I can explain wave properties
I can explain the cause and effect of vibration and sound
I can participate in a shared research and writing project
I can participate in a collaborative conversation with my classmates about a reading
I can use appropriate math tools correctly
Academic Vocabulary: with definitions
Sound: kind of energy that can be heard
Vibrate: moving back and forth
Vocal cords: vibrates to make the sound of your voice
Amplitude: amount of energy in a sound wave
Eardrum: located in outer ear; passes sound vibrations into the middle ear
Materials/Technology:
Bowl
Plastic wrap
Pepper
Metal pot
Wooden spoon
Aluminum foil
Pitch fork
Video projector

Resources: cite lesson references

Nextgenscience.org
Safety Concerns:
Pepper allergy
Whats the BIG IDEA? How is sound created?

Engage
Description: Introductory lessons should stimulate curiosity and activate prior student knowledge. The
activity should be a problem or an event that raises questions and motivates students to discover more
about the concept.
Link to cognition: Students bring knowledge about how the world works but it is sometimes based on limited experiences and
sometimes on misconceptions.
What teacher does:

Create interest
Generate curiosity
Raise questions
Elicit responses that uncover what students know or think about the concept/subject
Purpose:
To activate prior knowledge
To capture students interest
To pose questions based on the objectives that the students will try and answer during the explore phase. 1pt
Activities: to accomplish the purpose above (reading, demonstration, video, crazy statistics, interesting
pictures)
demonstrate how a pitch fork works in the front of the class(ask the students if they can see the vibrations)
show this short video about vibration and pitch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOnwW6TTTT4
Guiding Questions:
How are sounds made?
How does the sound get from the source to your ears?
*record their ideas on the board
Introduce the vocabulary words: Sound & Vibrate
What other things vibrate? (Washing machine, car engines etc.)
Assessment: teacher observation, small group discussion, class discussion,
drawing/chart/table/diagram, notebook/journal, lab write-up, oral presentation, poster, quiz/test
Have students write in their science journal other things that vibrate and draw a picture
Assess using class discussion and the answers written on the board

Explore
Description: Students need the opportunity to actively explore the concept in a hands-on activity. This
establishes a commonly shared classroom experience and allows students to share ideas about the
concept.
Link to cognition: Experiences occur before the explanations! Students are actively exploring with little explanation from the
teachers. Students acquire a common set of concrete experiences allowing them to help each other understand the concept through
social interaction.
What teacher does:

Encourage students to work together without direct instruction

Observe and listen to students as they interact

Ask probing questions to redirect students' investigations when necessary

Provide time for students to puzzle through problems

Act as a consultant for students

Purpose:
to decipher what hands-on/minds-on activities the students will be doing
to decide how students will use the materials for discovery
to ask the big idea conceptual questions to encourage and/or focus students exploration
to gage responses to questions asked about the exploration 1pt
Activities: to accomplish the purpose above (build models, collect data, make and test predictions)
Post the big idea: How is sound created?
Waves of sound experiment(small groups)
*instructions provided at bottom of page
Have child make predictions of what will happen to the pepper before conducting the experiment
Guiding Questions:
What happened to the pepper?
What will happen if you make softer and lower sounds using the pan and spoon?
Is your prediction correct?
Assessment: teacher observation, small group discussion, class discussion,
drawing/chart/table/diagram, notebook/journal, lab write-up, oral presentation, poster, quiz/test
Have students observe the results in their science notebook

Explain
Description: Teachers use questioning strategies to lead students discussion of information discovered during the Explore stage
(may or may not be a hands-on activity). Teachers introduce new scientific terms (vocabulary) and explanations at appropriate
times during the discussion.
Link to cognition: When students engage in meaningful discussions with other students and the teacher, they can pool their
explanations based on observations, construct new understandings, and have a clear focus for additional learning.
What teacher does:

Encourage students to explain concepts and definitions in their own words

Ask for justification (evidence) and clarification from students

Formally provide definitions, explanations, and new labels

Use students' previous experiences as the basis for explaining concepts

Purpose:
To allow students to share what they have discovered
to create questions or techniques that will help students connect their discovery to the concept
to ask higher order level questions to solicit student explanations and help them to justify their explanations

to gage responses to questions asked about the explanation 1pt

Activities: to accomplish the purpose above (class discussion, taking minimal notes, creating diagrams)
clean up the activity
small group discussion
class discussion
introduce vocabulary

o Sound: kind of energy that can be heard

o Vibrate: moving back and forth
o Vocal cords: vibrates to make the sound of your voice
o Amplitude: amount of energy in a sound wave
o Eardrum: located in outer ear; passes sound vibrations into the middle ear
Guiding Questions:
Small Group
How did the vibration travel from the pan to the bowl?
What kind of mediums was sound traveling?(solid, liquid. Gas)
Class (After vocabulary)
How did you create sound in the experiment?
What vibrated in the experiment?
Was the amplitude high or low in the sound waves created by hitting the pan?
When you changed the amplitude what happened to the pepper?
Assessment: teacher observation, small group discussion, class discussion,
drawing/chart/table/diagram, notebook/journal, lab write-up, oral presentation, poster, quiz/test
Have each student write each vocabulary word in their science journal and draw a picture to help them remember the
definition

Elaborate
Description: Students are encouraged to apply, extend, and enhance the new concept and related
terms during interaction with the teacher and other students (in science, a hands-on activity).
Link to cognition: Providing additional active learning opportunities for students to incorporate into their mental construct of the
concept allows them to confirm and expand their understanding.
What teacher does:

Expect students to use formal labels, definitions and explanations provided previously

Encourage students to apply or extend concepts and skills in new situations

Remind students of alternate explanations

Refer students to existing data and evidence and ask "What do you already know?" "Why do you think.....?"

Purpose:
to achieve a deeper understanding of the concept
to apply the new knowledge in their daily lives or a new situation
to identify and correct any remaining misconceptions

to gage responses to questions asked about the elaboration 1pt

Activities: to accomplish the purpose above (build models, collect data, make and test predictions-could
be on a smaller scale, or even using technology)
Make a foil helmet with aluminum foil; the foil helmet should extend to the chin. Have each student wear the helmet and
making a hum noise and observe what happens
Class discussion
Guiding Questions:
What happens to the foil helmet when you make a hum noise?
Why is that happening?
Assessment: teacher observation, small group discussion, class discussion,
drawing/chart/table/diagram, notebook/journal, lab write-up, oral presentation, poster, quiz/test
Assess if the students can correctly explain why the foil helmet is vibrating in a class discussion

Evaluate
Description: Students demonstrate their understanding of the concept.
Link to cognition: In student-centered instruction, it is important for students to be aware of their own progress as an outcome of
instruction. Students construct knowledge over time and may need additional experiences to refine their understanding of the
concept.
What teacher does:

Observe students as they apply new concepts and skills

Assess students' knowledge and/or skills

Allow students to assess their own learning and group process skills

Ask open-ended questions, such as "Why do you think...? "What evidence do you have?" "What do you know about x?"
"How would you explain x?"

Assure assessment correlates to the learning objectives

Purpose:

To allow students to demonstrate that they have achieved the lesson objective
To allow students to summarize the big idea. 1pt
Assessment: teacher observation, small group discussion, class discussion,
drawing/chart/table/diagram, notebook/journal, lab write-up, oral presentation, poster, quiz/test
Ask students How is sound created? in a class discussion and check for understanding
Ask the students why the pepper danced on the plastic wrap(the students should write this in their science journal)
*the students should understand that vibration makes sound and sound travels through waves

Waves of Sound

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Cover a bowl with plastic wrap

Pull the plastic tight until it is flat and smooth
Place a rubber band around the bowl to secure the plastic wrap
Sprinkle pepper onto the plastic
Hold a pot and spoon near the bowl and hit the pot with the spoon
Observe the pepper dance