Physics of Sound

Lesson 3: Vibrations and Waves

Teacher: Jolene Forte

Standards
Performance Expectation:
4-PS4-1 Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause
objects to move.

Science Practice(s): Disciplinary Core Idea(s): Cross-Cutting Concept(s):

Developing and Using Models:
Modeling in 3-5 builds on K-2
experiences and progresses to
building and revising simple models
and using models to represent events
and design solutions.
PS4.A: Wave Properties
Waves of the same type can differ in
amplitude (height of the wave) and
wavelength (spacing between wave
peaks)
(4-PS4-1)
Patterns
Similarities and differences in patterns
can be used to sort, classify, and
analyze simple rates of change for
natural phenomena. (4-PS4-1)

Learning Goals

This lesson is just one step towards meeting the Performance Expectation above; specific learning targets for this
lesson include:
● Students will recognize that sounds cause vibrations and waves.
● Students will recognize that different sounds cause different vibrations and wave patterns.
I CAN statement of learning target:
● I can tell when sound is being made by looking at vibrations and identifying the different parts of sound wave.
Learning Question:
● Do all sounds make the same vibrations?
Phenomena/synopsis:
● Students will learn that sound makes different vibrations. These vibrations and be seen as wave patterns. The
wave patterns can be used to describe a sound.

Materials, Resources, & Advance Preparation

● Computers/ IPhone/ IPad

● Oscilloscope simulation
○ Google Science Notebook
● Videos of music with their sound waves present
● Worksheet (with diagrams)
● Sound Journals
● White boards
 Engage Phase

Play a song on YouTube with the sound waves constantly changing and moving.
Set the stage/introduce learning target:
● Ask students: “Now we know you can see sound, but can you change the way sound looks?”
● “I know almost all of you listen to music, specifically using YouTube. Well some videos on YouTube show these
weird waves that are constantly moving and changing with the music. Those waves are call sound waves!”
● “Let’s explore together”- go to YouTube and show a video with music and the sound waves moving on the
screen.
Using YouTube, the teacher will play a song that shows sound waves changing with the music
● Ask students:
○ “What do you notice about the way the sound waves are moving?”
○ “Why do you think the sound waves are moving the way they are?”
Facilitate questions:
● Ask students:
○ “Are the distances between the peaks of the waves getting longer or shorter? When does that happen?”
○ “Is the height of the wave peaks getting bigger or smaller? When does that happen?”
Facilitate student exploration:
● “Today I want to show you a tool scientist use to look at sound!”

Exploration Phase

Introduce oscilloscope and have students make different sounds and observe the wave lengths.
Introduce the simulation:
● Explain Oscilloscope
○ An Oscilloscope is a special graph that shows the sound volume overtime. It is a way to observe (see)
the sound you are making.
Teacher will:
● Assign groups of two
● Give each group a computer/IPad
○ Communicate with classroom teachers about ‘Chromebook chart’?
● Encourage students to make sounds that are different pitches, and differ in volumes.
● Have students make multiple sound waves and let them compare and contrast.
Students will:
● Go to the oscilloscope app
● Explore the oscilloscope and investigate by producing different sounds into the device
● Make sounds that are different pitches and that differ in volumes into the oscilloscope
● Make multiple sound waves and compare (similar) and contrast (different)
● Draw out their initial sound waves and ideas into their sound journals
● Write their initial thoughts and ideas about why the sound waves look the way they do in their sound journals
Circulate through classroom, ask guiding questions such as:
● What happens when you have a high/ low voice?
● What do the wavelengths look like?
● What happens when you make a louder/quieter sound?
● How does the wavelengths change?
● What can you do to make the sound wave look like is? (draw and example)
● What would you do to make the waves closer together? Can you show me?
○ Have students use white boards to draw example sound waves (will be used in the extension phase)
 Explanation Phase

The break down of the sound waves: Why the waves look the way they do. Teach the new vocabulary words.
Facilitate group discussion:
● What did you notice on the oscilloscope when you made loud/quiet/high/low sounds?
● Students are encouraged to draw what they saw in their sound journals
Teachers will introduce the following terms and ask what students know about them, label diagrams on the board:
● Amplitude: volume of sound (loud voice and quiet voice)
● Frequency: distance between wavelengths (high
pitch and low pitch)

After introducing the following terms:

● Students will label their sound waves with these new
terms in their sound journals
● Extension: Students can also complete sentences using these new terms to describe the sound wave they created
in their sound journals

Extension Phase

Students try to manipulate the sound wave by changing their pitch/amplitude. Draw their wavelength and exampling
how they shaped the wave the way they did.
Students will complete a card sort:
● Each group of two students will be given a stack of cards
● Students will be told to divide those cards into two groups based on amplitude
○ Low amplitude and High amplitude
● Students will then divide those same cards into three groups based on frequency
○ Low, medium, and high frequency
● Students will then divide those same cards into two groups
○ Low amplitude and high frequency
○ High amplitude and low frequency
● Teacher will give students a sound and have students hold up the card they think the teacher is making
○ Does everybody agree with the card ___ is showing? Why or why not?
○ What made you choose that card?
Using the materials provided and the information they have learned on how sound waves work, allow students to use
different instruments and sounds to make different sound waves on the oscilloscope:
Teacher will:
● Give students directions to explore new sounds by creating different sound waves
● Instruct students to draw the sound wave they have created using the oscilloscope device and to label the sound
waves parts in their sound journals
● Instruct students to write explanation as to why they think the sound waves look the way they do in their sound
journals
● Encourage students to try multiple sounds and compare the sounds/soundwaves to their peers
● Walk around classroom listening in on conversations and asking students questions
Students will:
● Draw a sound wave on worksheet and write what you used to make that sound
● Encourage students to try to make different sound waves, as well as label the frequency (wavelength) and
amplitude (height) of the sound waves
 ● Try to make your sound waves look the same with different instruments
● Try to make your sound waves look the same as another group without knowing what they used to make the
sound
● Figure out what might have created another group’s sound
● Draw out and label their new sound waves using their new knowledge from the explanation phase in their
sound journals
● Using new knowledge from the explanation phase, write why the sound waves look the way they do in their
sound journals

Evaluation Phase

Identification game of sounds with wavelengths (worksheet)

Students will use one of their previously created sound waves from the extension phase to play the decoding
sound waves game!
Decoding Sound Waves (students will):
1. Labeling/describing wavelengths
○ One student will come to the board and draw their sound wave they created from the previous activity
○ The class will then draw and label the given sound wave using the correct terminology (amplitude and
frequency)
○ Describe what type of sound the diagram is showing (high/low, loud/quiet)
2. Described a sound to create diagram
○ Teachers describe a sound as high/low pitch and loud or quiet
○ Students make the sound waves based on teacher’s description
3. Listen to a sound and create sound waves
○ Student will make a sound for the class using the oscilloscope without showing the results
○ Students will listen and create the appropriate sound waves
○ Then show students the results and compare and contrasts what they came up with
Teacher will:
● While students are participating in the decoding sound wave game, the teacher will be evaluating students’
understanding by walking around and listening in on students conversation and explorations
Extension:
● Students can also come up with different scenarios of sound and then create the sound wave based on the story
(E.g. I heard a bird…)