Thomas Story Robb Stroobant

The Sounds of Science Grade 3 POE

Goals (GLEs / SLEs):
General Learner Expectations (3.9)
Students will describe the nature of sound, and demonstrate methods for producing and controlling sound.

Specific Learner Expectations

(1) Identify examples of vibration. (2) Recognize that sound is the result of vibration; and demonstrate that the larger the vibration, the louder the sound. (5) Identify examples that show that sound can travel through a variety of materials, including solids, liquids and air, and that sound travels in all directions.

Scientific Explanation:
When you blow into a bottle, or tap a glass, you are creating vibrations that produce waves that carry sound through the air. Your ear picks up these waves, and your brain translates them into sound. The pitch of a note depends on the length of the wave, and the volume of a note depends on the size of the wave.

Activity:
1. Assess background knowledge of students through questioning. Do a quick word cloud of the key words students are using. 2. Show students three to five different containers of liquid, each holding different volumes of water. Ask the students to Predict how they can use these containers to make sound, and what sounds they can make. 3. Have students test their predictions and record their Observations. 4. Encourage students to Explain what they saw. Why did the sounds change with the different containers? What was the same in each scenario? Try to use the word vibrate. 5. Discuss the scientific explanation, including a description of vibration. Create a second word cloud with students new understandings. Compare the two word clouds what changed? What stayed the same?

Materials:
3 bottles (glass, plastic) 3 cups (glass, plastic) Water Napkins / cloth