Lesson Plan: Phenomenon of Sound Waves

Miss Dahlin
5 Grade Science
th

Objectives
Students will:
1. Understand that sound is a form of energy that travels in waves
referred to as compressional waves
2. Understand that sound waves can travel through different mediums,
including solids, liquids, and gases
3. Understand and observe that sound waves travel in a given direction
until an outside force or object gets in the way of its motion and
reflects it
4. Observe a variety of sound waves in lab stations and record their
observations in a wave booklet

Materials
The materials needed for this lesson are:
A few paper clips
Basin of water
Metal fork and spoon
A homemade drum or an actual drum
A rubber band strung between two pegs or nails
Slinky
Stapler or hole punch
Musical instruments or a recording of music; CD, USB drive,
YouTube, etc.
A set of glasses and spoons for each group of students
5 copies of the Sound Waves Seen activity sheet for each student

Procedure Methods
1. Note: This lesson involves students working with a variety of lab
stations. Be sure to prepare these stations before beginning the
lesson. See number 7 below for a description of the lab activities.
Prior to this activity, students should understand that sound is a
form of energy that travels in invisible waves. They should
understand what a vibration and a medium are. They should
understand that when a vibration travels through the air and into
the ear canal it vibrates the eardrum, and they should understand
that the vibration of vocal chords creates our voice.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Tell students that through some in-class experiments they are going
to learn about sound as a form of energy and how that energy
travels. Begin the lesson by introducing a short piece of recorded
music to the class, either from a CD, USB drive, or from YouTube.
After a few minutes, ask students to explain what they know about
the sounds they have heard. How does sound get from its source (a
stereo, voice, etc.) to our ears? Students may say that sound moves
or jumps. Ask students to brainstorm different sounds and what
happens to create those sounds. For examples, a throat vibrating
creates a voice.
Work with students to create a KWL chart, a three-column list of
what the students think they Know about a topic, what they Wonder
about the topic, and a final column to be completed at the end of the
lesson on what they have Learned about the topic. Accept all
student ideas at this time and resist the temptation to explain or
correct their ideas.
After filling in what students know about sound under the Know
column, ask them to come up with questions about sound. Record
those questions in the Wonder column of your chart. Explain to
students that in the next two class periods they will be looking for
the answers to some of these questions. You may want to add some
questions in this column that relate to the lab activities. For
example: Can sound travel in water? Can sound travel through
solids? Can we always see things vibrate when we hear something?
What do sound waves look like?
Explain to students that they will be looking at how sound waves
travel through different objects and mediums at six lab stations. As
they explore the sound waves created at the different stations,
students will create a booklet of what they discover.
Pass out five "Sound Waves Seen" activity sheets to each student,
one for each lab station. At the top of each observation sheet, there
is a space for students to draw a diagram of the lab station activity.
Explain that after the lab, these pages will be compiled into student

booklets on waves. Students should illustrate the materials used in

each lab activity and label them. Under the diagram, students
should describe what is observed as they perform the lab by
answering the following questions for each lab activity:
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What is the source of the vibration?
What type of medium is the wave traveling through?
In what direction does the wave appear to travel?
What happens to the medium as the wave travels? (i.e., paper
clips bounce, fingers vibrate when touching skin near vocal
chords, etc.)
7. Next, walk through one lab activity with the class and model how to
fill out the observation sheets. Tell students that all waves in these
labs have a vibrating source that creates the wave. Also, emphasize
that a vibrating source is needed for all sound waves. Keep activity
cards at each lab station that clearly define student procedures for
each lab:
Lab Station #1: Drum with paper clips on the top.(This can be made
with wrapping paper over a coffee can if you don't have a real drum
available.) Students should tap on the drum and observe what
happens to the paper clips.
Students should tap on the drum. What do you see? What do
you hear?
Lab Station #2: Touch side of your throat and say ahh.
What do you feel as you say ahh? What do you hear?
Lab Station #3: Tuning fork in water.
Gently strike the tuning fork on the pad and then place it in
the water. Describe what you observe. What do you see? What
do you hear?
Lab Station #4: Rubber band strung between two pegs or nails.
Pluck the rubber band. What do you see? What do you hear?
Lab Station #5: Strike a fork with another utensil and bring it close
to the ear.
What do you hear? What do you see?
8. Now divide the class into small groups and have them rotate
through each of the lab stations, completing an observation sheet at
each station. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for each lab activity. Make sure
students clean up the materials at each station so that each group
will be able to set up the materials appropriately.
9. Gather students around the KWL chart to discuss student
observations. Rely on some of the questions brainstormed under the
Wonder column as a starting point. These are some additional points
and questions the class should discuss:

What were the variety of mediums through which the waves

traveled (solids, liquids, and gases)? Explain to students that
mediums are required to carry sound waves.
Can sound exist in space outside of the space shuttle? Explain
that sound needs a medium, but space is a vacuum with no
solids, liquids, or gases for sound waves to travel through or
vibrate in.
Which waves could you hear in the lab and which could you
not?
Where did the waves travel? Explain that all the waves
continued to move outward and would have continued in this
manner unless they hit an object of a different density,
especially a solid. The water in the pan hit the edges of the
pan and bounced back. Elicit students' ideas about real-world
examples of thisfor example, echoes.
What do you think a sound wave would look like if we could
see it? Have student volunteers come up to the board to
illustrate. Then demonstrate that a sound wave looks like a
slinky being pushed back and forth. Explain to students that
sound waves are also called compressional waves because
they have compressional sections and sections that are more
spread out.
10.
End the lesson by returning to the KWL chart. As a class, have
students explain what they have learned about waves in the third
column. Look at the first column. Did they make changes in what
they initially knew about waves? Look at the second column. Which
of their questions were answered? Which ones remain for another
time?
11.
Finally, have students bind their activity sheets together using
a stapler or hole punch to form an activity booklet on sound waves.

Discussion Questions

1. Hypothesize what happens to sound waves when they reach a wall

or other solid, flat object.
2. If sound can't travel in space, hypothesize what other modes of
communication astronauts can use when they are outside the space
shuttle.
3. Explain why, based on the behavior of sound waves, a classroom
with a tile floor is louder than a library that is carpeted.
4. How does sound travel when you have a conversation with your
friends?
5. Think about what it is like to hear things under water. Debate
whether sound travels better in liquids (like water), gases (air), or
solids (like putting your head down on a desk and having someone
slam a book down on the surface)?
6. Discuss why you see lightning before you hear thunder during
storms.

Evaluation
Observe students' booklets on sound waves and assess their work using
this three-point rubric:
For a score of 3: Students must answer all questions on their
observation sheets accurately and thoroughly; diagrams must
accurately demonstrate how sound traveled in each activity and be
labeled according to directions.
For a score of 2: Students must attempt to answer all questions with
minor misunderstandings; diagrams are complete with minor errors.
For a score of 1: Students did not attempt to answer all questions,
and some answers show major misunderstandings or are not
complete; students did not follow directions to label diagrams; and
students have made no attempt to show how sound travels or one
which demonstrates little understanding of how sound travels.

Extensions
Perfect Pitch
Have students explore pitches by creating their own homemade
instruments. Students can simply fill a set of glasses with different
amounts of water. Eight glasses with different levels is sufficient for
creating an octave of eight notes. After they have done this, strike each

glass. Do they all make a note of the same pitch? If not, can they arrange
the amount of water in the glasses in such a way as to play a simple tune?
They should record the arrangement of the glasses and amounts of water
in each glass on paper and add this to their sound notebook. Have
students share their tunes and then discuss what they learned from this
activity. Explain that the differences in pitch were a result of different
heights of columns of air above the water.
Graphs & Columns
Can take the experiments a step further so that when students have
collected all of their data, they can create graphs either in paper or Excel
format to compare and contrast the different objects and their sound
wave lengths to see which has the highest average for creating sound
waves and which has the lowest or none at all. This will help put in
perspective the experiments they have been analyzing and provide them
with additional experience in using Excel and graphing formats.

Suggested Readings
Sound: More Than What You Hear
Christopher F. Lampton. Enslow, 1992.
This book explores what sound is, how we perceive it, how it's recorded,
and how it's used to transmit information. The natural sonar of bats and
dolphins and the man-made sonar used underwater by the Navy are
discussed in one section.
How Bats "See" in the Dark
Malcolm Penny. Benchmark Books, 1997.
Here, readers will find a brief but thorough explanation of how bats use
ultrasonic echolocation to fly safely and locate food in the dark. Many
photographs and drawings illustrate the way that bats, as well as other
animals and humans using technology, use sound to "see" their world.

Vocabulary List

acoustic
Definition: The total effect of sound, and the ability of an enclosed space,
such as an auditorium, to reflect sound waves to produce distinct hearing.
Context: The acoustics in the building were superb, making it an ideal
place for a concert.
compressional wave
Definition: A wave that carries sound energy.
Context: Compressional waves need a medium to travel.
echo
Definition: The repeating of a sound caused by reflection of sound waves
off a surface.
Context: When they shouted into the canyon, their voices echoed back up
to them from the rocks.
energy
Definition: The ability to perform work.
Context: The sun can be a powerful source of energy.
medium
Definition: A material (solid, liquid, or gas) through which a wave travels.
Context: Liquid mediums, like water, are good conductors of sound.
sound
Definition: Energy traveling away from a vibrating object.
Context: He was aware of a low sound, a hum, coming from the electric
generator.
vibrate
Definition: To move rapidly back and forth.
Context: The string vibrated after being plucked.
wave
Definition: A transfer of energy as it travels away from the energy source.
Context: She threw a rock into the water, causing a ripple of waves to
spread outward in all directions.

Links & Online Tools

FamilyPlay Indoor Activities: Sound Machine

This is a great site filled with learning activities for kids. This particular
activity shows kids how different pitches can influence light patterns in a
homemade experiment.
Center for Sound Communication
This is the Web site for CSC, an organization that specializes in sound
communication and hearing in animals. Find out how your favorite animal
communicates!
Signal Generator: Audio Test Tone
This is an app for an iPhone or iPad that can be used to demonstrate to
the class about how the pitch of sound changes as the frequency changes.
The app itself creates different frequency notes; even generates a
frequency that is inaudible to the human ear!

Standards
This lesson plan can be used to address the following academic standards
which are drawn from Idaho State Content Standards from the online site
of Idaho State Department of Education (ISDE).
Grade Level: 5th
Subject Area: Science
Standard 1: Nature of Science
Goal 1.2: Understand Concepts and Processes of Evidence, Models, and
Explanations
Benchmark:
5.S.1.2.1 Use observations and data as evidence on which to base
scientific explanations and predictions.
5.S.1.2.2 Explain the difference between observation and inference.
5.S.1.2.3 Use models to explain or demonstrate a concept.
Goal 1.3: Understand Constancy, Change, and Measurement
Benchmark:
5.S.1.3.1 Analyze changes that occur in and among systems.
Goal 1.5: Understand Concepts of Form and Function
Benchmark:
5.S.1.5.1 Explain how the shape or form of an object or system is
frequently related to its use or function.

Goal 1.6: Understand Scientific Inquiry and Develop Critical Thinking Skills
Benchmark:
5.S.1.6.1 Write and analyze questions that can be answered by
conducting scientific experiments.
5.S.1.6.2 Conduct scientific investigations using a control and a
variable(in classroom assessment, not on the ISAT).
5.S.1.6.3 Select and use appropriate tools and techniques to gather
and display data.
5.S.1.6.4 Use evidence to analyze descriptions, explanations,
predictions, and models.
5.S.1.6.5 State a hypothesis based on observations.
5.S.1.6.6 Compare alternative explanations and predictions.
Goal 1.8: Understand Technical Communication
Benchmark:
5.S.1.8.1 Read and follow technical instructions (in classroom
assessment, not on the ISAT).

Credit
Joyce Nelson Bailey, master Science Teacher, nature lover, and freelance
science writer.
Tracy Coulson, middle school Special Education Teacher, Fairfax County
Schools, Virginia.
<http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/thephenomenon-of-sound-waves.cfm#ada>