Unit 2: Sounds.(science)(Brief Article)

Background Information

Wow your students with some "sound facts"!

* Kids can hear higher-pitched sounds than adults can.

* Babies can interpret the sounds of their parents' or primary caretakers' speech long before they can understand the words.

* The three tiniest bones in your body are located in your ear.

* An echo is a sound wave that bounces back from a large hard surface. To hear an echo, you must be at least 56 feet away from the reflecting surface. Less than 56 feet away, the sound waves bounce back fast enough to join with the original sound and help make that sound louder.

 
                    Unit Concepts: Students learn that 
                    sounds are made from vibrations, 
                    that sounds travel in waves, that 
                    sounds travel through some things, 
                    and that pitch is a property of 
                    sound and can be adjusted. 
                    The activities listed below 
                    suggest ways of presenting and 
                    enriching the content and skills 
                    in Unit 2. The activities 
                    correspond to days 6 through 11 on 
                    the page 2 calendar matrix. 
 
                    SOUNDS OF MUSIC! 
 
                    Have students read and discuss 
                    pages 10 and 11. Help students set 
                    up the two experiments. Allow 
                    ample time for students to record 
                    and discuss the results. 
"How To" Speech     Enrichment. Have small groups 
                    research other musical instruments 
                    they can make and what science 
                    principles the instruments 
                    reflect. Have each group make its 
                    presentation to another class. 
 
                    GOOD VIBRATIONS 
 
                    Help students hear, feel, and see 
                    the vibrations that make sounds. 
Experimenting with  Enrichment. Set up two groups and 
Sounds              assign an activity to each. (1) A 
                    flapping ruler: Have students 
                    place a book on the edge of a desk 
                    with a plastic ruler under the 
                    book. Ask them to press down hard 
                    on the book. Bend the ruler up and 
                    let it go! Watch and listen! (2) A 
                    wobbling throat: Have students hum 
                    a tune as loudly as they can. Have 
                    them touch a hand to their throat. 
                    Ask if they feel a wobble in their 
                    throat. 
 
                    HOW DOES SOUND TRAVEL? 
 
                    Have students read and discuss 
                    pages 12 and 13. Set up groups to 
                    conduct the experiments. Allow ...