Types of Waves Teacher Resources

In this electromagnetic spectrum worksheet, students fill in the blanks with terms about the wavelengths and frequencies of the various types of waves in the spectrum. They also compare the sizes of each wave by correlating them with...

For this lesson, 7th graders relate colors to wavelengths of light; explain how we see colors and describe types of waves and their technological applications. Students go through a tour and answers questions to the quiz as they go...

Mr. Khan uses the metaphor of a car to help explain the change in the direction of waves as they hit a boundary between two mediums. He then goes on to explain the relationship between the earth's structure and density and the waves'...

After learning about P waves and S waves, fifth graders view the intensity of earthquakes by examining seismographs and images of earthquake damage. Young scientists then forecasting future quakes by analyzing data about...

What is the net effect when two waves interfere with each other? The lesson plan answers this question by helping the class visualize waves through graphing. Pupils graph individual waves and determine the effect of the interference...

Use a video on seismic waves to explain the differences between S and P waves, as well as the details that they provide about the composition of the rock.

Light waves and sound waves are the focus of this science lesson designed for 5th graders. Besides discovering how these waves travel, learners also discover the basic properties of waves, and analyze data tables and graphs. The...

Learning about waves can have its ups and downs, but a demo-packed tool kit has the class "standing" for more! Learners gain experience with several different wave types, organizing observations and data, and wave...

What is a physicist's favorite part of sports? Doing the wave. The presentation covers longitudinal, transverse, surface, and standing waves. It includes in-depth information on frequency, wavelength, period, amplitude, reflection,...

Six short answer questions challenge scholars to show what they know after reading an informational text that examines waves—what they are, what causes them, and how different Earth factors affect their size and strength.   

Which travels faster, light or sound? Scholars work in groups to simulate the ability for waves to travel through solids, liquids, gases, and through a vacuum. Then, they learn about the properties of a mystery wave and must determine...

A colorful and comprehensive PowerPoint highlights this lesson plan on waves. Junior geophysicists pretend that they are hired to analyze seismic waves. A worksheet is provided to go along with an online article about how compact discs...

The epicenter is the point on the ground above the initial point of rupture. The 10th instructional activity in a series of 20 encourages scholars to learn to triangulate the epicenter of an earthquake based on the arrival times of...

If the delay between a sound and its echo is less than 1/10th of a second, the human ear can’t distinguish it. Through the use of a Slinky, rubber band guitar, and straws, scholars explore where sound comes from and how it travels....

View LED lights through the eyes of a scientist. Young scholars learn to view light as a wave frequency and connect various frequencies to different colors on the light spectrum. A lab activity asks groups to measure the frequency of...

Fifth graders continue their investigation of the plate tectonics cycle with an exploration of the movement of Earth's crust. During the lab, young geologists conduct an experiment to discover the result of different types of...

After comparing earthquake and volcanic hazards to one another, fifth graders take a closer look at damage associated with a volcanic eruption. They then create a simulation of mudslides due to a volcanic eruption. Using different...

Fifth graders explore volcanoes and the rocks they produce using the Internet. The lab portion of the lesson prompts young scientists to compare and describe igneous rocks. Next, they critique a pair or more of...

Waves, waves, and more waves. Here, class members look at the many types and characteristics of energy waves including transverse, longitudinal, standing, seismic, p-waves, s-waves, and l-waves. 

Students read and discuss waves and their wavelengths and amplitudes. For this waves lesson plan, students draw the wavelength and amplitude of a wave and discuss tsunamis and storms.

Pair physical science learners up, and have one describe a transverse wave while the other blindly attempts to draw it. Then reveal an actual diagram and explain the different parts of the wave: crest, trough, wavelength. Though most of...

Part of a larger online space science website, this page has a brief explanation of electromagnetic radiation and a chart of wavelengths as compared to common objects. There are four questions to answer about the information. This can be...

Young scholars show how earthquakes affect sea waves. In this tidal waves activity students use a rubber mallet on a table to create waves in a box on top of the table. They experiment with striking the mallet in different locations on...

In this wave instructional activity, learners use Slinky's to observe the properties of waves. They observe longitudinal waves, transverse waves, traveling waves and standing waves and record their observations. They calculate the...