Curated OER
Sound
Fifth graders explore and examine the basic properties of sound. In pairs, they speak through a balloon and listen to the sound vibrations, and listen to a ticking clock or watch through a variety of materials and identify the...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Echolocation Stations: Exploring Sound
Fourth graders explore the concept of echolocation during a unit on whales. They listen to the book and watch the Reading Rainbow video for "Humphrey: The Wayward Whale," explore various websites, and conduct experiments to demonstrate...
Curated OER
Hear the Wave!
Pupils study sound and ear function. In this sound functions lesson, students investigate soundwaves by completing various experiments. Pupils participate in a number of sound stations and complete the comparison chart with their...
Curated OER
Pitch
Students experience sounds with different pitches. In this pitch lesson, students use open pipes as they are introduced to pitch, then make Straw Pan Pipes.
Curated OER
Sounds You See, Hear, and Feel
Students explore and create sound wave vibrations using musical instruments and common objects. They compare/contrast and describe actions that cause sound wave vibrations that can be seen, heard, and felt.
Pennsylvania State University
Applied Physics: Model Analysis of an Electric Guitar
Great site explores the physics behind an electrical guitar. Outlines process for conducting an experiment on sound vibrations and provides animated GIF movies showing the first five modes of vibration.
Pennsylvania State University
Applied Physics: Vibrational Modes of a Circular Membrane (Drums)
Site tracks the vibrations of a drum and provides an animated movie.
Canada Science and Technology Museum
Canada Science and Technology Museum: Background Information for Sound
Sound! How does it work? All you need to know about it is found here through a series of Q&As. Educators will find useful lesson plans.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Kid Musician: Mexico's Guitar Town
Visit with Andres during fiesta time at Paracho Michoacan, Mexico's "guitar town". As Andres shows in this video segment from ZOOM, guitar music goes beyond simple sound vibrations. [2:55]
Physics Central
Physics Central: Physics at Your Desk: Drumming Fingers
An easy experiment through which students explore sound waves while tapping their fingers on a desk or table in a quiet room.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Dirtmeister's Science Lab: Good Vibrations
An experiment that explores the relationship between vibrations and pitch. This site includes web links, a challenge question, and notes to the teacher.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Sound: Using Pipe Music to Understand Pitch and Length.
In this investigation the student will learn about sound waves and vibration. Students will use pipes to understand that the slower an object vibrates the lower the pitch and the faster an object vibrates the higher the pitch. Next...
Other
The University of Salford: Sounds Amazing
This site has several lessons all about sound. It introduces sound, then covers major principles of waves and the wave equation. Each lesson has interactive activities to keep you interested, and there are even some test questions.
The Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute: Music to Our Ears
Discover the connection between sound waves and hearing with this webpage tutorial. Be sure to click on the picture for detailed information.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Energy, Light and Sound: Sound
A video and a short quiz on how sound travels in waves, its properties, and how to measure it.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Radiohead
Try this experiment to see how sound transmits as vibrations through solid matter. You will use a toothbrush to listen to the radio.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Secret Bells
An experiment demonstrating how sound vibrations transmit through metal.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Vocal Visualizer
Create a vocalizer device out of PVC piping and, with the help of a laser pointer, use it to project a visualization of the sound vibrations you make with it.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Pirates: What Is Sound?
In this lesson, students learn about sound vibrations, pitch, how frequency is measured, and about the recommended upper decibel limit of noise.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Seychelles: How Do We Hear?
This lesson teaches students about how sound vibrations are transmitted through solids, liquids, and gases, and about how materials may absorb sound.
SEDL
Sw Educational Development Lab: Sound Is Vibrations
This lesson plan engages young students in the study of "sound." The questions What is vibration and what can affect it, thus affecting sound? will be answered during the lab.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 11: The Cigar Box Guitar
Science instruction is most effective when using a hands-on delivery system. This lesson plan will use your young scholars' natural affinity for music and musical instruments to reinforce and refine their knowledge of the nature of sound...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Sound Makers
For this activity, students make a sound cylinder using a cardboard tube, and investigate the sound wave vibrations they can feel at its end when they speak into it.