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Lesson Plan
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California Department of Education

Slap Tubes, Flutes, and Xylophones: The Physics of Pipe-Based Instruments

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's the encore to a wave unit. Individuals build either a slap tube, flute, or xylophone as a culminating activity for a physics unit on waves. Scholars calculate the lengths of pipes needed to produce the specific notes for their...
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Lesson Plan
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1
California Department of Education

What Is a "Wave"?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Take a stretch, but don't wave goodbye. An interesting resource provides everything needed to present an introductory lesson plan on waves. Teachers present a PowerPoint defining the types of waves and their characteristics. Pupils use a...
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Activity
NASA

Feel the Noise

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Can you hear it now? Young scientists experiment with sound waves using metal objects and string. They strike metal objects while they hold them and as the objects hang from a string to compare the sound. They discover that sound travels...
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Instructional Video1:12
PBS

Longitudinal Waves | UNC-TV Science

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Discover whether sound travels in space and other fascinating science facts. Scientists explore energy transfer by longitudinal waves and learn about compression, rarefaction, amplitude, and wavelength while watching an animated video....
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Activity
Exploratorium

A Splash of Color - Is Pure Water Colorless?

For Students 6th - 12th
What makes the ocean blue but a glass of ocean water nearly colorless? Investigators prepare tubes of water to examine the color of water. Scholars discover the relationship between light absorption, color variations, and water depth as...
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Article
NASA

Catch a Gravitational Wave, Dude!

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
It is cowabunga time! Pupils read an article about the NASA LISA mission on gravitational waves and conduct additional research on them. The class participates in a science bowl type competition about gravitational waves. Panels of four...
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eBook
CK-12 Foundation

CK-12 Earth Science Concepts for Middle School

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Explore a variety of science concepts in an interactive textbook created for middle school scholars. A lengthy table of contents takes readers to pages comprised of a subject overview, outline, and summary. Follow links further to find...
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eBook
Utah Education Network (UEN)

Utah Open Textbook: 8th Grade Science

For Students 8th Standards
The cycle of energy is important to many different systems on Earth. Scholars use questioning and observation to investigate the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources and how they relate to global changes. They...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Wave Machine

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Three main factors determine the wave height experienced in the ocean. Scholars use a virtual simulator to alter wind speed, fetch, and duration. Each combination creates a unique wave measured in significant height.
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Interactive
PBS

Coastline Change

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Continental drift happens over millions of years, but new perspective shows much faster changes. An informative resource offers a short term perspective using a series of satellite images. Viewers observe major changes to a coastline in...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Name That Harmonic: Closed-End air Columns

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Physics is like music—practice makes perfect! Challenge your class using an interactive that builds harmonic skills. The engaging lesson from a playlist exploring sounds and waves revolves around wave behavior in closed-end air columns....
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Rocking the Boat

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Sometimes it's okay to rock the boat! Science scholars manipulate wave properties using a fun interactive. Part of a larger playlist that dives into waves and sound, the lesson helps users work their way from apprentice to wizard by...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Waves - Case Studies

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What can your class tell about a wave just by looking at it? Using a simulation, physics pupils work through a series of case studies to determine the effects of speed, frequency, and density on waves. Part of a larger playlist on waves...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Wavelength

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Physics class sure can have its ups and downs! The first in a series of seven interactives from the Waves and Sound series introduces young learners to the concept of wavelength. Scholars work through the interactive to discover the...
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Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Jell-O® Waveguide and Power Loss

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Jell-O® can help model the transmission of light through fiber optic cables. Young scientists use the jiggly dessert to make a waveguide to transmit a laser beam from one point to another. Their models help them learn the function of...
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Lesson Plan
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1
Science 4 Inquiry

Battle of the Waves

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Sound Waves

For Students 6th - 9th Standards
How does sound travel through different mediums? Scholars explore this question by creating and observing sound waves as they learn the difference between transverse and longitudinal wave motion. Using their new knowledge, class members...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

A Day in the Life of an Ocean Explorer

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
What's life like aboard an ocean exploration vessel? Junior oceanographers examine the important role of communication in ocean research in activity two of a five-part series from NOAA. The materials introduce the class to life on board...
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Interactive
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NOAA

Energy from the Oceans

For Students 6th - 12th
Can Earth's oceans produce a steady supply of clean energy? Scholars explore the uses of tidal and thermal energy in the 11th installment of a 13-part series about ocean-based alternative energy sources. Learners examine the current...
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Interactive
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1
NOAA

Ocean Waves

For Students 6th - 12th
Surf's up! What causes the constant motion of Earth's oceans? Scholars discover the origins and types of waves in part nine of a 13-installment series. The resource illustrates wave behavior, their destructive power, and current research...
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Unit Plan
University of Southern California

What Is The Ocean?

For Students 4th - 8th
Go on a tour of the ocean through the lens of a scientist. Learners read maps of the ocean floor, study tide behavior, examine wave motion, and analyze components of soil. Each lesson incorporates a hands-on component.
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Lesson Plan
Florida International University

Pipeline to the Coral Reefs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Discover firsthand the effects of internal waves on coral reefs. Through a series of experiments, learners simulate internal waves and upwelling events as they make observations on the movement of water and other debris. They then...
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Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

Making Waves

For Teachers 7th Standards
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 terminology. The...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Pan Flute

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
How can a pan flute sound one note while we hear a chord? The simulation explores sound waves, vibrations, and harmonics at the molecular level. Scholars control the pipe into which air is being blown, the length of the pipe, and which...