Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: What Is a Wave?

For Students 9th - 10th
This interactive activity adapted from the University of Utah's ASPIRE Lab provides an overview of the characteristics and properties of various types of waves, including light waves, sound waves, and water waves.
Unit Plan
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: The Nature of a Wave

For Students 9th - 10th
A very good introduction to the world of waves. Waves and wavelike motion, what is a wave, and categories of waves are the topics examined in this site. Many links to other wave sites.
Article
Other

Climate Gateway: What Is Climate Change?

For Students 9th - 10th
This ClimateGateway.com site provides information on what climate change is as well as the factors that affect global climate.
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Wave

For Students 9th - 10th
An in-depth encyclopedia article from Wikipedia on waves gives a definition for what a wave is. Other content in the article includes a list of examples and characteristics of waves, information about the difference between transverse...
Unit Plan
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Formation of Standing Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
How are standing wave formations formed? Why are they only formed when the medium is vibrated at specific frequencies? What makes these so-called frequencies so special and magical? These questions are answered in this exploration of...
Unit Plan
Synopsys

Synopsys: Optics for Kids: What Is Light?

For Students 3rd - 8th
This site provides a short explanation of light, how it travels, and the speed in which it travels. Many other concepts related to optics can be found on this site as well.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Wave Amplitude

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What wave amplitude is and how to measure it, and what determines the amplitude of a wave.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Transverse Wave

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What a transverse wave is, its crests and troughs and what an S wave is.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Mechanical Wave

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What a mechanical wave is and what it travels through, and different types of mechanical waves.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Wave Particle Theory

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] The wave-particle theory and what a photon is, and evidence that electromagnetic radiation is both a particle and a wave.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Wave Interference

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What wave interference is, constructive and destructive interference and how standing waves occur.
Website
PBS

Wave That Shook the World

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource focuses on the December 26th Indian Ocean tsunami. It explains the anatomy of the Indian Ocean tsunami, as well as what is being done to prepare for future tsunamis. In addition, it shows potential hot spots for future...
Activity
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Plix: Alaskan Earthquake: Seismic Waves

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login Required] A site that diagrams what happens if a major earthquake occurs over Alaska. A short quiz over the topic is also included.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Waves: The Three Color Mystery

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are presented with a challenge question concerning color blindness and asked to use engineering principles to design devices to help people who are color blind. Using the legacy cycle as a model, this unit is comprised of five...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Longitudinal Wave

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What a longitudinal wave is, its compressions and rarefactions and what a P wave is.
Graphic
ClassFlow

Class Flow: The Behavior of Sound Waves

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart introduces fifth grade students to what sound waves do when they encounter an object. Topics covered include diffraction, reflection, absorption, and the Doppler Effect. An assessment is...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Three Color Mystery

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are introduced to an engineering challenge in which they are given a job assignment to separate three types of apples. However, they are unable to see the color differences between the apples, and as a result, they must think as...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Wavelength

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What wavelength is and how it relates to the energy of a wave.
Handout
Oklahoma Mesonet

Oklahoma Climatological Survey: Overview of Radiation

For Students 9th - 10th
This site details what radiation is, the physics of radiation, and radiative transfer as it occurs in nature. Content explores the electromagnetic spectrum, electromagnetic waves, properties of radiation, and solar radiation.
Interactive
Physics Aviary

Physics Aviary: Adding Sine Curves

For Students 9th - 10th
This program gives students a way to combine waves together to see what properties the new wave will possess. It is helpful in looking at constructive and destructive interference. It can also illustrate beats and carrier waves.
Interactive
PBS

Pbs: Science Odyssey: Radio Transmission

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS site explores radio transmission and provides a fun activity to go along with it. (Shockwave required) Click on links to discover more about the early years of radio, how radio waves are emitted, what the difference is between AM and...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Speed of Sound

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What the speed of sound is and its variation in different media, and the effect of temperature on the speed of sound.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Diffraction and Constructive and Destructive Interference

For Students 9th - 10th
Article goes into detail about what exactly is interference.
Website
Other

K 3 Learning Pages: Tsunami Disaster

For Students K - 1st
This site features several links to tsunami relief sites. Students and teachers can access information about the tsunami relief efforts through these resources.