Waves, Lights and Sounds

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Students explore the fascinating world of sound vibrations, light sources, and communication through hands-on investigations. They learn how vibrating materials make sound, how we see objects when illuminated, and how light and sound can be used to communicate over distances.

Essential Learning Outcomes

ELO-1
Sound and Vibrations

Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.

Students will:

  • Define terms: sounds, vibrate, waves, loud, soft, sign language
  • Demonstrate understanding of how to produce sounds
  • Compare and describe sounds as loud, soft, pleasant, unpleasant
  • Show that sound is a wave-like water
  • Investigate how sounds are produced and their effects on objects

ELO-2
Light and Vision

Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that objects can be seen only when illuminated.

Students will:

  • Define terms: light/darkness, artificial, natural, reflect
  • Give examples of light sources in and out of the classroom
  • Describe why objects can be seen when illuminated
  • Understand that the sun is a natural source of light
  • Classify light according to source (natural, artificial)

ELO-3
Materials and Light

Plan and conduct investigations to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.

Students will:

  • Define terms: glass, transparent, translucent, reflective, opaque
  • Demonstrate understanding that objects can block varying amounts of light
  • Classify objects as transparent, translucent, reflective, or opaque
  • Predict which types of materials are best suited for different applications

ELO-4
Communication with Light and Sound

Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.

Students will:

  • Define terms: warning, communicating, siren, emergency vehicle, traffic lights
  • Give examples of communicating with sound and light
  • Construct simple sound communication devices (cup phones)
  • Recognize that communication technologies have varied over time