Sound

Christine Scott                Beethoven School
                               25 W. 47 St.
                               Chicago IL 60609
                               (312) 535-1480

Objectives:

     This lesson was designed for grade K-3.  The lesson will be taught over 
a period of three weeks.  
     The student will be able to identify and understand these vocabulary 
words: vibration, volume, pitch, particles, tuning forks, waves and matter.
     The student will be able to understand that sound travels through gas, 
liquid and solid.
     The student will be able to understand the idea of pitch, both high and 
low. 

Materials Needed:

Tuning forks, balloons, styrofoam cups, string, 5 gal. can covered with rubber
to make a drum, paper clips, stopwatches, glass bottles, spoon, straws, 
sentence strip paper, scotch tape, water, small teddy bear and pvc pipes.

Strategies:

1. I will model and introduce the lesson by showing the students the Teddy 
Bear, styrofoam cup and the five gallon can.  (The can top is covered with 
rubber and a hole is in the bottom of it).  I will ask students what will happen 
if I placed the cup on top of the Teddy Bear and turned the hole toward the cup 
and strike the drum can.  We will discuss the effect.  Allow students to 
experiment with striking the can. 

2. What is vibration?
Display the vocabulary words.  Each student will receive a balloon and the 
second person will receive a stopwatch.  Explain.  The students will blow up the 
balloon and knot it.  Tell them to place the balloon close to their throats and 
hum.  How does their throat feel?  Tell them to experiment with all sorts of 
sounds on their throats. 
                    
Next they will with form partners.  Explain how to use the tuning fork and the 
stop watch.  They will observe how long their balloon vibrates and listen to the 
sound of the balloon vibrating.  They will strike the tuning fork and touch the 
balloon.  Discuss the results. 

3. Communication
     Review vocabulary words that we have identified so far.  Introduce the 
other words through this activity.  Ask students how they think sound travel 
through the telephone when they are talking.  Discussion.  Explain how they will 
make a telephone using two styrofoam cups, two paper clips, and string about two 
to three feet long.  Each student will make a telephone following direction 
given by the teacher.  They will work as partners.  After they complete their 
phone allow time for communication and play.  Discussion. 


4. Pitch
    Explain how a straw flute is used to determine the pitch of sound.  Explain 
how to make a flute.  Allow students to experiment after they have made their 
straw flute.  Explain that the pitch of sound gets higher as the length of the 
flute decreases.
    The "Singing Bottles".  Explain how pitch is identified by using bottles.
Experiment by adding different amounts of water to the bottles to make different 
sounds.  Place the bottles in a row and gently tap the bottle with a spoon.
Discuss how does adding water affect the sound made.

Performance Assessment:
    
    All students will be able to identify high pitch or low pitch by performing 
on pvc pipes as instructed by the teacher.
    All students will be able to identify how sound travels by experimenting 
with the styrofoam cup telephone.