Robyn Volek

Lesson Plan

Thursday November 13, 2014

Grade/Subject: Grade 1 Science Unit: Topic D: Senses (Sound & Sound Waves) Lesson Duration: 50 minutes
OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES
General Learning Outcomes:

1-9: Students will use the senses to make general and specific observations, and communicate
observations orally and by producing captioned pictures
Specific Learning Outcomes:
3. Students will apply particular senses to identify and describe objects or materials provided and to describe living
things and environments

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Understand that sound produces waves (sound waves)
2. Apply their knowledge of sound and sound waves to understand the experiments
3. Remember that sounds are produced by something vibrating

ASSESSMENTS
Observations:
I will observe students working, class
discussions, and have conversations with
students when they are working

Key Questions:
Why does the saran wrap move? Whats the difference in
vibrations? What the difference in sounds? What can you
feel from placing the tuning fork on the desk? Why does
the sound stop when the vibration stops? What words
can you use to describe sounds?

Written/Performance Assessments:
Worksheet to put in their science books I will make sure they filled it in correctly

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Resource #1: Alberta Education Program of Studies
Resource #2: Edmonton Public Schools: Grade 1 Senses
Resource #3: Resources and handouts from Tami McClure

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Bowl
Saran Wrap
Rice
Speaker
Music
Rulers
Tuning forks
Smart Board
Handouts/worksheet on soft/loud sounds
Ukulele

PROCEDURE
Introduction (8 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber:
Have the model eardrum experiment set up at the front table
When students are quietly sitting in their desks, ask them to come join you around the table
Make sure all students can see the rice on the top of the saran wrap
Ask students what do you think will happen to the rice when I turn the music on? Why?
After a discussion of what could happen, turn the music on loud so students can see the rice moving
Stop the music
Ask students to describe what happens
Ask students why do you think the rice moves when the speaker is turned on?

Robyn Volek

Thursday November 13, 2014

Relate this experiment to yesterday review sound waves & the ear drum
Ask students Can we see the sound waves?
Explain that the plastic wrap is similar to our ear drum it vibrates when sound waves hit it
Ask students what vibrates after sound waves hit the ear drum?
*If the stereo doesnt work, grab a cookie sheet or metal tray and bang it over top of the model eardrum. The sound
waves will still cause the rice to move (the saran wrap to vibrate)
Assessment of Prior Knowledge:
Check understanding of sound waves from yesterday
See that students can relate sound to something vibrating/moving
Check understanding of the pathway that sound waves travel through the ear
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour:
I expect all students to listen quietly and pay attention to the experiment
I expect all students to try to participate in the discussion (I will wait a proper amount of time before calling
on a student, so all students have had a chance to think about sound waves)
Advance Organizer/Agenda:
Tell students we will be experimenting with sound and sound waves more today
Transition to Body:
Have students return to their desks and pull out their rulers everything else should be in their desks

Body (30-37 min.):

Learning Activity #1 (10-12 minutes):
Once students have pulled out their rulers, have them place their rulers with zero at the edge of their desk
Tell students to move their ruler out to the 5cm mark past the edge of their desk
In a moment, tell students they will be lightly hitting the end of the ruler with their fingers. Tell them to pay
attention to the movement and the sound of the ruler
Let them hit the end of the ruler for 10 seconds
Have students now move their rulers to 10cm. Tell students to pay attention to the sound and movement of
the ruler
Let them hit the end of the ruler for 10 seconds
Have them put their ruler down on their desk, hands away from it.
Ask students what did you notice? What did 5cm sound like compared to 10cm? What did it look like?
Have students move their rulers to 20cm and hit it with their fingers for 10 seconds
Ask students again what did you notice? What did 20cms sound and look like compared to before?
Give students 20 seconds to try their own lengths but before they start, they need to think about one
observation they want to tell you about
Things they should notice: vibrates faster or slower (moves faster or slower), sounds are higher or lower,
sounds are louder or softer. Accept any reasonable answers.
Write down ruler observations on the board with examples they came up with
Go over their observations theyve listed
Assessments/Differentiation:
Having the students try the experiment themselves will allow them to come up with their own observations
The hands-on of this experiment will keep the interest of more students and allow them to experiment sound
waves/vibrations for themselves
From this experiment, I will be observing how students view vibrations and see if I need to go over sound vibrations more
or less in the next two activities

Learning Activity #2 (8-10 minutes):

Once all students are sitting quietly, ask one student from each desk group to come up to the front and grab a
tuning fork
Show them how a tuning fork works. Hit the tuning fork on your hand and hold it up to their ears
Explain to the class that we are using tuning forks today
Instruct the students to go back to their groups and hit the tuning fork and hold it up to everyones ears so
they can hear the sound
Once everyone has heard it, ask class what does the tuning fork sound like?
Now instruct each group to place their hands on one desk in their group. Have the student holding the tuning

Robyn Volek

Thursday November 13, 2014

fork to hit it, and then slowly place it on the desk.

Walk around and make sure all the groups are feeling the vibrations
Have class sit back down
Collect the tuning forks and ask students what did you feel when the tuning fork touched the desk?
Ask the class what are those vibrations youre feeling?
If students have a hard time answering this, prompt them with did you hear anything from the tuning fork?
or in our speaker experiment, what did we see?
Explain to the class that the sound waves from the tuning forks create vibrations on the desk just like how
the speaker in the first experiment made the rice move on the saran wrap (sound waves)

Assessments/Differentiation:

By having the tuning forks, students can feel the vibrations from sounds. This should allow students to link together the
idea of sound waves and vibrations

I will walk around and check understanding of the tuning fork and make sure all students are participating

Learning Activity #3 (12-15 minutes):

Once students are sitting quietly, invite the class to join you on the front carpet
Bring out your ukulele and make sure all the students can see the instrument
Ask students what do you think will happen when I pluck this string?
Pluck the C string hard so students can see a vibration
Ask the class what was it that you just saw?
Ask the class what was that big word weve used a few times todayit starts with a v
Ask the class if anyone can describe the word vibration for me (use the hand gestures from the song if
students cant think of the definition)
Explain that students that a vibration is something moving back and forth really quickly and that the string of
the ukulele vibrates
Pluck the string again but stop the string from vibrating right away
Ask the class why did the sound stop?
Explain that when I stopped the vibration, the sound stopped
Have students hold their hands to their throats. Have them hum for a couple seconds
Ask students what did you feel?
Explain that they were feeling a vibration
Have students repeat back to you sound is made by something vibrating
Explain that sound is made by something vibrating that is why when you put the tuning fork down on the
table, you could feel the vibration. Its also why you need to hit the tuning for before you hear a sound it
needs to be vibrating before a sound is produced. Connect back to the rulers and how when the ruler was
vibrating on the desk, they could hear a sound.
While students are sitting on the carpet, bring out your copy of the handout loud/soft. Read the sentence to
them. Sound is made when something
Ask students what they think should go in that space (remind them of that big word we have been talking
about that starts with a v)
Write the word vibrates on the board
Ask students what word they are going to put the blank. Have them repeat the sentence back to you Sound is
made when something vibrates.
Have students return to their desks and when they are quietly seated, handout the worksheet
Walk around and make sure they are filling in the word vibrates on the blank
Once they are finished, have them glue their worksheet into their science book (show them the correct page)
Assessments/Differentiation:

By having an instrument, student can actually see the vibration (the tuning fork allows them to feel it)

By having them observe a vibration, they will be able to connect the vibration to the sound

I will check understanding through our discussions. From this, I will gage if I need to go over vibrations and sounds
again

Closure (5-8 min.):

Consolidation/Assessment of Learning:
After they have finished gluing in their worksheet, have students put away their science books and remove

Robyn Volek

Thursday November 13, 2014

everything else from their desks

Ask students if they can describe different sounds
Write different sounds on the board as a title add to it when students give you an answer
If they dont understand the questions, whisper and ask them to describe what my voice sounds like
(quiet/soft)
Talk louder ask them to describe my voice now (loud)
Tell students that there are different types of sounds there are loud sounds (bang your hand on a desk) and
there are soft or quiet sounds (tap your finger on the board)
*If extra time, ask students if they can name things that give a loud sound. Write those on the board next to
loud. Then ask if they can name things that are quiet/soft sounds
Before the bell rings, ask students sound is made when something what?
Transition To Next Lesson:
Tell students we will be learning about loud and soft sounds tomorrow
Have students put everything away in their desks

Reflection:
This lesson was a great change for the students! Their engagement was awesome. The
attention grabbing activity worked very well. The only thing I would do differently is make sure I
crank the music! Students were able to see the beads moving, but it would have been more fun to make
them move more.
The second activity was alright. I need to introduce the activity better because students are
just excited to bring out their rulers and play with them. I would demonstrate longer what I want them
to do, and then give them a handout or have them write down the differences between the lengths of
the ruler. This activity might be better when students learn about pitch.
The tuning fork activity was awesome! Students were amazed with the tuning forks. I think
by showing students how the forks vibrate really made them start to think about sound as a vibration.
The only thing I would change for this activity is let all students have a try at making the forks vibrate.
This is something very new to a lot of them and theyre so interested in the material!
Having the instrument representation kept students engaged at the end of the lesson. It
helped them come up with a conclusion about sound. I didnt get to all of the worksheet in this lesson.
I think my pace was way to quick. I would slow all the experiments down and spend more time with
them. I also would allow time for students to experiment themselves with the rulers or tuning forks.