Characteristics of Sound Waves

by: Victor Sampson and Ashley Murphy

The guiding question of this investigation is, How can we use the properties of waves to explain different sounds? Sound waves are created when a disturbance travels through a substance or material from one place to another. In this lesson, students will create a disturbance in the air by striking a tuning fork and making the tines of the tuning fork vibrate. The goal is to figure out how the characteristics of the sounds we hear are related to the properties of a sound wave we see on an oscilloscope, with focus on pitch and volume. The Teacher Notes provide connections to the standards, a timeline, safety notes, information on materials and preparation, and step-by-step instructions for facilitating the lesson and assessing student outcomes. After the Teacher Notes, you will find classroom-ready reproducible pages in the form of an Investigation Handout and Checkout Questions. Before you begin the lesson, we recommend reading Chapters 1 and 2, which are in this book selection. Chapter 1 provides an overview of Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) with an explanation of what happens during each of the eight stages of ADI, which are the same for every ADI investigation. Chapter 2 focuses on the investigations and how to use them, not to replace an existing science curriculum, but rather to function as a tool that teachers can use to integrate three-dimensional instruction into their existing curriculum. Also included in the book selection are the Table of Contents, Preface, Acknowledgments, About the Authors, Introduction, and Index.

Details

Type Book ChapterPub Date 5/30/2019Pages 114Stock # PB349X8_8

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