What is sound?

Nicole Evans

Function Words Template 1

Use function words below to begin the unpacking process of teaching.

Physical Science Function Words
About

Above

Across

After

Besid
e
In

Betwe
en
Itself

By
Inside

Dow
n
Into

None

Nothin
g
Severa
l
Under

On

Onto

Throu
gh
Until

That

Out
of
Them

Up

Upon

Since
Towar
d

Arou
nd
Excep
t
Like

At

All

Each

Eithe
r
Many

Little
Outsi
de
Thes
e
With

Anoth
er
For
Most

Over

One

They

This

Withi
n

What

Any
Fro
m
Muc
h
Othe
r
Thos
e
Whic
h

Bot
h
Few
Nea
r
Past
To

Topic: What is sound?

How is sound produced?
What kind of objects make sound?
What are the different types of sound?
What types of things affect sound?
Can you feel sound?
Why can you feel sound?
Can you see sound waves?
How does sound travel?
Why does a person lose the ability to hear sound?
1. Students select from the word list to describe what they discovered
about sound. Having students look at the function words will help
them understand the language used in science.
a. Sound is all AROUND us. We can hear a variety of sounds FROM
______ TO ______. Sound is made BY _______. THESE _______ travel
IN _______ to our ears. The distance BETWEEN two _______ is
called a ________. The number of ________ THAT passes a certain
point every second is the ________. A note WITH _______ _______
has _______ wavelengths. Whereas a note WITH ______ _______ has
_______ wavelengths. Along WITH hearing sound, you can also
_____ sound. Sound can travel THROUGH ________, LIKE a ______, a

______ or a _______. People can lose their hearing BY ________. TO

prevent THIS people can ________.
b. Class Discussion:
i. Did all the groups come up with the same words or are
there different patterns?
ii. What do these patterns reveal?
iii. Record student responses.
2. Introduce a text about sound; include any new vocabulary students
need to know and to understand what they are reading.
Knapp, B. (2003). Science Matters!: Changing Sounds (Vol. 18).
Danbury, CT: Atlantic Europe Publishing Company.
Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science of Sound and
Music. New York: Sterling Publishing.
Oxlade, C. (2000). Light & sound. Chicago, Illinois: Heinemann
Library.
Pinna, S. (1998). Sound. Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn.
Start Smart Science: I Need to Know Sound and light [Motion
picture on DVD]. (2013). Wonderscape Entertainment, LLC.
3. Discuss and choose the appropriate text structure.
Science Matter!: Changing Sounds by Knapp is an expository
text. This text gives great information about the topics along with
real life examples that kids can relate to. This text has great
experiments that teachers can use or kids can do on their own to
help comprehend the concepts of sound. This text would be best
for older students, probably 3-5 grade however, the experiments,
with teacher help, could definitely be used for any lower grade.
Depending on how far into sound you want to take the concept is
how much of this book you want to use. If you just want the
basics then the first half of the book will be helpful. If you want
the entirety of sound, including musical instruments then the last
half should be used in tandem with the first half.
The Science of Sound and Music by Levine & Johnstone is an
expository text. In this particular text the chapter starters are
where most of the information is. Another great aspect of this
text is there are experiments following each chapter description.
The experiments are very hands on and very doable for every
type of learner and socioeconomic group. At least half of every
chapters experiments are with objects that every students
should have at home or perhaps could borrow from someone.

With how this text is written, it would be best suited for older
students probably 4-6 grades. However, this text could definitely
be used to help younger students with help from the teacher. The
experiments are wonderful for any grade level and could be used
as science fair projects also.
Light & Sound by Oxlade is an expository text. The sentence
structure and structure of the book lends itself to older students;
grades 5-6. There are not many pictures to go along with the text
so students will really have to have a firm grasp on independent
reading to read this text successfully. This text consists of
information about light and sound so the teacher will need to tell
students exactly where to read so that they are on the same
page as everyone else. Teacher may need to help with
comprehension because the author does tie in concepts from
both light and sound for some of the pages marked for the
subject of sound.
Sound by Pinna is an expository text. This book is kind of in the
same format as the DK Eyewitness books. In case you dont
know, a DK Eyewitness book has many different chapters
consisting of two pages that encompasses all information about
the title. For this text, along with the information there are small
activities that would help students delve deeper into
comprehension. This text is best suited for older grade levels; 35. This is because the sentence structure is a little advanced but
with some explanation could be used for younger students. The
experiments are definitely good for any grade level.
Start Smart Science: I Need to Know Sound and Light by
Mazzerella is an educational DVD. With this concept in mind, this
DVD is best suited for grades 3-5. This is because the DVD uses a
lot of upper level vocabulary, but is defined nicely for students to
understand. It is about 15 minutes long and has a good structure
that goes from the basics to the more complex. Students can
easily relate to the DVD; the girl talking is about their age and is
obviously very knowledgeable about the topic. There are many
great examples for each section and at the end of each section
they go over what they learned from before.
4. Apply what we know about the chosen text structure to begin
confirming or adjusting student thoughts from the initial activity. (This
also helps with prediction skills)
a. Also, remind students to look for the function words provided in
the initial activity these are clues.

Vocabulary: Acoustics, Amplify, Bel (B), Damping, Decibel (dB), Energy,

Frequency, Hertz, Intensity, Noise
5. Class discussion to find out what students have discovered
a. Record student responses
Begin the activity, experiment, or class project

Physical Science
Sematic Map Template 2
Use this template to facilitate descriptive comprehension.
Think about the sounds you hear every day; car horns, your moms voice,
your siblings voice. You can tell the difference, correct? Sound is created
when the air is disturbed causing a vibration. This vibration travels in waves
from the source to you, as the listener. A sound wave consists of the
wavelength and the amplitude. The wavelength is the distance between one
crest to the next crest and the amplitude is the height of the wave. The
wavelength is determined by the intensity of the sound being produced
otherwise called the frequency of the sound. Each sound has a frequency
and this frequency is measured in hertz (Hz). If a very soft sound is produced
the wavelengths will be very far apart, whereas when a loud sound is
produced the wavelengths will be very close together. There are some other
attributes that also effect the production of sound; pitch and temperature.
The pitch is described by how high or low a note sounds. Pitch affects the
frequency of the sound that we hear, as the listener. With a higher pitched
note, the frequency will be faster therefore it will travel faster and our ears
will hear it quicker. A lower pitched note will have a very slow frequency and
will travel very slow. This means our ears will hear the high notes before we
hear the lower notes. The same type of concept applies to temperature. The
colder the temperature; the slower the frequency and the hotter the
temperature; the faster the frequency.

Created when air is disturbed causing a vibration

Pitch
Travels in waves

Ptica

Effects sound
Basics

Sound

Sound wave consists of wavelength & amplitude

Temperature

Wavelength determined by frequency

Loud sound = far apart
Soft sound = close together

Key Descriptive Word: is

This graphic organizer will help students get a brief introduction of the
concept of sound. Students will be able to categorize the basics and the why

they are connected. This organizer would make an even better impact if we
use pictures along with words. After completing this organizer, students will
see how the main ideas from the paragraph were placed into the organizer
and how the ideas fit together.
Resources:
Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science of Sound and Music.
New York: Sterling Publishing.
Oxlade, C. (2000). Light & sound. Chicago, Illinois: Heinemann Library.
Pinna, S. (1998). Sound. Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn.
Sequence Organizer 3
Use this template to facilitate sequential comprehension.
The human ear consists of the outer, middle and inner ear. Each of these
areas work in tandem to change sound waves into electrical signals that the
brain can then translate into something we know or we dont know. The outer
ear includes the pinna or ear flap that funnels the sound wave down the ear
canal to the tympanic membrane or eardrum. The eardrum, which is the first
part of the middle ear, then begins to vibrate. Behind the eardrum are three
small bones called the malleus, incus, and the stapes. Together, these bones
work together to transmit and increase the vibrations to the inner ear. The
stapes rest against the cochlea. The cochlea looks like a snail shell but is
actually a long tube filled with fluid and tiny hairs. As the vibration moves
into the cochlea, the tiny hairs will vibrate depending on the type of
vibration. The information that was deduced from the cochlea is then passed
into the brain via the auditory nerve. The brain then interprets the nerve
signal as a specific sound.

How does the brain translate sound?

A sound is made The small bones behind the tympanic membrane begin to vibrate

The pinna funnels the sound waves into the ear

The small bones work together to transmit and increase vibrations to the inner ear.

The sound wave travels through the ear canal

The cochlea then transmits information via the auditory nerve to the brain.
The sound wave vibrates the tympanic membrane (eardrum)

Key Descriptive Word: Then

This graphic organizer helps students put information into sequential order
from the start of hearing the sound to the brain deciding on what the sound
is. This organizer will really help students understand the process of sound
within the ear. (A picture will go great with this organizer)
Resources:
Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science of Sound and Music.
New York: Sterling Publishing.
Pinna, S. (1998). Sound. Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn.

Compare and Contrast Organizer 4

Use this template to facilitate comprehension of compare and contrast.
Sound can travel through any substance; a solid, liquid or a gas however the
speed at which that sound travels varies amongst them. Substances are
made up of particles and each substance has a different amount of space
between each particle within the substance. A solid substance has particles
packed close together so the vibrations from the sound have only a small
distance to go back and forth. Therefore sound travels very quickly through a
solid substance. In a liquid substance, the particles are a little further apart
so when the sound vibrates it takes more time to vibrate back and forth
making the frequency a little slower. Now in a gas substance, the particles
are very far apart. So when sound vibrates it takes much more time to go
from particle to particle and the sound therefore, travels the slowest.
Therefore, the closer the particles, the easier it is for a sound wave to pass
through that substance.

Solid vs. Liquid vs. Gas

Solid

Liquid

Particles
are
packed
close
together
Sound
travels
very

Contain
particle
s
Sound
can
travel

Gas

Particles are
very far apart
from each other
Sound travels
very slowly
through

Particles are
packed
further apart
than a solid
Sound
travels
slowly
through

Key Descriptive Words: alike, similar, and different

This is a great tool to show students why these subcategories fall under that
main topic. For this particular organizer, this concept is one of many that
relate to how sound moves and how quickly we can hear sound. This
organizer helps students see the same and differences with the overlapping
circles.
Resources:
Knapp, B. (2003). Science Matters!: Changing Sounds (Vol. 18).
Danbury, CT: Atlantic Europe Publishing Company.
Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science of Sound and Music.
New York: Sterling Publishing.
Pinna, S. (1998). Sound. Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn.
Start Smart Science: I Need to Know Sound and light [Motion picture on
DVD]. (2013). Wonderscape Entertainment, LLC.

Cause/Effect and Problem/Solution Template 5

Use this template to facilitate comprehension of cause/effect and
problem/solution
The loudness of sound is measured in decibels (dB). On a decibel scale an
increase in 10 decibels means a 10 times increase in sound. Sounds with a
loudness more than 120 decibels will damage a humans ears because the
vibrations are so great. The loss of hearing due to noise is called Noise
Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). This can be caused by a one-time exposure to a
loud noise or repeated exposure to various loudness levels; including soft
sounds. The hearing loss happens due to damage to the little hairs inside the
cochlea. Noise and hearing loss can be reduced by soundproofing. Most high
tech equipment nowadays are soundproofed from the manufacturing
company; for example cars and some heavy machinery. However, sometimes
people need to take precautions by using ear plugs just like people protect
their eyes with goggles.

Dangers of Sound
Cause:
Loudness of more than 120 dB

Effect:
Damage to ears

Effect:
Cause:
Loss
of
hearing

Noise
Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)
One-time exposure to a loud noise

Cause:
Repeated exposure to various
loudness levels

Effect:
Loss of hearing Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)

Cause:
Working around machinery or
areas with high decibels of sound

Effect:
Need soundproofing techniques ear plugs

Key Descriptive Words: cause, result from

This graphic organizer gives students a really good idea of consequences for
their own body. Every decision they make will affect them for the rest of their
lives. This organizer might really speak to some students that listen to really
loud music all the time and take advantage of their hearing.
Resources:
Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science of Sound and Music.
New York: Sterling Publishing.
Pinna, S. (1998). Sound. Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn.
Start Smart Science: I Need to Know Sound and light [Motion picture on
DVD]. (2013). Wonderscape Entertainment, LLC.

Literature Evaluation Template 6

Use this template to evaluate literature you may use in your classroom.

Science Topic: Sound

Knapp, B. (2003). Science Matters!: Changing Sounds (Vol. 18). Danbury, CT:
Atlantic Europe Publishing Company.
Questions about
the literature

Is the literature
age appropriate?

What is the
publication date?
Is the book
outdated?
Is the science
material
presented
accurately?
Does the
literature add to
the
understanding of
Science?
Will this literature
promote interest
in science?
Is the literature
sensitive to your

Yes

No

Comments
Great book for older
students some
sentence structure
would cause
problems for
younger students

Fairly new

Wonderful; great
pictures that really
explain the
concepts

Most definitely!
Great pictures and
experiments

Very interesting
experiments for
students to try and
play with.
X

minority
students?
Is the literature
sensitive to your
low
socioeconomic
students?

Is the minority or
low
socioeconomic
students
presented
negatively?
Does the
literatures leave
students ready to
participate in the
science lesson?

This text uses

object for the
experiments that
anyone could have
at home or could
get easily

Oh yes! This text

gives great
examples and even
ways students can
try concepts at
home

Science Topic: Sound

Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science of Sound and Music. New
York: Sterling Publishing.
Questions about
the literature
Is the literature
age appropriate?
What is the
publication date?
Is the book
outdated?
Is the science
material
presented
accurately?
Does the
literature add to
the
understanding of
Science?
Will this literature

Yes

No

Great for older

students; print is
very tiny

Comments

A little outdated but

the concepts are
still valid
Very accurate with
examples and
experiments
Definitely!
Especially if the
teacher uses the
experiments in
tandem with text
Yes, especially the

promote interest
in science?
Is the literature
sensitive to your
minority
students?
Is the literature
sensitive to your
low
socioeconomic
students?
Is the minority or
low
socioeconomic
students
presented
negatively?
Does the
literatures leave
students ready to
participate in the
science lesson?

experiments.

Yes and no the

text isnt for
students that dont
have a grasp on
English but the
experiments could
be used with ELLs
Yes, most materials
needed for
experiments are
things that can be
easily acquired

Yes, especially the

experiments; could
be great science
fair projects

Science Topic: Sound

Oxlade, C. (2000). Light & sound. Chicago, Illinois: Heinemann Library.
Questions about
the literature
Is the literature
age appropriate?
What is the
publication date?
Is the book
outdated?
Is the science

Yes

No

Great for older

students that
have a longer
attention span

X
X

Comments

A little outdated
but information
still valid
Very accurate but

material
presented
accurately?
Does the
literature add to
the
understanding of
Science?

Will this literature

promote interest
in science?

a little boring at
times for kids

Is the literature
sensitive to your
minority
students?
Is the literature
sensitive to your
low
socioeconomic
students?
Is the minority or
low
socioeconomic
students
presented
negatively?
Does the
literatures leave
students ready to
participate in the
science lesson?

Great
information, with
some interesting
facts planted
within the text
There is some
great information
here hopefully
students do not
get overwhelmed
by the lack of
pictures
Lots of words and
not many
pictures to help
with
comprehension

If students can
really focus on
the reading, they
will want to do
more reasearch

Science Topic: Sound

Pinna, S. (1998). Sound. Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn.

Questions about
the literature
Is the literature
age appropriate?
What is the
publication date?
Is the book
outdated?
Is the science
material
presented
accurately?
Does the
literature add to
the
understanding of
Science?

Yes

Comments
Great book for
students just
enough mixture
of text and
pictures

Still valid

Very accurate;
great
presentation

Great
experiments to
go along with
text

Will this literature

promote interest
in science?

Is the literature
sensitive to your
minority
students?

Is the literature
sensitive to your
low
socioeconomic
students?
Is the minority or
low
socioeconomic
students
presented
negatively?
Does the
literatures leave

No

Yes, especially if
the teacher uses
experiments in
tandem with text
The sentence
structure is a
little complex for
ELLs however the
experiments are
great for anyone
Great
experiments with
easily acquired
materials

Very interesting!

students ready to
participate in the
science lesson?

Science Topic: Sound

Start Smart Science: I Need to Know Sound and light [Motion picture on
DVD]. (2013). Wonderscape Entertainment, LLC.
Questions about
the literature
Is the literature
age appropriate?
What is the
publication date?
Is the book
outdated?
Is the science
material
presented
accurately?
Does the
literatures add to
the
understanding of
Science?
Will this literature
promote interest
in science?
Is the literature
sensitive to your
minority
students?

Yes

No

Comments
Great for any
grade level

Very up-to-date

Very accurate
and interesting!
Uses a child their
age to relay
information

Great information
and great
presentation!

Is the literature
sensitive to your
low
socioeconomic
students?

Is the minority or

Yes! Information
was relayed in a
great way.
Uses pictures and
even tells
definitions along
with having it
printed on the
screen
Its a DVD some
kids may not
have a DVD
player or a way
to watch the it at
home; if needed

low
socioeconomic
students
presented
negatively?
Does the
literatures leave
students ready to
participate in the
science lesson?

Very interesting!
Could help with
ideas for a
science fair
project.

Mapping Template 7
Use this template for mapping vocabulary words or concepts. For add a
picture, simply add a picture of the word or concept focused on in the map.

Damping

Decibel (dB)

Bel (B)
bB

Amplify

Energy

Sound
Intensity

Frequency
Acoustics
Hertz

Noise

Vocabulary Template 8
Use this template to help students internalize the meaning of the vocabulary
words.
Vocabulary Word:

Acoustics

Definition:

In My Own Words:

The branch of science dealing with sound; the

sound qualities of a room or hall.

Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science

of Sound and Music. New York: Sterling
Publishing
A part of science involving sound; also how well
a room sounds when speaking, playing an
instrument or singing.

A Picture to Help Me
Remember:

http://id2126ara.pbworks.com/w/page/54022746
/Acoustics

Vocabulary Word:

Amplify

Definition:

In My Own Words:

To make bigger. When sound is

amplified, it gets louder.

Knapp, B. (2003). Science Matters!:

Changing Sounds (Vol. 18). Danbury,
CT: Atlantic Europe Publishing
Company.
To become louder, as in the sound of
your voice, or an instrument.

A Picture to Help Me Remember:

https://blog.cloudflare.com/deepinside-a-dns-amplification-ddos-attack/

Vocabulary Word:

Bel (B)
Definition:

Unit for expressing the intensity of sound.

In My Own Words:

Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science

of Sound and Music. New York: Sterling
Publishing
A way to show how loud a sound can be.

A Picture to Help Me
Remember:

http://www.loudfoods.com/about-us/

Vocabulary Word:

Damping

Definition:

In My Own Words:

To make less noisy. A damper, often in

form of a pad placed on the vibrating
object, is used to reduce vibrations.

Knapp, B. (2003). Science Matters!:

Changing Sounds (Vol. 18). Danbury, CT:
Atlantic Europe Publishing Company.
A way to stop the vibrations so that the
sound lessen or sometimes even stops.

A Picture to Help Me Remember:

http://www.vicfirth.com/education/percus
sion101-timpani.php

Vocabulary Word:

Decibel (dB)

Definition:

One tenth of a bel

In My Own Words:

Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The

Science of Sound and Music. New York:
Sterling Publishing
A smaller unit of a bel.

A Picture to Help Me Remember:

http://www.dreamstime.com/stockimages-decibel-image22202604
Vocabulary Word:

Energy
Definition:

In My Own Words:

The ability to cause objects to move

Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The

Science of Sound and Music. New York:
Sterling Publishing
The movement of sound waves through
objects causing it to move

A Picture to Help Me Remember:

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/125086/energy

Vocabulary Word:

Frequency

Definition:

In My Own Words:

The number of vibrations or waves in a given period of

time.

Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science of Sound

and Music. New York: Sterling Publishing
The number of sound waves that pass a point during a
certain time.

A Picture to Help
Me Remember:

http://physics.tutorvista.com/waves/wave-frequency.html

Vocabular
y Word:

Hertz

Definition
:

In My
Own
Words:

The international unit for frequency; one hertz (Hz) is one cycle per
second.

Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science of Sound and Music.
New York: Sterling Publishing
The unit used for frequency

A Picture
to Help
Me
Remembe
r:

http://www.howequipmentworks.com/ultrasound_basics/

Vocabulary Word:

Intensity

Definition:

The amount of energy per unit of space

In My Own Words:

Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (2000). The Science of Sound

and Music. New York: Sterling Publishing
The loudness of sounds

A Picture to Help Me
Remember:

https://sites.google.com/a/student.brookfieldps.org/lewis
_jake_hphysicsvocab/waves-and-sound
Vocabulary Word:

Noise

Definition:

In My Own Words:

An unwanted or loud sound. Most noises are made of a

mixture of sounds rather than the simple sounds, like
musical notes, that we think are pleasant.
Knapp, B. (2003). Science Matters!: Changing Sounds
(Vol. 18). Danbury, CT: Atlantic Europe Publishing
Company.
A sound that in unpleasant to the listener

A Picture to Help Me
Remember:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/sep/05/ch
ange-your-life-excessive-noise