Energy from the Sun Activity

What are Waves? Classwork Name______

1st Grade PSI

What happens to water when an object is dropped into it? What do we call the motion? Let’s find out!

Procedure:

1. Watch what happens when your teacher drops an object into a basin of water.

2. In the space below draw the motion of water (waves) that you observed.

3. Was this motion up and down?

4. Where can you observe this motion outside your classroom?

Waves and Sounds Homework Name______

1st Grade PSI

We will be using musical instruments in class to demonstrate that sound can make matter vibrate, and vibrating matter can make sound.

We hope you can take a few minutes to help your child create a musical instrument that will demonstrate this. Below are some suggestions for musical instruments. Feel free to create a different instrument. Bring your creation to class on ______.

1) Box guitar – Use a tissue box (opening on one side) and stretch and attach rubber bands across opening.

2) Use 4-5 glasses and pour water into glasses. Each glass should have different levels of water. Tap on the glass with a wooden spoon.

3) Drums- Use a pail or plastic container and turn over. Hit the end with hands or sticks. Or you could try covering the open side with material and use a rubber band to hold it in place. Use different materials to cover the container and see if you get different vibrations/sounds.

Waves and Sound Classwork Name______

1st Grade PSI

Let’s explore our musical instruments.

Follow your teacher’s instruction for this activity.

When you have finished the activity, answer the following questions.

Questions:

1. My instrument was a ______.

2. What did you see or feel when you tried to make sound with your instrument?

3. Could you change the sound? If yes, what did you do to change sound?

Sound Classwork Name______

1st Grade PSI

Sound – Sound is another type of wave.

Questions:

1. List 3 examples of different sounds.

2. Sound needs something to move through. These waves can travel through …

3. What size animal would have a low pitch?

4. What size animal would have a high pitch?

Sound Homework Name______

1st Grade PSI

Sound is another type of wave. Sound travels as waves through air, water, or solid objects.

Find a quiet place and sit there for 3-5 minutes and simply listen.

Write down the different sounds you hear.

Which were loud?

Which were soft?

Light Cave Classwork Name______

1st Grade PSI

Let’s explore sight.

Follow your teacher’s instruction for the Light Cave Activity.

When you have finished activity, answer the questions. Discuss with classmates.

Questions:

1. The cave is dark. Explore the cave. What did you see without a light source?

2. What changed when you used a flashlight? What did you see then?

3. Why was it easier to see objects the second time?

Sight Homework Name______

1st Grade PSI

Sight – We can only see an object when there is a light source.

1. Walk around your house. List below all the sources of light you see.

2. Go outside when it is dark. What sources of light do you see now?

3. Let’s think! Why do you think nighttime animals (like an owl) have huge eyes?

Parent Notes *– Since light sources are limited outside at night, nighttime animals have big eyes so they can take in as much light as possible.

Objects in Light’s Path Classwork Name______

1st Grade PSI

Let’s explore what happens when light hits certain objects.

Follow your teacher’s instruction for this activity.

Use this sheet to record your observation.

Which Objects:

1. Created shadows?

2. Reflected the light?

3. Let light through?

4. Other Observations ….

Light Hitting Objects Classwork Name______

1st Grade PSI

Show what happens to light as it hits different types of objects. Use arrows to show light’s path.

Type of object:

1. Transparent

Before After

2. Translucent

Before After

3. Opaque

Before After

Light Hitting Objects Homework Name______

1st Grade PSI

Parent Notes* - Definitions of terminology.

Transparent- Clear – all light passes through.

Translucent – Some light passes through.

Opaque – None of light passes through.

Travel through your house to see if you can find objects that fit into each category. List the objects you found.

Transparent / Translucent / Opaque

Which category was harder to find?

Shadow Homework Name______

1st Grade PSI

Solid shapes block the light and cast shadows. We are going to create “shadow” puppets.

Teacher Note* - Supply different students with different types of paper (transparent, translucent, and opaque)

“Shadow Puppet”

1. Draw an animal on paper supplied by teacher.

2. Cut out the animal.

3. Tape a drinking straw or short stick on the back.

4. In a darkened room, ask a family member to shine a flashlight onto a plain wall.

5. Put your shadow puppet in front of the flashlight. Move it around.

Write or draw what you observed.

****Bring your puppet to class tomorrow. Everyone will share their puppets and observation.

String Phones Classwork Name______

1st Grade PSI

Let’s explore our string phones.

While using your phones record your observations to the following questions.

My Observations:

1. When you spoke into the cup, did you feel it vibrate?

2. While someone else is talking feel the string. What did you observe?

3. Hold the string tightly in the middle. Now have someone talk. What happened? Why?

Communication Homework Name______

1st Grade PSI

We can communicate using sight and sound. Let’s play a communication game. You will use the red and green circles your teacher gave you. Find a few friends or family members to play with you.

Traffic Light Game

1. You will be the traffic light operator. Stand on one side of the room or yard. Everyone else stands on the other side.

2. The traffic light operator controls the lights. The other players are only allowed to move when you say “Go” and show the green light. They cannot move when you say “Stop” and show the red light. You communicate when it is red or green.

3. The person who makes it across the room or yard first is the winner!

Question – What do you think would happen if the traffic lights stopped working? Write your response below.

Answer Key

What are Waves? Classwork

1. N/A

2. Picture should show a ripple.

3. Movement is up and down.

4. Answers will vary. Examples: swimming pool, ocean, etc.

Waves and Sounds Homework

Check that child brought an instrument to school.

Waves and Sounds Classwork

1. Answers will vary.

2. Answers will vary. Students should see and feel movement/vibration.

3. Answers will vary.

Sound Classwork

1. Answers will vary.

2. Sound can travel through air, water or solids.

3. Big

4. Small

Sound Homework

Answers will vary.

Light Cave Classwork

1. Answers will vary. They should not have been able to see very much.

2. Answers will vary. They should have been able to see everything in the cave.

3. With the presence of light, you can see objects. Without light, you cannot see.

Sight Homework

1. Answers will vary.

2. Answers will vary.

3. Night animals have large eyes. These large eyes allows as much light as possible to enter so that the animal can see.

Objects in Light’s Path Classwork

Answers will vary based on objects used.

Light Hitting Objects Classwork

Light Hitting Objects Homework

Answers will vary.

Shadow Homework

Answers will vary.

String Phones Classwork

1. They should feel it vibrate.

2. They should feel or see the string vibrate.

3. If they hold the string, then no sound can travel.

Communication Homework

If traffic lights stopped working, people would not be able to coordinate their movements. There are be many collisions.