Science Year 4 Physics Strand: Sound

This plan makes reference to session resources that can be downloaded at https://www.hamilton-trust.org.uk/browse/science/y4/sound-year-4-new-curriculum/86867.

Session F

Musical instruments / Programmes of study: Identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating
Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it
Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it
Working scientifically / Set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests
Record findings using labelled diagrams
Report on findings
Use results to draw simple conclusions and suggest improvements and predictions for setting up further tests

Resources needed

/ A variety of musical instruments. Dog whistle if available. Instruments made in the last session. Concept maps from session A. Access to internet.
Whole class teaching: (links to Sessions 2 & 2a, Cool Vibrations Theme, Cool Stuff Topic)
Listen to and discuss with children the sounds made by individual instruments by exploring some websites and/or a wide variety of musical instruments. Try http://www.dsokids.com/listen/instrumentlist.aspx or http://www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/guide/. Ensure that children understand that the word ‘pitch’ describes how high or low a sound is, and that they use it to describe the instruments they hear. Which instrument has the highest pitch, the loudest volume, etc.? Point out that in any piece of music there is a variety of sounds of differing pitch and volume.
Blow a dog whistle if you have one available and explain that the pitch of the sound is too high for human ears, but that dogs can hear the sound. Similar devices have been used to stop older children loitering near shops, etc. Humans suffer from age-related hearing loss which begins after the age of 20 and first affects the highest frequencies (18 to 20 kHz). It is therefore possible to generate a high frequency (high pitched) sound that is audible only to teenagers. Visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7241527.stm to listen to a simulation that adults can also hear.
Group activities:
Independent activities:
Changing sounds: Using the instrument they made in the last session, children investigate how to change the sounds produced. Predict what will happen if they change an aspect of their instrument, e.g. add more water to the bottle, tighten the plastic bag over the container, use a thicker elastic band, etc. Test it! Can they make the sound louder, softer, higher and lower? How? Can children explain in scientific terms why this happened?
Draw an annotated diagram to explain their instrument to another child. Swap instruments and use the diagram to learn how to produce different sounds with the new instrument.
Recording sounds: Children may want to experiment recording some sounds for themselves to use as sound effects (this could be linked to a Literacy Unit producing radio programmes for example). Go to http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/windows to download free Audacity software or use Microsoft Sound Recorder found in Start>Programs>Accessories>Entertainment.
Help kill the Rakweed: Visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/physical_processes/sound/play/ if children have completed their instrument challenge! They’ll need to change volume & pitch separately & then both at the same time!
Plenary:
Discuss children’s findings. Evaluate each other’s instruments – was it possible to change the pitch and volume? Were the annotated diagrams helpful in understanding how to do this? To complete the Strand give children back their concept maps from Session A. Ask them to think about what they have learnt and ask them to add details using a different coloured pencil or pen. Have all the questions they asked been answered?
I can:
1. Explain how different instruments make sounds.
2. Investigate how to change the sounds (pitch and volume) made by an instrument.

© Original plan copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users

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