Sound
Background Information & Activities

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Invite your children to close their eyes and listen. What do they hear? Remind them that sound is a type of energy, like light or heat. We recommend watching the Heat movie together as a review. Sound is made when something vibrates and pushes molecules in the air to create waves. The waves travel to our ears and vibrate our eardrums, which helps us hear. Sound waves require matter to travel, and they can move through solids, liquids, and gases. Sounds can differ in volume or pitch and they can also be absorbed or blocked by objects. An echo occurs when a sound bounces off of something and returns to its source. We recommend doing plenty of hands-on activities and experiments with your children to help them explore, understand, and have fun with sound.

Have your children place their hands on the sides of their throats and make different sounds like humming, talking, or whispering. What do they feel? Sound is made when something vibrates, or moves back and forth. Air from the lungs pass through the vocal cords and cause them to vibrate. This helps us speak. If possible, pluck a guitar string or a rubber band to show how it vibrates. When something vibrates it pushes the air and creates sound waves. The sound waves travel through the air and to our ears and cause our eardrums to vibrate, helping us hear. Have your children imagine throwing a rock in the middle of a pool or pond. Small waves move away from the rock along the surface of the water. These waves are similar to how sound waves travel through the air.

Volume describes how soft or loud a sound is. If possible, use a stereo to demonstrate different volumes. The waves of loud sounds have a lot of energy and can travel far. This is why you can hear a fire truck siren or a school bell without being near it. Their sound waves can travel greater distances than softer sounds. The waves of softer sounds, such as a squeaking mouse or a whisper, do not have as much energy. You have to be pretty close to the source in order to hear them.

Pitch describes how low or high a sound is. If possible, use a stringed instrument or sing to demonstrate low notes and high notes. When you play a high note on a guitar, the string vibrates quickly and the sound waves move at a fast rate. When you play a low note, the string vibrates slower and the sound waves move at a slower rate. Remind your children that just because something vibrates slower, it does not mean it’s softer. You can use a bass drum or a tuba to play low notes very loudly. The rate of vibration affects the pitch, but the amplitude, or height, of the sound wave determines the volume.

Sound waves need matter to move through, which means they cannot travel through a vacuum. Most of the sounds we hear travel through the air, but sounds can also travel through solids. Have children put their ear to a table and knock on the other side. They can hear the sound, and they may also feel the vibration in the wood. Sounds can also be blocked or absorbed by certain objects. Have your children notice the difference in sound when a door or window is opened or closed. The door or window blocks out some of the sound waves and keeps them from reaching your ears. Ear plugs absorb some sound waves so they don’t reach your ears. People who work in loud environments, such as construction workers or ambulance drivers may use earplugs to protect their ears and hearing.

Sound waves can also bounce off things. An echo occurs when a sound bounces off something and returns to the source, or where it came from. Have your children share experiences when they have heard echoes. Where were they? What did they say or hear? Some animals such as bats and dolphins use echoes to help them navigate and hunt. Bats emit a sound and use the echo to help find their way and look for food.

Sound is all around us and helps many people and animals interact with their surroundings. Have your children think about sound and how they use it everyday. Exploring sound can be a fun and hands-on way for children to learn about the world around them.

Sound Teacher Activities – Click Here!

Sound Family Activities – Click Here!

Sound Teacher Activities

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Sound Off

If possible, take your class outside to the playground or to a park. Have your students bring notebooks and pencils. Ask them to sit as quietly as they can and listen to their surroundings. You may want them to close their eyes to help them concentrate. What do they hear? Have them write their ideas down and categorize which sounds are loud and quiet, or which sounds have high or low pitches. Then have your students share their findings with the class.

Thank You, Maestro

Ask different musicians to visit the class and share their instruments. If possible have them play a short song that showcases the range of their instruments. How do their instruments make sound? What is the highest or lowest note they can play? What is the softest or loudest sound they can make with their instruments? Have your students discuss each instrument and its sounds. What instrument would they like to play? Why?

Feeling Plucky

Divide the class into small groups and give each group several different lengths of string. Have two students hold the ends of one string and have another student pluck it. What do they see? What do they hear? Then have them repeat the activity using different lengths of string. What happens to the sound? What happens to the vibrations? Students can record their observations in a chart and share what they learned with the whole class.

Sound Family Activities

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In Concert

Take your child to a concert and listen to live music together. Many communities have free music programs appropriate for the whole family. Local colleges or universities often have chamber music ensembles or orchestras that play for free. After the show, discuss the music with your child. What instruments did he or she hear? Was the music loud or soft? What instruments had the highest or lowest pitch? How did the volume and pitch change during a song?

Day and Night Sounds

Some animals are active during the day, while other animals are active at dusk or at night. Take a walk with your child around the neighborhood once during the day and once at dusk or at night. What sounds does he or she hear? How are the sounds different during the day and at night? How do you think animals use sound? Discuss what you hear with your child and learn more by researching the Internet or visiting the library to learn more about animals in your neighborhood.