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Exploration
thumbnail: astronaut by
NikoNomad
talking underwater by
Chrissy Edmiston
Underwater Jackhammer by
Divers Institute of Technology
Swimming with humpback whales@Vava'u, Kingdom Of Tonga by
梁摳摳
, used under CC BY
pilot whale sounds by
Cristiano Caldeira
humpback whale swimming in deeper waters by
Christopher Michel
, used under CC BY-SA
boy by
DiversityStudio
girl by
sezer66
group of business people in office by
Rawpixel.com
blue balloon vibrating computer speaker by
BluePigProductions
balloon vibrating by
WheelerInnovations
speakers vibrating- before by
SP AUDIO
speakers vibrating by
SP AUDIO
speakers vibrating with passenger by
SP AUDIO
Group of children with ball and skateboard chatting in city by
Iakov Filimonov
“The sequence of the balloon activity, followed by the videos of the speakers/windshield, then the air blob activities are fantastic! It's the perfect supported scaffolding!
I used your waves last year and this is a great addition.”
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Ellen
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Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“When my students saw the vacuum suck out the air it really helped them visualize the concept. Then when they heard the ringing of the clock disappear and then reappear they were amazed. The concept really clicked with my students with that demonstration. ”
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Amber
·
Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“Your website is fantastic. The students were completely engaged and loved taking part in all of the experiments. I didn't have balloons available so we used beach balls, they worked well too. The best part was the bell ringing until the air was taken away...very effective.”
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Jennifer
·
Teacher
· about 5 years ago
“The students enjoyed the activity. The model/simulation of the breaking windshield really helped. I had some students that were still skeptical and thought the windshield might break on the moon so we removed the air blobs in the demonstration and quickly changed their minds!”
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Marshelle
·
Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“The vacuum pump and the windshield blowing out.”
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Carla
·
Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“the balloon experiment and giving example how sound travels through vibrations”
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Lindsey
·
Teacher
· over 5 years ago
“I liked the part when the bell got quiet because there was no air.”
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April
·
Homeschooler
· about 7 years ago
“experimenting with the balloon and watching the vacuum suck out the air”
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Jillian
·
Teacher
· about 7 years ago
“Acting out the sound was great! And the kids LOVED seeing the windshields vibrate (and as a mom, i was glad you mentioned the ear protection....even though i'm sure the kids didn't even notice)”
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Tricia
·
Homeschooler
· about 7 years ago
“I did one balloon per group of 4. They passed it to each other instead of 12 balloons. Easier class for management. Mystery Science is very helpful. My district has not adopted science in years and we are required to teach new standards with little help. District science lead teacher gave me your web site. Most help I have had. Love it!”
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Laura
·
Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“the videos showing how powerful sound vibration can be (broke the wind shield)”
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Anne
·
Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Good wow factor with the shattering windshields. Mystery led to further experiment on thickness of materials and energy needed having an effect on pitch or not.”
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Richard
·
Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Clear and simple description of sound as vibrations with easily resourced experiments.”
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Richard
·
Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Balloons and broken windshields!! Fun times. ”
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Nicki
·
Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“The kids loved modeling the way sound traveled from the speaker to the window. Thank you!”
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Brandi
·
Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Easy materials to scrounge up, loved the extension articles and experiment with sprinkles for kids to try at home. The assessment really tells what the kids understand.”
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Beth
·
Teacher
· over 7 years ago
“Id id this with my second graders! They really understood it and loved it! You have away of simplifying subjects for kids and making it so interesting! Thank you!”
In this lesson, students explore the role that air plays in enabling a sound vibration to travel. In the activity, Act Out a Sound, students do two short activities that explore sound vibrations. Students experiment with sound to understand how it moves through the air and then consider what would happen in an environment like space where there is no air.
For the first activity, we suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students will need a partner. For the second activity, you need a minimum of four people (and a maximum of six people) who will sit in a line, side by side. So make sure you have the people and the chairs you need.
Divide Your Supplies
The first activity requires balloons and binder clips. The second activity requires the printouts and some tape. You may want to separate these supplies into two piles for easy classroom distribution.
After you complete the lesson and activity, try this extension.
Seeing Sound
For a very simple way to see sound vibrations, watch this video from HooplaKidzLab. This experimenter uses a bowl & plate, plastic cling film, and candy sprinkles.
If you want to try this experiment with a large group, we suggest using a plastic bowl or cup with a big rubber band to hold the plastic film in place. Substitute salt for the candy sprinkles and encourage students to hum, rather than speaking. (It’s too easy to blow away the salt with a shout.)