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Science lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes

Frequency and amplitude of sound waves

Light, sound and waves

CCSS NGSS.MS-PS4-1England: KS3 Physics: Waves (sound)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Frequency and amplitude of sound waves.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Pitch and loudness; Parts of a wave

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Slinky or rope, Mirrors and torches, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Pitch and loudness; Parts of a wave). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. How can you make a guitar string play a higher note? (pluck it more softly / make it longer / make it looser / make it tighter or shorter) → make it tighter or shorterPrompt: Shorter, tighter strings vibrate faster.
  2. Pitch and loudness: which statement is true? (Loud sounds always have a high pitch. / Bigger vibrations make louder sounds. / Hitting a drum harder makes a higher note. / Longer strings make higher notes.) → Bigger vibrations make louder sounds.Prompt: Pitch is about how fast; loudness is about how big.
  3. Which drum makes the lowest sound? (a tiny drum / a drum with a very tight skin / a big drum with a loose skin / a small drum with a tight skin) → a big drum with a loose skinPrompt: Big, loose skins vibrate slowly.

Hook · 3 min

  • Ask the class to make a wave with a rope or slinky and describe what moves and what doesn't.
  • Share the objective: Frequency and amplitude of sound waves. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: A guitar string vibrates 400 times in 4 seconds. What is the frequency of the sound, in hertz (Hz)?
  • Step 1: 400 ÷ 4 = 100
  • Step 2: So the answer is: 100 Hz
  • Answer: 100 Hz
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. A guitar string vibrates 220 times in 0.5 seconds. What is the frequency of the sound, in hertz (Hz)? → 440 HzPrompt: Frequency is the number of waves (vibrations) per second.
  2. Humans can hear from about 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz. Could a young person hear a sound of 15 kHz? (yes / no, it is ultrasound) → yesPrompt: Convert kHz to Hz first.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. A guitar string vibrates 5000 times in 5 seconds. What is the frequency of the sound, in hertz (Hz)? → 1000 HzPrompt: Frequency is the number of waves (vibrations) per second.
  2. Humans can hear from about 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz. Could a young person hear a sound of 40 kHz? (yes / no, it is ultrasound) → no, it is ultrasoundPrompt: Convert kHz to Hz first.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Pitch and loudness.
  • Use concrete materials: slinky or rope.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-6.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Frequency and amplitude of sound waves

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    A guitar string vibrates 50 times in 0.5 seconds. What is the frequency of the sound, in hertz (Hz)?

    AnswerHz

  2. Question 2

    Humans can hear from about 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz. Could a young person hear a sound of 5 kHz?

    • A. yes
    • B. no, it is ultrasound

  3. Question 3

    Why can bats hear sounds that people cannot?

    • A. Their hearing range extends to much higher frequencies
    • B. Bats hear only low frequencies
    • C. They have bigger amplitude ears
    • D. Sound travels faster for bats

  4. Question 4

    A guitar string vibrates 2000 times in 2 seconds. What is the frequency of the sound, in hertz (Hz)?

    AnswerHz

  5. Question 5

    A dog whistle produces sound at 25 kHz. What is this frequency in Hz? (1 kHz = 1000 Hz)

    AnswerHz

  6. Question 6

    Why does the upper limit of hearing often fall as people get older?

    • A. The ear canal gets wider
    • B. Sensitive cells in the inner ear are gradually damaged
    • C. Sound gets slower
    • D. Older people make higher sounds

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Answer key: Frequency and amplitude of sound waves

  1. 1. 100 Hz

  2. 2. A. yes

  3. 3. A. Their hearing range extends to much higher frequencies

  4. 4. 1000 Hz

  5. 5. 25000 Hz

  6. 6. B. Sensitive cells in the inner ear are gradually damaged