Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

Science lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 45 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 · 5 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 do you make a drum sound louder? (use a smaller drum / cover it with a cloth / hit it more gently / hit it harder) → hit it harderPrompt: Bigger vibrations make louder sounds.
  2. Pitch and loudness: which statement is true? (Longer strings make higher notes. / Hitting a drum harder makes a higher note. / Loud sounds always have a high pitch. / Bigger vibrations make louder sounds.) → Bigger vibrations make louder sounds.Prompt: Pitch is about how fast; loudness is about how big.
  3. Which drum makes the lowest sound? (a small drum with a tight skin / a drum with a very tight skin / a tiny drum / a big drum with a loose skin) → a big drum with a loose skinPrompt: Big, loose skins vibrate slowly.

Hook · 5 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 · 10 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 · 10 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 2500 times in 5 seconds. What is the frequency of the sound, in hertz (Hz)? → 500 HzPrompt: Frequency is the number of waves (vibrations) per second.
  2. A dog whistle produces sound at 25 kHz. What is this frequency in Hz? (1 kHz = 1000 Hz) → 25000 HzPrompt: “kilo” means one thousand.

You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. A guitar string vibrates 2200 times in 5 seconds. What is the frequency of the sound, in hertz (Hz)? → 440 HzPrompt: Frequency is the number of waves (vibrations) per second.
  2. A dog whistle produces sound at 40 kHz. What is this frequency in Hz? (1 kHz = 1000 Hz) → 40000 HzPrompt: “kilo” means one thousand.

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

eurekami

Frequency and amplitude of sound waves

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    A guitar string vibrates 1000 times in 4 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 25 kHz?

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

  3. Question 3

    Why can bats hear sounds that people cannot?

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

  4. Question 4

    A guitar string vibrates 4000 times in 4 seconds. What is the frequency of the sound, in hertz (Hz)?

    AnswerHz

  5. Question 5

    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

  6. Question 6

    On an oscilloscope, wave C has more waves squeezed into the same width as wave A. How does C sound?

    • A. silent
    • B. louder only
    • C. higher pitched
    • D. lower pitched

  7. Question 7

    A guitar string vibrates 500 times in 2 seconds. What is the frequency of the sound, in hertz (Hz)?

    AnswerHz

  8. Question 8

    Humans can hear from about 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz. Could a young person hear a sound of 15 kHz?

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

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Frequency and amplitude of sound waves

  1. 1. 250 Hz

  2. 2. B. no, it is ultrasound

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

  4. 4. 1000 Hz

  5. 5. A. yes

  6. 6. C. higher pitched

  7. 7. 250 Hz

  8. 8. A. yes