GRADE 4 SOUND UNIT

OUTCOMES

SO4.1 Identify sources and characteristics of sound in the environment, including how humans and animals hear sound.

SO4.2 Investigate the characteristics and properties of sound.

SO4.3 Assess the impact on self, society and the environment of technological innovations related to sound.

LESSON 1

Introductory lesson - Students will learn the components of the human ear and how humans hear sound. Students will explore how sound is created through vibrations by making kazoos.

Explore, Engage, Explain

LESSON 2

Students will be learning about everyday sounds including sounds from the natural environment, animal sounds and sounds that humans rely on for pleasure and also for a warning that something will happen. Students will explore some everyday objects in a sound matching activity.

Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate

Sounds All Around book

•Red and blue markers•10 or 12 containers with lids (yogurt, sour cream containers, or cans work best)

•Objects to be used as sound makers: marbles, pennies, keys, paper clips, rice, beans, cotton balls, popsicle sticks, rocks (challenge the students and pick similar sounds)•Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer•Create a chart on the board to track the sounds matched

LESSON 3(WILL CARRY OVER 2 DAYS)

Students will be exploring different animals and the sounds they produce, along with their sound range. A comparison chart will be created at the end, to compare the different animals’ sound ranges to that of a human. In pairs, students will present sound information about a particular animal.

Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J-GL5FJ0wQ

Suggested criteria:-animal name-range of sound heard-what sound this animal makes-comparison to humans

LESSON 4 & 5WATCHING SOUND TRAVEL

Watching sound travel through a gas. The students will be constructing bottle drums and using them to see how sound travels.

Lesson 4-sound traveling through a gasLesson 5-sound traveling through solid and liquid

Engage, Explore, Explain, Evaluate

Liquid: (short experiments)-tapping water glasses with different volumes of water with spoons – watch vibration

Solid:-making telephones with plastic cups and string-the sound vibrations travel down the string

LESSON 6 - PITCH

Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate

-Dancing Balloon – held to a speaker – feel vibrations as the volume is turned up-Humming into a large jar and small jar

Volume and Pitch book

-The Doppler Effect-Volume and Pitch

Closure – Read The Remarkable Farkle McBride to introduce musical instruments in the next lessons

LESSONS 7, 8 & 9

Students will be engaged in learning about the different types of musical instruments. Students will be further exploring these instruments by creating their own musical device that relates to one of the types of musical instruments we have discussed.

Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate

- Clothes hangers - chimes- Kleenex boxes (start collecting - throughout year – do not throw away after empty)- Shoe boxes (also start collecting from students)- Different sizes of elastics- Tissue paper- Construction paper- Glue- Scissors-Markers**Supply a variety of materials for students

**Assessment: handout and presentation rubric included in zipped folder

Closure - The Magic School Bus book

LESSON 10NOISE POLLUTION

Engage, Explore, ExplainCentres – about five minutes at each

1) What is noise to you ears?2) Sounds in Everyday Life (loud, soft; pleasant, unpleasant;

high-pitched, low-pitched. Handout to rate these sounds:http://kidshealth.org/classroom/prekto2/body/functions/

hearing_handout2.pdf3) Jobs Requiring Sound – Using large paper, write a list of any

jobs that deal with sound and draw corresponding pictures4)http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=NoyScburK_U&feature=related - meet Caroline, a hearing impaired teen – need computers and a few laptops. (talks about her struggles and her life on a day to day basis

5) Ways to Help Others With Hearing Problems – teacher led centre – discussion with the groups

**Action Plan – What can we do to prevent noise pollution??

LESSON 11

Sound Technology and Canadian Contributors

- This conclusion of the sound unit will take a few class periods to complete

Engage, Explore, Explain, Evaluate, Elaborate

Day 1: Review of Sound-Bill Nye video-Power point presentation about devices that enhance our abilities to hear and collect sound data

Day 2:-introduction of research project

WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? RESEARCH PROJECT

CANADIANS AND SOUND TECHNOLOGY

 Students will be paired for the project and will pick their Canadian inventor out of a hat. List of inventors supplied as options.

Criteria:1) Name of inventor/contributor (Who)2) Name of particular technology – What is it called? (What)3) Date of when the technology was invented (When)4) Where did the invention occur? (Where)5) What the invention does/did? Description (Why)6) 2 extra facts about the invention7) Diagram/Picture with detailed description of parts8) Is the invention still used today/Is there current research about the invention? 9) How has this invention affected people/Why is it important?

**A rubric to assess the project and presentations is included.