Elementary Science Sound Games
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Students may know that a drum makes noise, but these sound games can show them how the noise travels through the air.
Drum Roll image by Kathy D from Fotolia.com
Elementary school students hear sounds around them all the time, but they have probably never stopped to think about how those sounds travel to their ears. You can use some hands-on games to teach them about sound waves and how they travel through various materials. Each of these games can provide you with a springboard to discuss more abstract science ideas about sound.
Playing With a Sound Wave Detector
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Students can make their own sound wave detector and play games with it by using a few simple materials. Have each group of students place a piece of plastic wrap over the mouth of an empty coffee can and secure it with a rubber band so that it is stretched tightly. Students should then sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt on top of the plastic wrap. When they make a loud sound near the coffee can, the salt will vibrate. Students should think of different types of sounds they can make near the sound wave detector (e.g., speaking, banging on a desk, shouting) to see how the salt moves differently in reaction to each sound. You can use this game, which is the perfect introduction to the physics of sound, to discuss how sound moves in waves, or vibrating air molecules.
Domino Demonstration
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Each group of students can use several dominoes to demonstrate this aspect of sound movement. Students should make two lines of dominoes, one with the dominoes each being two centimeters from the next, and one with the dominoes being four centimeters from the next. The two rows should be exactly the same length (which means that one row will have half the dominoes of the other row). Students should hypothesize about what will happen if they tap the front domino of each row at the same time, and should then go ahead and do it.
When students see that the dominos that are closer together moved more quickly than the dominos that were farther apart, have them think about why this might be so. As a class, discuss how they can connect this game with the way that molecules are arranged in solids, liquids and gases, as well as how sound travels through each of these phases of matter.
Making a Glass Xylophone
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Students can experiment with making their own instrument with this fun science game. Give each group of students ten small glasses, a pitcher of water, and some metal spoons. Encourage them to experiment with pouring different amounts of water into each glass to see how it affects the sounds that the glasses make when students hit them with a spoon. Each group can then make its own glass xylophone by filling up each of the glasses to a different height. Students may even be able to play a simple song, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on their xylophones.
If you'd like, you can give out other liquids (e.g., milk, soda, juice, oil) so that students can see if they make higher or lower sounds, or none at all. These games can help students understand how sound waves move through liquids and how the amount or type of a liquid affects the way that sound waves move through it.
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- Photo Credit Drum Roll image by Kathy D from Fotolia.com
