Werklund School of Education

University of Calgary | Undergraduate Programs in Education

Lesson Overview

Dates March 2025 Subject Science (Sound)
Grade Level Grade 2 Length 60 Minutes
Unit Energy Exploration Lesson # 5
Teacher Lucas Johnson

Identify Desired Results

Learner Outcomes

  • Understand sound is energy transferred by vibrations through a medium.
  • Identify sound waves as compressions traveling through materials (solid, liquid, gas).
  • Describe basic sound characteristics: pitch, volume, and duration.
  • Observe that soft materials absorb sound (soak it up).

Objective (Student-Friendly)

  • I Know: Sound comes from vibrations (wiggles).
  • I Understand: Sound needs "stuff" (air, water, wood) to travel. In space, there is no sound!
  • I Can: Use words like pitch and volume to describe different sounds.

Assessment Strategies

Formative:

  • Participation in the "Mystery Box" sound identification game.
  • Observe group work at the "Sound Absorption" and "Dancing Sprinkles" stations.
  • Review worksheets for correct use of sound vocabulary.

Differentiated Learning & Resources

Resources

  • Drums & Shakers
  • Rubber bands (thick/thin)
  • Speaker & Plastic wrap (with sprinkles)
  • Soft materials (Felt, Carpet) vs. Hard surfaces

Personalization

  • Challenge: Predict which materials will be the best sound absorbers.
  • Support: Provide picture cues for pitch (High bell / Low drum).
  • Engagement: Tactile activity making and modifying paper plate shakers.

Lesson Sequence

1. Hook: The Mystery Box (3 min)

  • Shake a closed box with a hidden sound maker. Ask: "Is it high or low? Loud or quiet? What is making the wiggle?" Introduce vibrations.

2. Explicit Instruction (12 min)

  • Vibration: A fast back-and-forth wiggle.
  • Medium: Stuff sound travels through. Sound cannot travel in a vacuum (space)!
  • Characteristics:
    • Volume: Loud vs. Quiet (Strength of wiggle).
    • Pitch: High vs. Low (Speed of wiggle).
    • Duration: Long vs. Short.
  • Absorption: Soft, bumpy materials soak up sound energy.

3. Activity Stations (30 min)

Station Activity Discovery
Dancing Sprinkles Watch sprinkles jump on a drum/speaker. Sound causes vibrations
Absorption Box Listen to a sound source inside a half-felt-lined box. Soft things soak up sound
Modify a Shaker Cover shakers with foil vs. felt. Materials change sound

4. Wrap-up and Reflection (15 min)

  • "What did the felt do to the sound?" (Absorbed it/made it quieter).
  • Journal: "Draw a high-pitched sound and a low-pitched sound."

Glossary

  • Vibration: A super fast back-and-forth wiggle.
  • Medium: The material sound travels through (air, water, wood).
  • Pitch: How high or low a sound is.
  • Absorption: When energy is soaked up by a material.