10 Sound & Wave Experiment Student-led Interactive Stations w/ Simple Materials

This resource is an excellent way to introduce or practice the concepts of how sound travels to grades 4- 8. There are 10 stations set up for students to move through in any order.

The stations focus on how vibrations make waves and that sound waves are made of energy transferring from molecule to molecule. Also covered are types of mediums through which sound travels through best. You can set this up and do the stations together as a class (you'll need more materials this way) or as a student-led, self paced unit with the stations set up around the room.

Details:

• Students are given a set of directions to follow at each station.
• Once they complete each activity, there is a set of questions to answer in a booklet.
• I like to have students check in with me between stations so I can ask questions to judge understanding.
• Some students will take longer to do this than others, so I have included a mini project to design your own musical instrument for the early finishers.

Resource Includes:

• Introductory reading on Sound and Waves.
• 10 Station Cards: slinky wave demonstration, Ruler and Marble wave demonstration, Rubber band sound, Singing Rulers, Tuning a fork, Salt Drum, Straw instruments
• Booklet for students to record answers to station questions
• 1/2 sheet review questions for extra practice or as a check for understanding
• Project for early finishers

MATERIALS (for each station):

1. Slinky (or a few)

2. Ruler with 6 marbles

3. Thick and thin rubber bands

4. Plastic ruler

5. Tuning fork, bowl of water- (a large bowl 1/3 full is best as the water will splatter)

6. Tuning Fork, Kosher salt, Soup can, balloon

7. Straw (1 per student), Scissors

8. Table

9. 3 hangers, one with string tied to it, one with rubber bands tied to it and one with wire tied to it.

10. Cup and string phones

HAVE FUN!