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Grades 6–8. In Unit 8.2 Sound Waves, Carolina Certified Version*, students work to answer the Unit Driving Question: "How can a sound make something move?"

Students begin the sound unit by considering an interesting phenomenon: a truck is playing loud music in a parking lot and the windows of a building across the parking lot visibly shake in response to the music. Students then generate questions about three aspects of sound phenomena:
1) What makes sound?
2) How does sound get from the truck to the window?
3) Why does the window shake?

Students engage in model-based reasoning, argumentation, and computational and mathematical reasoning to develop models to explain these three aspects of the mystery:

By investigating factors including loudness and pitch, students develop a model of vibration that captures important ideas about how changes in the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations can explain these different characteristics of sounds. Students use this model of vibration to answer their initial questions about what causes different sounds.
By testing various types of materials and using interactive computer models, students figure out how sound travels from one location to another by causing sequences of vibrations through matter. What they figure out helps students answer their initial questions about how sound is traveling from a sound source to our ears.
By reasoning with the models they have developed, students also figure out how sounds can be absorbed and transmitted. In particular, they figure out how the energy transferred by the sound wave depends on both frequency and amplitude of a sound wave, and is more affected by its amplitude than the frequency. What students figure out helps them answer their initial questions about how objects that are not touching a sound source can shake in response to sound.

This 1-Class Unit Kit includes basic teacher access to instructional materials on CarolinaScienceOnline.com, plus the materials needed to teach 1 class of 32 students per day.

Building Toward NGSS Performance Expectations

MS-PS4-1: Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

Science and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models
Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Focal Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS4.A

Focal Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns
Scale
Proportion
Quantity

*All enhancements to materials and instruction for this Carolina Certified Version of the unit are approved by OpenSciEd to preserve the integrity of the storyline and the instructional model.