Energy: Sound and vibrations

Discovering how sound is made and travels by exploring the relationship between vibrations and hearing.

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  1. Subjects >
  2. Science >
  3. Key stage 2 >
  4. Year 4 >
  5. Energy: Sound and vibrations

Unit outcomes

Pupils who are secure will be able to:

  • Describe how sounds are made.
  • Describe how sounds are heard through different mediums.
  • Explain the relationship between vibration strength and volume. 
  • Describe the relationship between volume and distance.
  • Describe pitch and how to change it.
  • Explain how insulating materials can be used to muffle sound.

When working scientifically, pupils who are secure will be able to:

  • To observe closely how different instruments create a sound.
  • Research how whales and dolphins communicate underwater. 
  • Present results using a bar chart.
  • Suggest which variables to measure and for how long.
  • Design simple results tables.
  • Identify when results or observations do not match predictions.

Suggested prior learning

Materials: States of matter

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Lessons

Lesson 1: Vibrations

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Lesson 2: Sound waves

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Lesson 3: Volume

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Lesson 4: Volume and distance

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Lesson 5: Pitch

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Lesson 6: Sound insulation

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Key skills

Planning

  • To
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Key knowledge

To know:

  • Sound is a
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Key vocabulary

air

bar chart

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Equipment list

Equipment needed across all lessons in this unit.

This list does not include equipment which is usually readily available in the classroom (e.g pencils, A4 paper etc)

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Full equipment list for the subject

Quantities marked × will update. Items without quantities are unaffected

  • Tuning forks

         ×8

  • Plastic trays

         ×8

  • Rice 

         ×1

  • Inflexible plastic rulers

         ×8
  • Rubber band ×15
  • Mixing bowl ×8

  • Tablets (or data loggers) 

         ×8
  • Musical instruments ×8
  • Paper cups ×8
  • String ×1
  • Metal coat hangers ×8
  • Skipping rope ×1

  • 15 m tape measures

         ×1

  • Metal pan, jar or bottle lids

         ×8

  • Plastic containers

         ×8

  • Glass bottles

         ×8

  • Test materials (insulators and conductors of sound)

         ×8

  • Access to water

         ×1

  • An outside space

         ×1
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Related content

    Resources

Unit resources

Padlock
Science

Knowledge organiser – Science Y4: Energy: Sound and vibrations

Aimed at pupils, a double page which gives key facts and definition from the unit ‘Sound and vibrations’.

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Padlock
Science

Vocabulary display – Science Y4: Energy: Sound and vibrations

A display version of the key vocabulary for the unit 'Sound and vibrations'.

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Subject resources

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Cross-curricular opportunities

Music.

English: Reading – comprehension.

Maths: Statistics; Measurement.

British values: Mutual respect.

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