What’s That Sound?

Second graders have started a new unit on SOUND!  We have been having a fun time creating sounds with objects, like a popsicle stick, a rubber band, a plastic bottle, a straw, and even a comb!

Sound is all around us, even in the quietest moments.  Whenever we breathe, our own breathing can be heard.

In the beginning of the science unit, students talk about how sounds are different from each other as well as think about what factors create these differences in sounds.  We use different objects to create sound.

Then, they learned about what vibrations are and how they produce sound.  Vibrations are produced by some kind of energy or force to an object, like striking it with another object or blowing on it.

Second graders get to use a tuning fork (an instrument that gives a fixed tone when struck) to see how it vibrates.  The classes even get to put the tuning fork into water after being struck to watch water ripple. Sounds are created when things vibrate back and forth.

We will be discovering more about sound over the next few weeks!  Ask your child what they have been enjoying most about sound!