CURRICULUM RESOURCES
Year 1 | Physical sciences | Sounds sensational
Sounds surround us, bringing a wealth of information about our world. We make sounds as a way to communicate with each other. Sounds such as music can influence our mood. Loud and persistent noise can be annoying and even harmful, for example, resulting in noise pollution and induced deafness. Understanding sound allows us to better manage our acoustic environment.
The Sounds sensational unit is an ideal way to link science with literacy in the classroom. It provides opportunities for students to investigate how sound is produced, how sound travels, how sound is used and the characteristics of sound. Students' understanding of sound and its role in our lives and our community will be developed through hands-on activities. Students investigate factors that affect the pitch of a sound producer.
Unit at a glance (PDF)
Unit outcomes (PDF)
Unit overview (PDF) (DOC)
Equipment lists (PDF)
Indigenous curriculum links (PDF)
Indigenous Perspectives framework (PDF)
Indigenous Perspectives Teaching and learning guide
Assessment resources
Factual and narrative texts
Useful websites
In PrimaryConnections units, assessment is an ongoing and embedded process which enhances learning.
Recording and reporting tools included are:
- Assessment checklists (PDF) (DOC)
- Assessment rubrics (PDF) (DOC)
- Science journal/work sample tags (PDF) (DOC)
These tools provide only a snapshot of the variety of assessment and reporting methods that can be used in conjunction with PrimaryConnections.
Factual:
All about sound (Read-about Science series)
Trumbauer, Lisa (Scholastic, 2004, USA)
ISBN 0 516 25847 8
Hearing sounds (Its Science series)
Watts, Franklin (Children's Press, USA, 1998)
ISBN 0 516 26339 0
Light and Sound (Kingfisher Young Knowledge series)
Goldsmith, Dr. Mike (Kingfisher, London, 2007, 48pp)
ISBN 978 0 7534 1518 4
Sound and Music (Science Starters series)
Dixon, Malcolm & Smith, Karen (Evans Brothers Limited, London, 2005, 30pp)
ISBN 0 237 53020 1
Sound: From whispers to rock band (Science Answers series)
Cooper, Christopher (Heinemann, Australia, 2004, 32pp)
ISBN 1 40343553 7
Narrative:
Sounds all around (Let's-read-and Find-out Science series)
Pfeffer, Wendy (Harper Collins, New York, 1999, 32 pp)
ISBN 0 06 445177 1
KS2 Bitesize (BBC)
Interactive learning activities where students test their science knowledge with games and quizzes.
Engineering Interact
An interactive science and engineering website for 9-11 year olds. Contains a number of interactive modules, split into three sections: learning, testing and engineering applications
Scholastic.com
An interactive game where students identify and match sounds.
Interactive sound ruler
An interactive ruler that compares the decibel level for everyday sounds.