Higher and lower sounds

Science

In this Introduction to sound unit, pupils learn that sounds are made by vibrations and that vibrations travel through a medium to the ear. In the Sound, light and vision unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn more about how sound waves travel through different types of medium and are absorbed and reflected.

Pupils will draw upon exploration of making and listening to different sounds in EYFS and their own everyday experiences. In this Introduction to sound unit, pupils will build on this knowledge to identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating

This unit explores how sounds are made through vibrations, how they travel through mediums, and how pitch and volume relate to vibration strength. It also covers why sounds get fainter with distance. The emphasis is on practical enquiries, observations, and using results to draw conclusions.

Introduction to sound

Physical activity and equipment requiring safe use

Pitch describes how high or {{}} a sound is.

Which statement about sounds do you agree with.

Which of the following produces a high pitched sound?

What is the name given to someone who can not detect the pitch of sounds.

Different objects produce the same pitch sounds when they vibrate.

Different objects produce different pitched sounds when they vibrate.

Some objects vibrate to produce more than one pitched sound.

All objects can only produce one pitch sound when they vibrate.

Which statements about vibrations and pitch are true?

in dotted lines from the sound source to the ear

when an object moves backwards and forwards very quickly

Sounds travel to our ears like a vibrating laser beam.

Our ears vibrate and the vibrations travel to the object which makes a sound.

The object vibrates and the vibrations travels through a medium to our ears.

Starting with a crowd at a stadium, put these sounds in order of loudest volume to quietest volume.

What do we use to measure how loud or quiet a sound is?

Content guidance

Exploration of objects

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Higher and lower sounds

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.