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Ontario · Ontario Science and Technology · Grade 4

C2.4: Describe properties of sound, including that sound travels through a…

Describe properties of sound, including that sound travels through a medium as a wave and that sound can be absorbed or reflected and modified. (string telephone; partial, an early start on Grade 4).

The Ontario Science and Technology, Grades 1–8 outcome C2.4 (Matter and Energy) for Grade 4 says: “Describe properties of sound, including that sound travels through a medium as a wave and that sound can be absorbed or reflected and modified. (string telephone; partial, an early start on Grade 4).” This Fieldbook unit teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: Ontario Science and Technology, Grades 1–8.

Sound: Can You See a Sound? Grades K–2

Can you see a sound? Young scientists make rice dance on a drum, talk through a string telephone and build a rubber-band guitar to find out that every sound starts with something shaking.

  • Can you see a sound? 40–45 min

    Children make grains of rice jump on a plastic-wrap drum, pluck rubber bands on a box and twang rulers on the edge of a table. They find out that every sound they make comes from something shaking back and forth very fast.

  • Can a string carry your voice? 45 min

    Children build cup-and-string telephones and test them with the string tight, loose and pinched, then compare different kinds of string. They find out that a tight string carries the shake of their voice from one cup to the other.

  • How do you make a high note or a low note? 45 min

    Children build a rubber-band guitar with thick and thin bands and blow across plastic bottles holding different amounts of water. They find out that fast shaking makes a high note and slow shaking makes a low note.

Printable practice for C2.4

These pages practise a closely related idea; the match to C2.4 is partial.

Need just this outcome? Build a custom pack from these pages, with its answer key, in about a minute. Custom packs come with All-access and school licences.

Compared with NGSS: 1-PS4-1 (partial), 4-PS4-1 (partial).

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