First graders know that when we talk, our vocal chords vibrate.  The vibrations cause air to vibrate and eventually reach our ears and they receive the sound.  Sound can vary in volume, meaning it can be loud or soft or somewhere in between.  It can also vary in pitch, ranging in between high and low.

First graders are being challenged to use limited materials to communicate with someone across a distance.  They have a secret to share and don't want everyone to hear it, so they must contain the sound but still allow it to travel.  Check out their initial ideas and designs!

First graders are becoming sound experts.  They are seeing the effects of sound...and the effects of vibrations and what happens when we no longer hear sound or feel vibrations.

Using balloons and tubes, first graders are gathering more evidence to support how sound and vibrations are linked.  They are also looking for patterns about the sounds they hear and the vibrations they see or feel.  What types of sounds do strong vibrations make?  Weak vibrations?

What happens when  you first strike a tuning fork?  What happens when you place the tuning fork you struck against your skin?  In the water?

First graders are seeing what causes sound!  They are looking for evidence to explain what vibrations are and how they are responsible for causing sound.