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SOUND: SESSION 4 C2
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Sound & Movement
Sound Can Cause Movement
As your student absorbs this concept of vibra�ons traveling ACTIVITY NOTE
by the successive bumping of one par�cle into another, pose
If you have two tuning forks tuned
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the ques�on: Can sound make things move? Have your stu-
dent watch [Link]/fork1 and observe how striking one tuning to the same frequency, try this
fork causes another tuning fork placed nearby to start vi- yourself! It will work be�er if the
bra�ng as well. The sound from the first causes the second to tuning forks are close and both
move. This is demonstrated by the fact that when the struck placed on the same hard surface.
fork is damped, the tone con�nues to come from the second (Remember, sound travels be�er
fork. Note that for this to work, the forks must be of the same through hard solids than through
note (frequency). air.)
SCIENCE NOTE
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The reason this only works with tuning forks of the same frequency is the same reason the tuning fork makes a pure tone
in the first place: the �nes of the fork naturally vibrate at a certain frequency, called a “natural frequency.” When the
vibra�ons travel through the air from an iden�cal fork, they strike the fork at exactly the right �mes to make it move. For
a fork with a different natural frequency, the bumping of the air would some�mes make it move more and some�mes
make it move less. This is similar to how pushing a child on a swing in the right rhythm makes them swing higher, but
pushing at the wrong �mes can actually slow them down.
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Watch [Link]/sound1 to see another example of sound causing movement. When the pitch of the
string is played, it makes the string vibrate.
To "see sound" from a loudspeaker moving another object, stretch plas�c wrap �ghtly across the top
of a large bowl, and use a rubber band to hold it in place. Set
the bowl in front of a speaker and place several small balls of
�ssue paper on top of the
SCIENCE NOTE plas�c wrap. Play music
through the speaker. What
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“Think Time” is simply a reminder to you,
happens? Turn up the vol-
the instructor, to pause and give your
student �me to think about the ques�on. ume on the speaker and
When instruc�ng, we tend to feel as if watch the balls jump and
short pauses are very long; “Think Time” move. Why does this hap-
is a reminder to breathe and count to ten pen? (Think Time) The
before poten�ally cu�ng off your speaker produces sound, or vibra�on. This vibra�on travels
student’s train of thought. If your student through the air and causes the plas�c wrap to vibrate. When the
is frustrated or if they have already given plas�c wrap vibrates, the �ssue paper balls bounce. If desired, try
a thorough answer, move on! different types of music and see how the vibra�on varies.
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MAPS: SESSION 3 D3
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Increasing Scale
Going Bigger
Now that your student is familiar with maps for their space,
help them move on to maps that cover a larger area. Provide a
map that shows the streets in your local vicinity (a printout
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from Google Maps would work for this). Put the map on the
floor and help your student orient it so that the streets on the
map go in the same direc�on as the real streets. Challenge
them to pinpoint on the map the loca�on of their home and
other nearby loca�ons they are familiar with, such as play-
grounds, stores, friends’ homes, etc. If there is a key for various
symbols used on the map, show your student how to use it.
With the map on the floor and properly oriented, ask: “What
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direc�on should we go to get to _____ (another place indi-
cated on the map)? Point!” With some coaching as needed,
your student will catch on to the “trick.” When the map is
properly oriented, and they know their present lo-
ACTIVITY NOTE ca�on, the map shows the direc�on “as the crow ACTIVITY NOTE
flies” to anyplace else. For example, if they draw
If your student would like a straight line on the map from their present lo- Take advantage of opportuni�es
to calculate the required for your student to put this skill
ca�on to where they desire to go, that line
�me to get somewhere, into prac�ce. For example, on
shows the direc�on they should point. Of
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they can do so by dividing visits to a museum, zoo, or park,
course, choosing available roads/paths to actu- pick up a copy of the map that is
the total distance that will
ally get there is another step. generally available. Coach your
be traveled (in miles) by an
average walking speed of 3 student, where needed, in
miles per hour. For As your student advances, a further step to take orien�ng it, and then using it to
example, if they wanted to is to ask: How far is it? How long will it take us to guide you to exhibits, a�rac�ons,
walk somewhere 6 miles get there? Using the scale of the map to trans- or sights.
away, it would take them late map distance into real-world distance will
approximately 6 miles ÷ 3 only come with considerable prac�ce and expe- Another opportunity to prac�ce
miles per hour = 2 hours. rience—or with actual measurements and these skills is orienteering, a sport
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in which compe�tors use a map
math. Nevertheless, it is a good ques�on to ask
and compass to find checkpoints.
to get your student started on observing how rela�ve distances
Many areas have orienteering
can be es�mated (and, later, calculated) from a map. clubs that organize races, and
some areas have permanent free
A key point in using a map to get to a desired loca�on is knowing courses installed in parks with
your present loca�on and iden�fying that point on the map. It maps you can download and use
should be evident that if you don’t know where you are, it will be for prac�ce. In the USA, visit
impossible to know what direc�on you should go to get any- [Link] to find a local
where else, including home. Emphasize to your student that they organiza�on in your area.
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should always find and mark their present posi�on on a map before beginning and keep track of
their progress, so they are always aware of their current posi�on on the map. Only then will the map,
oriented properly, show you which direc�on to go to get to the next loca�on. If you wait un�l you are
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lost and don’t know where you are, a map and even a compass will do you li�le good.
Using a map, challenge your student to guide you to a
nearby loca�on. This could be as simple as the next
building over or as complex as a park several blocks
and turns away. Provide them with a map of the area,
and let them lead the way. Of course, keep an eye out
for safety, and if they get too turned around, stop and
help them reestablish where they are and how the
map is oriented before stepping back for them to take
the lead again.
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Encourage your student to imagine and map their own
island on Student Book page, “My Island.” They may
make an island for humans, for animals, or for imaginary creatures. Encourage them to think of im-
portant things to note at this scale, for example, types of terrain, bodies of water, loca�ons of impor-
tance to any inhabitants, etc.
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ADAPTATIONS: SESSION 2 B5A
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Behaviors & Environment
Adaptations
Returning to the examina�on and discussion of adapta�ons, two addi�onal points should become
evident and should be emphasized. First is that behaviors are just as important as physical a�ributes
and need to be considered as a cri�cal aspect of adapta�on. The second is how adapta�ons, while
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providing an animal with abili�es to meet its needs, also limit an animal to a par�cular climate and
habitat, i.e., to a par�cular niche.
Adaptations Include Behaviors
A fun way to stress the importance of behaviors is to have your student imagine such things as a tree
squirrel afraid to climb trees, a mouse afraid of small, dark holes, a fish who doesn’t know how to
swim, or a rabbit that can’t stand the taste of vegetables. Let your student come up with and chuckle
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over further examples. The point that should become evident is that an animal must have behaviors
that are in harmony with its physical adapta�ons. Otherwise, it is obviously in trouble.
In many cases, a behavior that adapts the animal is quite separate from any physical characteris�c(s).
For example, birds do not seem to have any physical
adapta�ons that make them proficient at building
nests. Yet they have the behavioral adapta�on of
doing so, and that adapta�on has obvious benefits
in rearing young. Living in a group (herd, tribe, hive,
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flock) has the advantage of providing protec�on for
individual members, especially the young, and may
also provide other advantages. Yet, there are no
par�cular physical features involved in adap�ng an
animal to live and interact in a group; living in the
group is a behavioral adapta�on.
Adaptations are Specific to Certain Habitat and Environment
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Pose the ques�on: If an animal species is highly
adapted to feed on one sort of food and/or live in
certain environmental condi�ons, what impact will
that have on its ability to spread into regions where
that food is not available or environmental condi-
�ons differ? (Think Time) If necessary, suggest a
conspicuous example, such as fish. A fish is well
adapted to the aqua�c environment, but such adap-
ta�ons also restrict it to the water environment. An-
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other example might be polar bears. With heavy in-
sula�ng fur, they are remarkably well adapted to the
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cold Arc�c climate. However, this adapta�on makes
it impossible for them to survive in warmer cli-
mates; their warm coats make them too hot. Simi-
larly, sun bears, with their less-heavy coats, cannot
survive in the Arc�c cold.
From here, let your student carry on by choosing
par�cular animals and analyzing how their physical
and behavioral features both adapt them par�cu-
larly well to one sort of environment and, at the same �me, preclude them from others. Your student
has already seen this in the case of herbivores and carnivores, but further analysis of various animals
may extend the theme further. Again, adapta�ons generally restrict an animal to a par�cular niche. A
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major part of the niche for any animal is the plant life that provides both food and habitat. Do plants
exhibit adapta�ons as well? We will explore this more in the next session.
Have your student explore how adapta�ons and environment are related on Student Book page
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MATTER III: SESSION 1 A8
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Evaporation
Where Does the Water Go?
While guiding your child to recall hanging things up
or se�ng them out to dry, pose the ques�on:
Where does the water go as things dry? Your stu-
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dent may know the word “evaporate” and declare
that the water evaporates. Answer: Yes, but what
does that mean? Review as necessary that water,
like all ma�er, is made up of par�cles/molecules too
�ny to be seen individually. Where do the par�cles/
molecules of water actually go?
Your student may have the no�on that the par�-
cles/molecules of water simply disappear. If this is the case, ask ques�ons such as: When you can’t
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find a certain toy or your hat, do you think it simply disappeared? Or do you think it must be some-
where else? If it simply disappeared, would you even bother looking for it? Let your student give ex-
amples of losing things and finding them somewhere.
Con�nue this Q&A discussion far enough to bring your student to the generaliza�on/conclusion that
things don’t just disappear or vanish. They go somewhere. Our task is to search for and find them.
Emphasize that this is a basic truth for all of nature, science, and human society. Nothing just disap-
pears; everything goes somewhere.
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So, as wet things dry, where do the par�cles/molecules of water actually go? Ask leading ques�ons,
such as: Why do things dry faster when they are spread out and hung up? Why does a “wind” of
warm air from a hair dryer make your hair dry faster? Will things dry if they are in a closed container?
With such Q&A discussion, your student will begin to reason that par�cles/molecules of water are
going off into the air. This is what we know as evapora�on.
Ask your student: Can they design and conduct an experiment to test this idea of water par�cles/
molecules going into the air? (Think Time) Use Q&A discussion to guide their reasoning in the direc-
�on: If water par�cles/molecules are going into the
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air, then exposing more surface area to the air
should lead to faster rates of drying. Can they de-
sign an experiment accordingly? So far as feasible,
let your student design and conduct their experi-
ment, collect data, etc. One poten�al design is the
following:
Pour an accurately measured quarter cup (about 60
milliliters) of water into each of the following con-
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tainers: a covered container, a narrow drinking glass, a small bowl, and a dinner plate. Place them to-
gether in the same loca�on (same condi�ons) and observe the rate of “disappearance” of water from
each over the next day or so. The data your student collects from this or similar setups should reveal
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that the rate of “disappearance” of water is propor�onal to the surface area of the water exposed to
the air of the room. If this is not the case, look for other variables, such as one container being ex-
posed to more heat or a dra�.
Your student can record the results of their experiment on Student Book page “Evapora�on.”
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LEVEL 1
Student Book
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Baloney Detection Kit
BDK
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Read the examples of baloney and use your Baloney Detection Kit to show why they are baloney. Cut out the 9
included pieces of your Baloney Detection Kit below, then glue them under the baloney that they detect!
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Saying something forcefully does not make it true
Every effect has a rational cause
One event following another does not mean that one caused the other
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Inability to think of an alternative does not make a theory correct, nor does
proving one idea wrong make another idea right
All data and/or observations must be considered
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Beware of generalizing from specific to universal
Discard an argument that attacks the speaker rather than the data
Theories are not all equally valid
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Inability to prove something false does not mean it is true
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SOUND: SESSION 2 C2
Rubber Bands
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Variable Results Variable Results
What you changed What happened What you changed What happened
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Variable Results Variable Results
What you changed What happened What you changed What happened
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MAPS: SESSION 3 D3
My Island
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Map Key
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FOOD CHAINS: SESSION 1 B5
Horse vs. Lion Jaws
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Horse Jaw
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Lion Jaw
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