Turning Ideas into Sound

Seventh-graders recently teamed up to explore how sound works in a very real way during a hands-on learning experience in teacher Tony Hafner’s class. Each group tested different materials and shapes to see which ones might transmit and amplify sound the loudest. Students compared their early ideas with the results through trial and error, adjusting their designs as they learned what helped sound waves bounce, travel, or fade. Please enjoy pictures of students engaged in the activity.

This project explores the Next Generation Science Standard of sound transmission and science and engineering practices. Students illustrated how sound waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through different materials. By experimenting and refining their plans, they learned how sound interacts with objects around them.