Know it! - Year 4 - Sound

Understanding how sound is created and how it travels is an essential part of the Year 4 curriculum on Sound. Sound is generated through vibrations that occur when an object moves or is struck. These vibrations travel through various mediums such as air, water, or solids, reaching our ears as sound waves. The lesson activities are structured to help children retrieve and reinforce their knowledge about sound. One engaging activity is 'Cops and robbers', where pupils have a set time to write down what they remember about sound and then 'steal' ideas from their peers to enhance their understanding, earning points for each plausible statement they gather.

Another task involves matching parts of the ear—eardrum, inner ear, ear canal, middle ear, outer ear—to their correct numbers, which helps students learn how the ear processes sound waves. Additionally, children are asked to connect terms such as pitch, vibrations, ear drum, frequency, and volume to their correct descriptions, thereby solidifying their grasp of the concepts associated with sound. A further activity, 'Give me three!', prompts pupils to recall three pieces of information about Alexander Graham Bell, three parts of the ear, and three things that can muffle sound. Finally, in a 'Word sorts' exercise, students distinguish between words related to sound and those that are not, further enhancing their understanding of the topic.