Summer SAVY, Session 6 Day 2, The Science of Sense (3rd – 4th)
Hello Parents,
Welcome to Day 2! Today’s focus was on the fascinating world of sound and how it is produced by vibrations. We continued to emphasize our S.A.V.Y. class creed and ensured everyone followed classroom rules to create a safe and supportive learning environment. Thank you so much for completing last night’s homework with ninety percent of the class participating! You and your student are appreciated. Here’s a recap of our activities, the key concepts we covered, and ways you can support your child’s learning at home.
What’s Popping in Sense-Sational Science?
Review of S.A.V.Y. Class Creed: We reinforced our S.A.V.Y. class creed to remind students of the importance of being:
- Safe
- Accountable for our actions
- Valuing our friends and adults
- Yielding and being kind to our friends
Exploring Sound: We learned that sound is a form of energy produced by vibrations. We discussed how sound travels and the quality of the sound produced.
Activity 1: Making Rubber Band Guitars Students made their own rubber band guitars using empty tissue boxes or small plastic containers and rubber bands of various thicknesses. They decorated their instruments and experimented with plucking the rubber bands to produce different sounds.
Activity 2: Guest Speaker We also had a guest musician, Mr. Michael, who spoke with us about playing the acoustic and bass guitar. We even had an opportunity to play and sing with him using our rubber band guitars.
Activity 3: (continuing tomorrow): Creating a tambourine-Students created tambourines using paper plates filled with bells and beans. They decorated the paper plates with markers and explored how the different materials inside of the plates produced various sounds when shaken.
To reinforce today’s lessons and support your child’s learning at home, you can:
Discuss Daily Learnings:
- Ask your child about what they explored and discovered today: Engage in conversations about their sound experiments. Ask a question like, “How did you make your rubber band guitar?”
Encourage Scientific Thinking:
- Promote curiosity and observation: Encourage your child to observe and think about the sounds they hear in their everyday environment. Discuss how different objects create different sounds and why.
- Conduct simple experiments together: Try making more homemade instruments using household items. Experiment with different materials and observe how they produce sound.
Celebrate Curiosity:
- Praise their efforts and discoveries: Show enthusiasm for their scientific explorations. Celebrate their curiosity by recognizing their achievements and encouraging them to continue asking questions and seeking answers.
- Create a science-friendly environment: Provide materials like books, kits, or online resources that foster a love for science. Encourage them to document their findings in a journal or share them with family members.
Students will be bringing an instrument home of their choice today and leaving the other so that they may play in our class orchestra on Friday afternoon.
At the end of each day, your child will have a choice board on the topic of sound that was discussed during the day. The activities are voluntary. If he/she decides to complete one of the activities, he/she will be asked to share their findings/response with the class, if they would like. A prize will be awarded the following day for their participation.
I am excited to continue the journey of discovery with your student tomorrow. They are all a joy to teach.