You will learn
- Say that sound is what we hear.
- Say that sounds are made by vibrations.
- Name the body part for hearing.
- Say that we cannot hear in a vacuum or through a very thick wall.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Sound is what we hear.
- Sounds are made when things vibrate.
- We hear with our ears.
- Sound travels through the air.
Words to know
what we hear
to shake back and forth quickly
the part of the body for hearing
with no sound
1. Discover: The drum
Ola taps a drum. It makes a loud sound. She puts her hand on the drum and feels it shaking. “The drum shakes when it makes sound,” she says. When she holds it still, the sound stops.
Think: What did Ola feel on the drum?
2. Understand: What sound is
Idea 1: Sound
Sound is what we hear. We hear voices, music, birds and cars. Our ears catch sound and send messages to our brain.
Idea 2: Vibrations
Sounds are made when something vibrates, shaking back and forth very fast. A guitar string, a drum and our own throat all vibrate when they make sound. When the shaking stops, the sound stops and it is silent.
Idea 3: Sound travels
Sound travels through the air to our ears. It can also travel through water and walls. A sound is louder when we are near it and quieter when we are far.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): What makes sound?
A drum.
- Tap the drum.
- It vibrates.
- We hear a sound.
Answer: A drum vibrates to make a sound.
Example 2 (We do it together): Feel the throat
Say “hum”.
- Put your hand on your throat.
- You feel it shake.
- That is a vibration.
Answer: Your throat vibrates when you hum.
Example 3 (You try): Stop the sound
A guitar string.
Show the steps and answer
- Pluck it. It vibrates.
- Touch it. It stops.
- The sound stops.
Answer: When vibration stops, the sound stops.
Did you know?
Sound travels about four times faster through water than through air.
Why this matters
Sound lets us talk, learn, enjoy music and notice danger.
4. Explore: Feel the vibration
Feel vibrations when you hum or tap a drum.
- Hum with a hand on your throat.
- Tap a drum softly with a finger on it.
- Feel the shaking.
- Hold it still and listen.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Sound comes from shaking things.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Sound is what we ___.
- We hear with our ___.
- Sounds are made by ___.
- If the shaking stops the sound ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is sound?
What we hear.
Question 2. What do we hear with?
Our ears.
Question 3. What makes sounds?
Vibrations.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is sound?
- What do we hear with?
- What makes sounds?
- What does vibrate mean?
- Can we feel a drum vibrate?
Level 2: Grow
- What happens when vibration stops?
- Name two sounds you can hear now.
- How does sound reach us?
Level 3: Stretch
- Explain how a drum makes sound.
- Compare loud and quiet sounds.
- Make a sound list.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
What sounds are at your school?
Show a sample answer
Voices, bells and traffic.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Sound comes from vibrations.
Fix: We hear with ears.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say that sound is what we hear.
- I can say that sounds are made by vibrations.
- I can name the body part for hearing.
- I can say that we cannot hear in a vacuum or through a very thick wall.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Sound is what we hear.
- Sounds are made when things vibrate.
- We hear with our ears.
- Sound travels through the air.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Sources of sound. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is sound? [1 mark]
- What makes sound? [2 marks]
- What happens when a drum is held still? [2 marks]
- How does sound reach our ears? [1 mark]
- Give two safe ways to explore sound. [2 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- What we hear [1]
- Vibrations [1]; shaking things [1]
- Vibration stops [1]; sound stops [1]
- Through the air [1]
- Any two [1 each]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is sound?
- What do we hear with?
- What makes sounds?
- What does vibrate mean?
- Can we feel a drum vibrate?
- What happens when vibration stops?
- Name two sounds you can hear now.
- How does sound reach us?
- Explain how a drum makes sound.
- Compare loud and quiet sounds.
Homework
Listen for five sounds at home. For each, say what is vibrating.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is sound? | What we hear. | 1 |
| 2. What do we hear with? | Our ears. | 1 |
| 3. What makes sounds? | Vibrations. | 1 |
| 4. What does vibrate mean? | Shake quickly. | 1 |
| 5. Can we feel a drum vibrate? | Yes. | 1 |
| 6. What happens when vibration stops? | The sound stops. | 1 |
| 7. Name two sounds you can hear now. | Voices, birds or cars. | 1 |
| 8. How does sound reach us? | Through the air. | 1 |
| 9. Explain how a drum makes sound. | It vibrates. | 1 |
| 10. Compare loud and quiet sounds. | Loud: near; quiet: far. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 What we hear.; 2 Our ears.; 3 Vibrations.; 4 Shake quickly.; 5 Yes.. Level 2: 1 The sound stops.; 2 Voices, birds or cars.; 3 Through the air.. Level 3: 1 It vibrates.; 2 Loud: near; quiet: far.; 3 Sounds and their sources..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say that sound is what we hear | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Say that sounds are made by vibrations | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Name the body part for hearing | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say that we cannot hear in a vacuum or through a very thick wall | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Sound comes from nowhere.” Sound comes from vibrations.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use a ruler on a table. Make a sound by vibrating it.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns that sounds are made by vibrations. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Hum and feel your throat.
- Ask, “What is shaking to make that sound?”
- Tap a drum gently.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say that sound is what we hear; say that sounds are made by vibrations; name the body part for hearing; say that we cannot hear in a vacuum or through a very thick wall.
Prerequisite knowledge. None. Learners should be able to look, listen and talk about what they notice.
Materials. A small drum, a ruler, rubber bands, a box and chart paper. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Set up a drum and rubber band guitar. Ask learners to keep sounds gentle.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tap a drum and ask, “What do you hear? What do you feel?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach sound and vibration.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners feel vibrations.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners make a sound chart.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is vibrating? Can I feel it?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Sound comes from nowhere.” Sound comes from vibrations.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use a ruler on a table. Make a sound by vibrating it. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 8, topic 6; Next Generation Science Standards, waves: light and sound; Cambridge Primary Science Stage 1, light and sound; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.