Grade 4 Science: Sound and Vibrations
Free Grade 4 Science unit on Sound and Vibrations: 10 lessons in order, starting with Sound production. Includes practice questions and answer keys.
10 lessons in this unit
Sound production
Learn that sounds are made when objects vibrate, and explore many ways of making sounds by hitting, plucking, blowing and rubbing.
Lesson 2Vibrations
Learn to observe vibrations using rice on a drum, a ruler on a desk and a tuning fork in water, and link size of vibration to loudness and speed of vibration to pitch.
Lesson 3Sound travelling through materials
Learn that sound travels through solids, liquids and gases as vibrations passing from particle to particle, that it cannot travel in a vacuum, and compare how well different materials carry it.
Lesson 4Pitch
Learn that pitch is how high or low a sound is, and investigate how length, thickness and tightness of strings, tubes and rulers change pitch.
Lesson 5Loudness
Learn that loudness depends on the size of vibrations and the distance from the source, measure loudness in decibels, and recognise safe and unsafe sound levels.
Lesson 6Sound absorption
Learn that soft, thick or rough materials absorb sound while hard smooth surfaces reflect it as echoes, and test materials as sound insulators.
Lesson 7Musical instruments
Learn how percussion, string and wind instruments produce sound and change pitch, and build and play a simple instrument.
Lesson 8Hearing
Learn how the ear collects sound, passes vibrations through the ear drum and tiny bones, and sends signals to the brain, and how to protect hearing.
Lesson 9Noise pollution
Learn that unwanted loud sound is noise pollution, how it affects people and animals, and ways to reduce it at home, school and in communities.
Lesson 10Sound investigations
Learn to plan and carry out a full investigation on sound, for example how the length of a ruler affects pitch or how material affects insulation, and evaluate it.