Summary
In this third lesson of the What Is A Wave? unit, students experiment with long springs, participate in a guided inquiry activity on constructive and destructive interference, and experiment with whirly tubes. Students are assessed by providing reasoning to true or false statements.
Essential Question(s)
What are waves? How does the behavior of waves differ from that of other objects?
Snapshot
Engage
Students view a video that demonstrates wave oscillation.
Explore
Students conduct experiments with long springs to study how wave oscillations reflect and combine.
Explain
Students complete a guided inquiry activity on constructive and destructive interference.
Extend
Students experiment with whirly tubes to understand resonance.
Evaluate
Students choose if statements are true or false and provide reasoning of their choice.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Long Spring Activity Sheet (attached)
Guided Inquiry Sheet (attached)
Wave Unit Vocabulary Packet (attached)
Long springs
Masking tape
Meter sticks
Whirly Tubes
Engage
5 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Review the essential questions of the unit on slide 3 and the lesson objectives on slide 4. Show slide 5 and introduce students to the I Notice, I Wonder strategy. Show slide 6 and play the video for students.
Show slide 7 and ask for students to share what they observed and what questions they have. Ask students how the bridge could have trapped and amplified vibrations on the bridge. Explain to students that wind caused small vibrations that developed into larger vibrations until the bridge collapsed.
Explore
40 Minute(s)
Tell students they will observe how multiple waves can occupy the same space in the next activity. Arrange students in groups of three. Provide students with the necessary materials to complete the activity, which are one long spring, a meter stick, masking tape, and a marker. Show slide 8 and tell students to follow the directions on slide 8 to begin the activity. Slides 9-19 detail each step of the long spring activity. Explain each step of the activity to students before allowing the groups to begin the activity.
Explain
50 Minute(s)
Continue the lesson on slide 20. Arrange students into groups of three and show slide 21, tell students each group member will have a designated role. Pass out the attached Student Wave Interference Activity handout to each group of three students. As students progress through the Student Wave Interference Activity, move around the classroom and observe the groups. Provide feedback and assistance as needed to clarify any misconceptions, a Teacher Wave Interference Activity Guide is attached. The activity is included step by step on slides 22-29.
After the groups are done working through the activity, tell each group they will be responsible for sharing their answer to one of the questions on the activity. Questions # 3, 4, 6, 7, 10 should be covered in the discussion. Ask for volunteers to share, encourage multiple groups to share responses. Group reporter answers the question for the group. Teacher corrects answers that are incomplete or inaccurate. Teacher may prompt for questions to ensure that essential understandings are covered. Correct any misconceptions at this time.
After activity questions have been shared and discussed, show slides 30-32 and review key vocabulary introduced during this activity: interference, reflection, phase.
Extend
45 Minute(s)
Begin class by showing the video embedded in slide 33, then ask the reflection questions on slide 34. Tell students to share their thoughts with a partner and then ask for volunteers to share and have a class discussion about the reflection questions.
Divide students into groups of three and provide each group with a Whirly Tube. Show slide 35 and tell students to experiment with the tubes. Tell students to talk in their groups about the sound the Whirly Tube makes as they spin the tube at different speeds. Tell students that the whirly tube is vibrating as a single frequency, which is called resonance.
Tell students to return from their groups and have their Wave Unit Vocabulary Packet out to take notes. Show slide 36 to introduce the concept of resonance and play the video clip. Tell students the flame in the video is a visual representation of resonance. Refer back to the Galloping Gertie video watched in the beginning of the lesson and tell students that was also an example of resonance.
Show slide 37 and introduce the concept of interference patterns. Tell we are transitioning from reflection/mixing of trapped waves to the mixing of freely traveling waves. Show slide 38 to define an interference pattern, then show the video on slide 39 as an example of an interference pattern in water waves.
Introduce Thomas Young on slide 40 and provide background information for students. Show slide 41 and explain that Thomas Young first discovered interference patterns by shining light through a card with two narrow openings. The light passing through the two openings blended to produce an interference pattern of light and dark bands.
Show slide 42 and play the video for students. This video provides a wealth of supplemental content about interference patterns as well as great interactive demonstrations and graphics. Show slide 43 and ask students to refer back to the Driving Question Board, are there any questions that can be answered right now? Have a class discussion about any questions that remain.
Evaluate
5 Minute(s)
Show slide 44 and introduce students to the Justified True or False strategy. Tell students to read the statements and think if each one is true or false. Show slides 45-49 and tell students to use notebook paper to respond to each statement with true or false and their reasoning for that choice.
Collect the student responses and assess understanding of the lesson.
Resources
Kamenícek, J. (2014, March 31). File:London Millennium Bridge from Saint Paul's.jpg. Retrieved July 07, 2021, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:London_Millennium_Bridge_from_Saint_Paul%27s.jpg
K20 Center. (n.d.). I Notice, I Wonder. Strategies. Retrieved from https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f507d1a7
K20 Center. (n.d.). Justified true or false. Strategies. Retrieved from https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/174
K20 Center. (n.d.). Driving question board. Strategies. Retrieved from https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1511