Understanding Waves

Young scientists use Slinkys to better understand waves. After creating and measuring many aspects of waves, they complete a handout and homework questions. The resource also introduces the final project for the chapter, though it does...

Ride the wave to an understanding of refraction! The first in a series of two inquiry-based lessons challenges learners to create transverse waves with two different types of springs. As their wave hits an object, they observe the change...

Slinkies® are a great tool for visualizing waves. Pupils work in groups to create both transverse and longitudinal waves before using a polarizer to analyze the ways they are able to travel. 

Lead your class on a journey to the planet Jupiter and provide them with fun facts in the process. Learners explore radio waves emitted by Jupiter to further understand how this data helps our daily lives. They conclude by discussing...

Which travels faster, light or sound? Scholars work in groups to simulate the ability for waves to travel through solids, liquids, gases, and through a vacuum. Then, they learn about the properties of a mystery wave and must determine...

Tectonic relationships prove when there is too much friction, the fault lies near. This STEM science lesson is designed as a guided inquiry experiment. Scholars know the question but must choose their materials, formulate their...

How did scientists discover what lies beneath the earth's surface? Dig a hole? X-ray vision? Guide your class through the types of seismic waves and how these waves helped shed light on Earth's many layers. The included resources provide...

Does your lesson plan for wave properties have its ups and downs? Get some fresh ideas from an informative video! The narrator discusses PS4A, showing the must-know ideas for each grade level through concept maps and demonstrations.

Why did the waves get into a fight? They were tired of each other's interference. Scholars observe the wave patterns from dripping water, sound waves, and light waves. They vary the spacing, build barriers, and increase the number of...

"To understand the phenomenon of color, it helps to think about light as a wave." This is a brief and very informative instructional video on what color is and why we are able to see it. Your young scientists will learn such terms as the...