OpenSciEd Unit 8.2 · Lesson 10 · 10.A
Look for: the particles in the medium are moving back a…
From Teacher Edition
Facilitation guidance from the lesson plan — what to notice in student thinking and how to respond while teaching.
Building towards
10.A Apply mathematical concepts to make sense of data generated from a model to test ideas about how changing the frequency and amplitude of the sound source affects the patterns in the wavelengths and compression of particles as energy moves across the system.
What to look / listen for
- the particles in the medium are moving back and forth but not traveling all the way across the medium.
- Particles collide with the particles next to them, transferring energy through the medium.
- the pattern of band spacing changes in width when the amplitude is changed and in distance apart when frequency is changed.
What to do
This can provide formative information before the consensus discussion on day 2. If students are struggling to see that the particles are not traveling, project the simulation and highlight one particle. If students struggle to see the patterns in changing amplitude or frequency, you can have them return to their devices (side by side) or pull up the simulation as a class to prompt students to consider how their observations change given different inputs for amplitude and frequency.