Higher:
Explain how materials absorb sound
Middle:
Describe materials that can absorb sound
Lower:
Give some examples how you can protect your hearing
Higher:
Suggest why certain material are better absorbers than others
Middle:
Conduct the sound absorbency investigation
Lower:
Predict outcomes and set up the investigation
Mission Starter: Children will be shown an image of a worker with a pneumatic drill. They Should draw what they think he will be wearing on his head and ears.
Presentation - Starter Slide.
30 Second Challenge: Name as many places as you can where you need to reduce noise.
Answer questions and take part in activities during the presentation.
Stop the presentation at the relevant slides: Talk Partners; AfLs; Songs.
Take part in the Choral Response Questions activity (see Assessment section) after the Keywords/Rocket Words slide.
Presentation
Today's Expert Film is with Peter Baker, who is the group Health and Safety advisor for Ben Burgess. He explains the importance of using sound protective gear in the workplace.
Chainsaw Artist Andy Usher talks about the equipment he needs to protect his ears when carving wood.
Presentation - Expert Film
Insulating Sounds
You may need to demonstrate to the children how to build their circuits.
It may also help to cut the materials to size beforehand. If you cannot get hold of all the materials, open the powerpoint version of the Handout and edit the material names.
Emphasise that they should test their buzzers to hear how loud the maximum volume from the buzzer will be. This experiment can be annoying in large classes, using batteries that have low power can help.
1. Place one of your materials on top of the buzzer. You may want to hold down the material or secure it with stick tack/tape.
2. Close the switch and test the loudness the buzzer. Give this a volume score between 1-10 (1 is absolute silence, 10 is the same as the buzzer with no material).
3. Repeat steps 1-2 replacing the material each time.
When the children have tested their materials they should order them from most to least absorbing, then complete the questions on the second page.
Handout
A simple circuit containing a battery, a buzzer & a switch.
Samples of materials including; sponge, paper, corrugated card, cloth, foil etc. These should be cut to the same size and be able to cover the top and sides of the of the buzzer.
Quiz
With their talk partners, the children are to go through the quiz at the end of the presentation and answer the questions.
Why is it difficult to get absolute silence?
What would happen to your hearing it you listened to loud music using headphone, for long periods of time?
What happens to your hearing as you get older?
Why might your hearing get worst when you have an ear infection?
Ear defence protect your ears by....
... absorbing sound.
The Science Behind the Science
Sounds travel through some materials more easily than others. Softer materials absorb sounds better than hard materials, which reflect sound, often producing echoes.
Sound insulation depends on a variety of factors, which include the type of material used, and the volume of the sound involved. In the most common situations the sound is travelling in air and, when it comes up against the insulating material, some of the sound is reflected back into the air. Thus the sound which enters the material is reduced and so has a lower volume. As it travels through the new material it is further reduced, especially if it is a soft, spongy material, which disrupts the sound waves so they become less regular.
Find patterns between volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it.
Forces, electricity and waves - Vibrations and waves - By collaborating in experiments on different ways of producing sound from vibrations, I can demonstrate how to change the pitch of the sound. SCN 1-11a
Forces and Energy: the study of energy, its origin, storage and transfer, and the work it can do; the study of forces; the application of scientific understanding through inventions and machines.
Carrying out simple comparative tests.
Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions
Grade 3 - Sound.
Grade 3 - Physcial Science - Forces and Energy - Forms of Energy - Sound - How do you hear sounds? (protect your hearing)
Address
Developing Experts Limited
Exchange Street Buildings
35-37 Exchange Street
Norwich
NR2 1DP
UK
Phone
01603 273515
Email
[email protected]
Copyright 2025 Developing Experts, All rights reserved.
Unlock expert-designed lessons, resources, and assessments tailored for educators. No credit card required.
Claim Your Free Trial →
