Sound and Waves Lesson


Lesson - Educational Innovations BlogTeaching about sound is so much fun!   It’s a concept that even the youngest learners can understand.

There are so many ways to introduce the topic—from waves and amplitude to sonic booms or quantum physics!  Below you will find one of our favorite introductory lessons.  Use it with students of any age to present the idea that sound is, essentially, a result of air molecules vibrating.

If you come across any lessons you’d like to share, please leave us a comment below!

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Sound and Waves Discussion Starters


Sound and Waves Discussion Starters - Educational Innovations NewsletterIf a tree falls in a forest and there’s no one to hear it, will it still make a sound?  This is an old question, but what’s the answer?  Sound can be a difficult concept to portray because the waves cannot easily be seen or touched.  What is sound, and why do we care about it?  There is plenty of vocabulary associated with sound waves, including frequency, amplitude, longitudinal waves, transverse waves… the list goes on.  So how do you introduce and teach this topic?  We scoured the Internet for great ideas.  Hope you enjoy them!

If you have other ideas or websites you’d like to share, please write to us in the Comments section below. Read the rest of this entry »


You Said It! Sound and Waves Product Reviews


Sound and Waves Product Reviews - Educational Innovations NewsletterWe know that teachers are always looking for new ways to demonstrate sound and waves in their classroom.  How do you teach something you can’t see or touch?  We have some great ideas.

Read on to hear what our customers are saying about some of their favorite EI sound and waves teaching tools.  If you have a favorite Educational Innovations product, we invite you to send us a comment below.  We’d love to share your review with your fellow teachers and science lovers.

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Using Solar Cells to Teach Series and Parallel Circuits


By Marty Mathiesen

During the electricity unit in my high school physics class, I like to do an activity in which students determine the effect of having batteries placed in a series circuit and also in a parallel circuit.  We explore questions such as What are the similarities?  The differences?  What are the advantages of each method?  Do you see any patterns?

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How Electricity Works: An Animated Guide


by Arthur Murray

Electricity is everywhere!  If you’ve ever experienced a power outage, you know how important this form of power is for our daily life. From brewing our morning coffee to keeping our smart phones charged, electricity is all around us.  It’s the spark of lightning during a thunderstorm or that tiny shock when you touch a doorknob.

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