By DONNA BURROUGHS, EdS
Superintendent, Triton Community School Corporation

Students in Cathy Strycker’s third grade classroom have been learning about sound.

During the first unit they learned that sound is energy that can be heard through vibrations. Each student has participated in several inquiry activities to see how the vibrations of sound move with string, tuning forks, and water. They have discovered that different thicknesses and lengths of string change the vibrations making sound easier to hear, changing its pitch -low or high, or volume -loud or soft.

After learning scientific principles and taking part in inquiry activities, students were able to draw designs in their science notebooks to create musical instruments. Students were required to have at least three sounds, use at least one string, budget their materials to under $10, and check that the instrument stayed within 12 inches of height.

Third graders created some amazing instruments to meet their criteria! Soon they will begin SLED Sound Unit 2 where they will learn about how sound travels, and if solids, liquids, and gasses change how sound travels.