Pictures of sound waves help students understand how sound is produced.
Sixth-grade students do not have to stick to the textbook when learning about light and sound. Both of these concepts provide an opportunity for teachers to bring hands-on lessons into the classroom. Provide students with the opportunity to conduct experiments and play games that will allow them to recognize firsthand how light and sound play a role in their daily lives.
Online Games
Online games give students a chance to experience light and sound simulations and learn key vocabulary words in a way that does not seem like learning. The Exploratorium offers online exhibits to help students learn, including "Mix-n-Match," which has students mix colors of light to make new colors. Wonderville's "How We Hear" introduces students to sound waves and vibrations to help them understand how sound works.
Light Experiments
Allowing students to experiment with lights will help them understand many of the concepts discussed in the textbook. Give students flashlights and have them practice shining the light through prisms, small holes and materials such as wax paper or cellophane. Reflect different types of lights and lasers in mirrors. Test a variety of light bulbs and discuss differences in size, shape and output. Look for special products to bring into the classroom, such as pens with invisible ink that shows up underneath a special light or glow-in-the-dark objects.
Sound Experiments
Have students conduct experiments to make different sounds. Make instruments using cardboard boxes with rubber bands stretched over the open side. Discuss how the sound differs based on the size of the box, the size of the opening and the placement of the rubber bands. Fill empty soda bottles with different amounts of water, and discuss why each bottle produces a different sound when you blow across the top. Give students a spring toy and have them use it to prepare a demonstration for the class about how sound waves move in different scenarios.
Other Light and Sound Activities
At the sixth-grade level, students often take light and sound for granted. Challenge students to think about the ways that they need light and sound on a daily basis. Spend a portion of the class period in the dark and reflect on the experience. Invite a speaker who is blind or deaf into the classroom and have them explain how their experiences with light and sound are different. Spend time talking to students about the history of light and sound and many of the scientific discoveries related to them. Have students write reports on scientists who have focused on these concepts or major inventions, such as the light bulb or radio.
