KS1 Science: How does sound travel?

Teacher Notes

This short film is an ideal tool to support pupils in discussing what sound is and how it travels, it is also useful to look at the role of an insulator in the context of sound.

Pupils can discuss and explore how the movement of molecules causes sounds to travel and how this impacts on our daily lives.

Pupils can discuss how they can find out more about materials that act as conductors and insulators for sounds through planning a science investigation themselves.

Points for discussion:
· What is a conductor?
· What is an insulator?
· How does sound travel?
· How can we stop or reduce the volume of sound traveling?

Suggested activities:

After watching this short film, you could work with pupils to investigate conductors and insulators of sound in the context of your classroom.

Can pupils plan and carry out an investigation to find out how they can increase of decrease the ability of sound to travel from one location to another?

To do this, they will need to consider equipment needed and also make predictions to then find out if they were correct.

This short film is relevant for teaching science at KS1 in England and Wales, Foundation and KS1 in Northern Ireland and Early and 1st Level in Scotland.