Grade Level: First Grade 

Content Area: Science

Standard: SC23.1.3 - Plan and carry out investigations to determine how light is affected when it interacts with various types of materials. 

Objective: 

Students will be able to:

• understand that sound is created by vibrations and that those vibrations can change depending on materials used.

• observe how different materials (foil, wax paper, plastic wrap) affect volume (loud/soft) and pitch (high/low/deep) of a drum.

• make predictions and compare how materials influence sound qualities.

Directions: 

Students work together to build a simple drum using materials such as foil, wax paper, or plastic wrap and explore how sound is created through vibrations. After designing and tapping their drums, students listen closely to observe differences in volume and pitch, then share how their chosen material affected the sound. Next, groups create a colorful sound poster that showcases their material, illustrates their drum design, and uses words or visuals—like loud, soft, high, low, or deep—to represent the sounds they heard. 

Guidelines: 

Students explored the Defined Learning lesson on Drums and Vibrations, which introduced key concepts about how sound is created through vibrations and how different materials can change the way something sounds. After discussing these ideas and reviewing skills such as observing, predicting, and describing sound qualities, students worked with a partner or small group to build a simple drum using materials like foil, wax paper, or plastic wrap. They tested their drums by tapping them and listening closely, noting how their chosen material affected the loudness, pitch, and quality of the sound. Students then applied their understanding by creating a sound poster that illustrated their drum design and used labels, drawings, and sound words to represent what they heard. Throughout the activity, students received visual guidelines, structured steps, and access to drum-building and art materials to support their learning. Finally, they responded to a reflection prompt: How did your material change the way your drum sounded, and why do you think that happened? Students drew their observations and explained their reasoning as part of their final presentation.