Unit Plan 3 (Grade 1 Science): Sound Makes Things Move

Focus: Observe and test how sound can make materials move by causing them to vibrate, using evidence from investigations with rice, paper, and solid objects.

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: Science (Physical Science • Waves • Investigation Skills)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students build on what they know about sound and vibrations by focusing on a powerful idea: sound can make things move. Students explore how sound travels through air (and sometimes through objects) and can cause materials to vibrate—even when we can’t see the sound itself.

Students conduct simple investigations using setups like rice on plastic wrap, a paper strip “dancing” near a sound source, and solid objects that buzz or shake when they vibrate. They collect evidence by watching for motion, feeling vibrations safely, and recording results with labeled drawings and simple charts. The unit ends with a short “Sound Makes Things Move” demonstration where students share evidence from multiple tests.

Essential Questions

• How can sound make materials move?
• What is vibration, and how can we tell when something is vibrating?
• How can we plan fair investigations and use evidence to explain what happened?
• How do different sounds (loud/soft) change how much something moves?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Plan and conduct investigations to show that sound can make materials vibrate and move (1-PS4-1).
2. Use observations to describe evidence of vibration (movement, shaking, buzzing) in rice, paper, and solid objects.
3. Compare what happens when sound is louder or softer, using a simple “more movement / less movement” rating.
4. Record investigation results using labeled drawings, simple tables, and sentence frames.
5. Communicate a claim about sound causing movement and support it with evidence from at least two different tests.

Standards Alignment — Grade 1 (NGSS-Aligned)

• 1-PS4-1 — Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.
  • Example: Use rice on a plastic-wrap drum and a paper-strip test to show sound causing visible movement.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can show that sound can make things move because it causes vibrations.
• I can look for evidence (movement/shaking) and record what I notice.
• I can compare more movement and less movement when sounds change.
• I can explain my results using a picture, labels, and a sentence.
• I can share my evidence and listen to others respectfully.