Unit Overview

Students master wave properties including amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and energy relationships. Through solving thunder prediction mysteries or conducting light and sound investigations with flashlights and materials, comparing wave energy transfer using Slinkys and ropes testing amplitude and frequency relationships plus digital versus analog signals, and engineering devices helping deaf people detect sound or blind people detect light, students discover how waves carry energy.

  • Lesson 1
    Lesson 1: Solve: Waves Phenomena + Light and Sound Mystery

    Solve: Waves Phenomena + Light and Sound Mystery

    Thad the Thunder's show stumps audiences—he predicts thunder's exact timing! After Billy loses all his money betting against Thad, Mosa suspects deception. Thad's assistant Sam shares interesting information. Students follow Mosa learning about waves, discovering Thad's trick: light waves travel faster than sound waves! During lightning storms, light reaches observers almost instantly, while sound arrives seconds later. Thad sees the lightning flash, counts seconds knowing sound's speed, predicts thunder perfectly. It's physics, not magic—different wave types have different speeds!

  • Lesson 2
    Lesson 2: Make: Compare Light and Sound Waves

    Make: Compare Light and Sound Waves

    Compare energy transfer in light and sound waves using Slinkys and heavy cotton ropes! Students create waves with different amplitudes (wave height) and frequencies (waves per second), discovering: higher amplitude = more energy (bigger waves carry more energy than small waves), amplitude relates to volume (loud sounds = high amplitude, quiet sounds = low amplitude), amplitude relates to brightness (bright light = high amplitude, dim light = low amplitude). Test wave interactions: waves can be transmitted (pass through clear materials), reflected (bounce off mirrors/foil), or absorbed (disappear into black materials). Investigate digital vs. analog signals—digital signals are more reliable for encoding and transmitting information with less distortion.

  • Lesson 3
    Lesson 3: Engineer: Engineer a Solution for Individuals who cannot Detect Light or Sound Waves

    Engineer: Engineer a Solution for Individuals who cannot Detect Light or Sound Waves

    Design solutions using wave knowledge to help people with disabilities: (1) Help deaf people detect sound waves—design devices converting sound vibrations into visual signals, tactile feedback, or written text (vibrating bracelets detecting loud noises? flashing lights responding to doorbell sounds? speech-to-text displays?), OR (2) Help blind people detect light waves—design devices converting light into sound, touch, or temperature signals (sensors beeping when light levels change? tactile displays showing light patterns? echolocation assistive devices?). Research existing technologies, engineer innovative solutions, build prototypes using paper/tape/glue/craft materials, present designs explaining how they detect and convert wave energy.

  • Next Generation Science Standards
    MS-PS4-1
    Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on describing waves with both qualitative and quantitative thinking.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include electromagnetic waves and is limited to standard repeating waves.]
    MS-PS4-2
    Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both light and mechanical waves. Examples of models could include drawings, simulations, and written descriptions.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to qualitative applications pertaining to light and mechanical waves.]
    MS-PS4-3
    Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on a basic understanding that waves can be used for communication purposes. Examples could include using fiber optic cable to transmit light pulses, radio wave pulses in wifi devices, and conversion of stored binary patterns to make sound or text on a computer screen.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include binary counting. Assessment does not include the specific mechanism of any given device.]
  • Inquiry Scale
    • Each lesson in the unit has an Inquiry Scale that provides directions on how to implement the lesson at the level that works best for you and your students.
    • “Level 1” is the most teacher-driven, and recommended for students in 4th-5th grades. “Level 4” is the most student-driven, and recommended for students in 7th-8th grades.
    • For differentiation within the same grade or class, use different inquiry levels for different groups of students who may require additional support or an extra challenge.
  • Common Misconceptions
    • Learners initially think that waves move matter from the source to where the wave ends up. Emphasize that waves transport energy, not matter.
    • Students tend to believe that you can hear and see a distinct event at the same moment. Emphasize through the Solve that light waves travel faster than sound waves.
  • Vocabulary
      • Amplitude
      • Light wave
      • Lightning
      • Sound Wave
      • Thunder
      • Wavelength
      • Medium
      • Transmission
      • Absorption
      • Reflection
      • Frequency
      • Mechanical Waves
      • Refraction
      • Analog waves
      • Digital waves
  • Content Expert
    • Brian Walsh, Ph.D.
      Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Center for Space Physics Boston University
  • Leveled Reading

    * To give our users the most comprehensive science resource, Mosa Mack is piloting a partnership with RocketLit, a provider of leveled science articles.

    • The Parts of a Wave

      Light is a mysterious thing, but that doesn't mean that we can't learn about it while we ride up the crests of a wave and back down through the troughs. This article also explains how to brag to your friend about how extreme a hill is with amplitude and how far you traveled by measuring the wavelength of the light wave.

    • Light, Pass It On

      Light doesn't like to stay in one place. It is transmitted by reflection, refraction, and absorption. In this way, light always keeps moving or hands its energy off to something else.

    • Why Matter Matters

      When light hits matter, it typically scatters in different directions. Some things light can pass through, some things it cannot and some things scatter light multiple times, diffusing it.

    • Types of Light

      The light we see is just a small part of the range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is the name for all energy that travels at the speed of light.

    • Refraction

      Light doesn't always move in a straight line nor does it travel at the same speed. Light changes direction and speed depending on the medium through which it's travelling.

    • How Records Work

      In this article, students read about how records store information in analog. They'll receive an introduction to the concepts of waves, vibration, distortion, and analog.

    • The Digital Advantage

      What makes digital technology so awesome? In this article, students read an introduction to waves, noise, binary, and the function of a transistor.

    • Music is Energy You Feel With Your Ears

      In this article students read about the form of energy that we experience as sound waves. They read about how matter can be disturbed by something that vibrates and this can cause particles to oscillate back and forth. We hear these disturbances as sound!

Mosa Mack Science

It looks like you don't have a Mosa Mack account.


Create a free account