One Stop Shop For Educators
The following instructional plan is part of a GaDOE collection of Unit Frameworks, Performance Tasks, examples of Student Work, and Teacher Commentary. Many more GaDOE
approved instructional plans are available by using the Search Standards feature located on GeorgiaStandards.Org.
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
Unit One Organizer: Sense the Wave
(Approximate Time: 7.5 weeks)
OVERVIEW:
In the Georgia Performance Standards, students are introduced to light and sound in the first grade. Students explore and recognize sources of light
and investigate how vibrations produce sound. The foundation of pitch and volume (intensity) has been laid. By the second grade the concepts of
energy, light, and motion are intermingled together to promote conceptual understanding. By fourth grade, students begin to investigate the behavior
of light using tools such as mirrors, lenses, and prisms.
When students reach the eighth grade, it is fair to assume that students have an instinctive understanding of sound, light and color. It is imperative
that students begin to connect the behavior of light to waves. The purpose of this unit is for students to use their senses (hearing, seeing, and feeling)
to attain a deeper understanding of these concepts as well as how the concept of energy flow continues through this topic.
All too often misconceptions hinder students’ understanding of science. By encouraging students to express their ideas, teachers are able to identify
and address misconceptions. By incorporating the senses into instruction, properties of waves can easily be demonstrated, and energy transformations
are more easily observed.
All of the background information, intuitive information, tasks in this framework, and content from the standard, leads to the culminating activity.
Students will apply their knowledge of waves, light, and sound to create a proposal for a wonderful concert experience.
STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN THIS UNIT
Focus Standard:
S8P4. Students will explore the wave nature of sound and electromagnetic radiation.
a. Identify the characteristics of electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves.
b. Describe how the behavior of light waves is manipulated causing reflection, refraction, diffraction, and absorption.
c. Explain how the human eye sees objects and colors in terms of wavelengths.
d. Describe how the behavior of waves is affected by medium (such as air, water, and solids).
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 1 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
e. Relate the properties of sound to everyday experiences.
f. Diagram the parts of the wave and explain how the parts are affected by changes in amplitude and pitch.
Supporting Standards:
S8P2. Students will be familiar with the forms and transformations of energy.
a. Explain energy transformation in terms of the Law of Conservation of Energy.
c. Compare and contrast the different forms of energy (heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, sound) and their characteristics.
S8P1. Students will examine the scientific view of the nature of matter.
c. Describe the movement of particles in solids, liquids gases and plasmas states.
Habits of the Mind
S8CS1. Students will explore the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science and will exhibit these traits in their
own efforts to understand how the world works.
a. Understand the importance of-and keep-honest, clear, and accurate records in science.
b. Understand that hypotheses can be valued even if they turn out not to be completely accurate.
S8CS2. Students will have the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and following scientific explanations.
a. Add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers mentally, on paper, and with a calculator.
b. Use fractions and decimals, and translate between decimals and commonly encountered fractions – halves, thirds, fourths, fifths,
tenths, and hundredths (but not sixths, sevenths, and so on) – in scientific calculations.
c. Judge whether measurements and computations of quantities, such as length, area, volume, weight, or time, are reasonable answers to
scientific problems by comparing them to typical values.
S8CS3. Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating objects in scientific activities.
a. Choose appropriate common materials for making simple mechanical constructions and repairing things.
b. Measure and mix dry and liquid materials in prescribed amounts, exercising reasonable safety.
c. Use computers, cameras and recording devices for capturing information.
d. Identify and practice accepted safety procedures in manipulating science materials and equipment.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 2 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
S8CS4. Students will use ideas of system, model, change, and scale in exploring scientific and technological matters.
a. Observe and describe how parts influence one another in things with many parts.
b. Use geometric figures, number sequences, graphs, diagrams, sketches, number lines, maps, and stories to represent corresponding
features of objects, events, and processes in the real world. Identify ways in which the representations do not match their original
counterparts.
c. Identify patterns of change in things—such as steady, repetitive, or irregular change—using records, tables, or graphs of measurements
where appropriate.
d. Identify the biggest and the smallest possible values of something.
S8CS5. Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly.
a. Write instructions that others can follow in carrying out a scientific procedure.
b. Make sketches to aid in explaining scientific procedures or ideas.
c. Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects and events.
d. Locate scientific information in reference books, back issues of newspapers and magazines, CD-ROMs, and computer databases.
S8CS6. Students will question scientific claims and arguments effectively.
a. Support statements with facts found in books, articles, and databases, and identify the sources used.
b. Identify when comparisons might not be fair because some conditions are different.
The Nature of Science
S8CS7. Students will be familiar with the character of scientific knowledge and how it is achieved.
Students will recognize that:
a. Similar scientific investigations seldom produce exactly the same results, which may differ due to unexpected differences in whatever
is being investigated, unrecognized differences in the methods or circumstances of the investigation, or observational uncertainties.
b. Some scientific knowledge is very old and yet is still applicable today.
S5CS8. Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.
Students will apply the following to inquiry learning practices:
a. Scientific investigations may take many different forms, including observing what things are like or what is happening somewhere,
collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 3 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
b. Clear and active communication is an essential part of doing science. It enables scientists to inform others about their work, expose
their ideas to criticism by other scientists, and stay informed about scientific discoveries around the world.
c. Scientists use technology to increase their power to observe things and to measure and compare things accurately.
d. Science involves many different kinds of work and engages men and women of all ages and backgrounds.
S8SC9. Students will understand the features of the process of scientific inquiry.
Students will apply the following to inquiry learning practices:
a. Investigations are conducted for different reasons, which include exploring new phenomena, confirming previous results, testing how
well a theory predicts, and comparing different theories.
b. Scientific investigations usually involve collecting evidence, reasoning, devising hypotheses, and formulating explanations to
collected evidence.
c. Scientific experiments investigate the effect of one variable on another. All variables are kept constant.
d. Scientists often collaborate to design research. To prevent this bias, scientists conduct independent studies of the same questions.
e. Accurate record keeping, data sharing, and replication of results are essential for maintaining an investigator’s credibility with other
scientists and society.
f. Scientists use technology and mathematics to enhance the process of scientific inquiry.
g. The ethics of science require that special care must be taken and used for human subjects and animals in scientific research.
Scientists must adhere to the appropriate rules and guidelines when conducting research.
S8SC10. Students will enhance reading in all curriculum areas by:
c. Building vocabulary knowledge
Demonstrate an understanding of contextual vocabulary in various subjects.
Use content vocabulary in writing and speaking.
Explore understanding of new words found in subject areas texts.
d. Establish context
Explore life experiences related to subject area content.
Discuss in both writing and speaking how certain words are subject area related.
Determine strategies for finding content and contextual meaning for unknown words.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 4 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
Light interacts with matter by transmission (including refraction) and absorption (including reflection).
To see an object, light from that object must enter the eye.
Waves move energy from one place to another. Light and sound are examples of waves that carry energy.
Mechanical waves require a medium but electromagnetic waves do not.
The characteristics of waves are affected by the medium through which they are traveling.
Frequency determines the pitch of sound.
The electromagnetic spectrum represents energy moving in an electric field and a magnetic field.
Visible light is a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye is capable of seeing.
The colors of visible light are created by electromagnetic energy of various frequencies.
Waves can change direction (refract, diffract, and/or reflect) when they encounter matter.
When white light is refracted it can be separated into its component colors.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only transformed from one form into another.
Light from the sun is made up of a mixture of many different colors of light, even though to the eye the light looks almost white.
Other things that give off or reflect light have a different mix of colors.
Something can be ―seen‖ when light waves emitted or reflected by it enter the eye, just as something can be ―heard‖ when sound waves
enter the ear.
Vibrations in materials set up a wavelike disturbance that spread away from the source. Sound and earthquake waves are examples. These
and other waves move at different speeds in different materials.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 5 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How do light and sound transfer energy from one place to another?
Why are some seats at a concert more expensive than others? How might this affect the enjoyment you get from the concert?
What characteristics do different types of electromagnetic waves have in common?
Why do we see ―visible light‖? How are the colors of light created?
How does a prism reveal the colors of light?
What happens when a substance absorbs light?
CONCEPTS:
Energy transfer
Properties and behavior of waves
Wave interaction
Law of conservation of energy
LANGUAGE:
Absorption
Amplitude
Color
Diffraction
Electromagnetic wave
Energy
Frequency
Intensity
Law of conservation of energy
Light
Matter
Mechanical energy
Mechanical wave
Medium
Pitch
Reflection
Refraction
Sound
Transformation of energy
Transverse wave
Wave
Wave length
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 6 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
MISCONCEPTIONS
Sounds can be produced without using any material objects
PROPER CONCEPTIONS
For a sound wave to be produced there has to be vibrating matter.
Human voice sounds are produced by a large number of vocal cords
that produce different sounds.
Loudness and pitch are the same thing.
The vibrations produce the different sounds.
Sound can travel through empty space (vacuum).
Sounds can not travel through solids and liquids.
Loudness deals with intensity (amplitude) which is associated with
the energy of a wave while pitch deals with the frequency of the
wave.
Sound vibrations travel as waves through matter.
Light is not necessarily conserved.
Sound waves travel faster through solids and liquids than through
gases due to their increased density.
Sound waves are mechanical waves that travel as compressions
through matter.
Waves carry energy-energy can not be created or destroyed-therefore
waves are not destroyed.
Light is energy…this must be conserved.
The color of an object is determined by the color of light it absorbs.
The color of an object is determined by the color of light it reflects.
Gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light infrared light,
microwaves and radio waves are all very different concepts.
Coloring appears on soap films and oil slicks are reflections of
rainbows.
The pupil of the eye is a black spot ―on‖ the surface of the eye.
Each of them is a form of light, which have different frequencies and
different wavelength.
It is the diffraction of light
Sound waves are transverse waves.
When waves interact with a solid surface, the waves are destroyed.
When light passes through a prism, color is added to the light.
The pupil is actually an opening in the iris that allows light to pass
through.
Light is spread out to show the different wave lengths
When light passes through a filter, color is added to the light.
A filter blocks out that color of reflection it does not add anything.
There is no similarity between light and sound.
Light and sound both carry energy and travel on waves.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 7 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
EVIDENCE OF LEARNING:
Culminating Activity:
GRASPS
GOAL: Write a proposal for a concert venue. You are competing with many other arenas for the band to perform. You must pay very close
attention to details (sound, lighting, seating for the audience—to see and hear the performance,). You must provide advertising, posters,
EVERYTHING they need for a great concert.
ROLE: You are a member of a PR Group (Public Relation Group) who is actively recruiting a particular band for a concert. You have to
convince them you have the BEST facilities for their band.
AUDIENCE: The band performers, managers, producers, promoters, etc.
SCENARIO: A well-known musical group is on tour. You desperately want to make sure the band comes to your town. In order to get the
band to play in your city, you must convince the band members that your town’s concert hall is designed to ensure optimal hearing and viewing
pleasure for their fans (the audience). As a member of the PR Group, it is your responsibility to submit a proposal to the band indicating how
the concert hall has been designed to meet their needs.
PRODUCT: The final product will be the best-laid plans for the concert, and poster for selling tickets. You will submit a proposal that should
include information on the building (i.e. materials used in the construction of walls, floor, ceiling, etc), arrangement of seats, i.e. the entire
package.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 8 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
UNIT RESOURCES
Rubric for Culminating Activity
For Sensing the Wave
Exceeds
Describe and demonstrate
how the behavior of
light waves is
manipulated causing
reflection
Describe and demonstrate
how the behavior of
light waves is
manipulated causing
refraction
Describe and demonstrate
how the behavior of
light waves is
manipulated causing
diffraction
Describe and demonstrate
how the behavior of
light waves is
manipulated causing
absorption
Explain how the eye sees
objects and color in
terms of wavelength
and frequency
Meets
Describe how the behavior of
light waves is
manipulated causing
reflection
Does Not Meet
Can not describe how the
behavior of light
waves is manipulated
causing reflection
Describe how the behavior of
light waves is
manipulated causing
refraction
Can not describe how the
behavior of light
waves is manipulated
causing refraction
Describe how the behavior of
light waves is
manipulated causing
diffraction
Can not describe how the
behavior of light
waves is manipulated
causing diffraction
Describe how the behavior of
light waves is
manipulated causing
absorption
Can not describe how the
behavior of light
waves is manipulated
causing absorption
Explain how the eye sees objects
and color in terms of
wavelength
Explain how the eye sees
either objects or color
in terms of wavelength
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 9 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
Describe how the behavior of
waves is affected by
medium and how
changing the medium
bends the waves
Relate the properties of sound
to everyday
experiences and
theorize about how
other experiences are
affected.
Diagram the parts of the
wave, explain how the
parts are affected by
changes in amplitude
and medium
Diagram the parts of the
wave, explain how the
parts are affected by
changes in pitch and
medium
Describe how the behavior of
waves is affected by
medium
Can not describe how the
behavior of waves is
affected by medium
Relate the properties of sound to
everyday experiences
Can not relate the properties
of sound to everyday
experiences
Diagram the parts of the wave
and explain how the parts
are affected by changes
in amplitude
Can not diagram the parts of
the wave and/or
explain how the parts
are affected by
changes in amplitude
Can not diagram the parts of
the wave and/or
explain how the parts
are affected by
changes in pitch
Diagram the parts of the wave
and explain how the parts
are affected by changes
in pitch
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 10 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science – 8th Grade
Several of these Sites are Interactive!!!
Break the Code
http://fuse.pha.jhu.edu/outreach/kit1/colors.html
Make Music
http://www.nancymusic.com/PRINThomemade.htm
http://www.suite101.com/blog.cfm/partnersandparents/homemade_musical_instruments
http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/specialfeature/musical_instruments/
http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/musicalinstrumentsartscraftstideashandmadekids.html
http://www.philtulga.com/HomemadeMusic.html
Play the Wave
http://www.speechandhearing.net/laboratory/demos.html
Auditorium floor Plans
http://www.sanantonio.gov/convfac/MA/mafp.asp
http://south.mpls.k12.mn.us/sites/8d7972fc-9041-4d72-a1fd-c3a784e7b89a/uploads/SouthDesignFloorPlans_2.pdf
http://www.uhd.edu/about/reservations/rooms/auditorium.htm
http://www.fs.uiuc.edu/ada/0007Plan1.html
http://ci.ftlaud.fl.us/wma/wmafloorplan.pdf
Computer Activity on Sound—the attached link will allow you to investigate the pitch and intensity of sound so you can categorize it.
http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/sound/#
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Physical Science  GRADE 8th  Sense the Wave
July2, 2008  Page 11 of 11
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved