Sensational Sound WebQuest
An Internet WebQuest
on Physics of Sound
created
by Mr. Sound
Introduction | The Task | The Process & Resources | Conclusion
| HyperText Dictionary
Imagine going to a movie
with two of your friends. One of your friends is blind, the other is deaf, and
you are neither blind or deaf. It is obvious that each one of you will take
away something different from the movie. Your friend that is blind will
concentrate more on the sound of the movie, your friend that is deaf will
concentrate more on the actions of the characters, and you will concentrate on
both. Unfortunately, you will have to concentrate on both which will limit your
complete comprehension while your friends will be able to concentrate on one
aspect of the movie. Also, within that two hour time span you and your friends
will take what you want from the movie, discuss it outside the movie theatre
and probably never mention it again.Learning can take on the characteristic of
seeing/reading and forgetting but it doesn't have to. With a group of friends
working on different components, the task will not seem so daunting.
Physics of Sound can be a difficult concept to learn, but with a team it can
become easy and fun to learn. I mean sound is everywhere and many of us don't
give it much thought. What is sound? How is it created? How far does it travel?
How fast does it go? Why is each sound unique, with its own personality? Most
of us don't know these answers but we hear and make sound everyday. This
webquest will provide you the key to a treasure chest of fun activities, lesson
plans, multimedia, and well researched information.
In the following webquest you'll have a chance to learn about the physics of
sound and take meaning from what you've learned. You will recognize the
necessity of a good team and you will discover that learning is fun. There are
many resources on the internet, some of them full of fluff, but others that are
worthwhile sites. Each person on your team will learn one piece of the puzzle
and then you will come together to get a better understanding on the Physics of
Sound.
Describe a world without
sound and the characteristics that world would have.
In this WebQuest you
will be working together with a group of students in class to discover the
wonderful world of Physics of Sound. Each group will answer the question
presented above. As a member of the group you will explore different websites
from people all over the world who are interested or work in the field of
sound. Some of the concepts and words used to describe the concepts may be
difficult so please go to my scrapbook link and use the webster online dictionary
link that is provided.
You'll begin with everyone in your group getting some background before
dividing into roles where people on your team become experts on one part of the
topic.
Use the Internet information
linked below each one of you should find out the foundations of sound. What is
sound? How is it created? How does it travel? How is sound measured? Be
creative in exploring the information so that you answer these questions as
fully and insightfully as you can.
·
Science Enrichment Program
- A fundamental site if you're looking for a quick description and
demonstration of sound.
·
Science Enrichment Program
- A fundamental site if you're looking for a quick description and
demonstration of sound.
·
Sound Waves - A
good beginning to learning about the physics of sound.
·
Sound
Waves - A good website to learn about the fundamentals of physics of sound.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Individuals or pairs from your larger WebQuest team will explore one of the
roles below.
2. Read through the files linked to your group. If you like the file, print it
out and highlight the parts you think will be applicable to your teams
objectives. Remember, keep it fun. If you aren't feeling that one of the
websites is not capturing your interest, try another one. If you look at the
files on the computer, copy sections you feel are important by dragging the
mouse across the passage and copying / pasting it into a word processor or
other writing software.
3. Note: Remember to write down or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the
passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to to prove your
point.
4. Be prepared to focus what you've learned into one main opinion that answers
the task based on what you have learned from the links for your role. Remember,
when working with a group you must be open minded and listen to everyone's
opinion. It is only then that you'll truly find an answer to the task presented
above.
Use the
Internet information linked below to answer the following questions.
1.What kind of a wave is sound? (Please discuss compression and rarefraction)
2.How is sound measured? (Please include explanations of pitch and
frequency,intensity and the decibel scale)
3.Does sound travel faster at night or during the day?
4.Does sound travel faster in warmer or colder air?
5.How does sound react with different phases of matter?
6.How fast and far does sound go?
7.What is a shockwave?
8.What causes echoes?
9.How are musical tones produced?
10.What is the doppler effect?
11.What is wave interference?
·
The Physics
Classroom - This comprehensive site has information on the nature of a
sound wave, sound properties, behavior of sound waves, resonance and standing
waves, and musical instruments.
·
Physics of Sound:
Science Links on the World Wide Web - This website offers many different
informational, tutorial, and activity based sound websites.
·
Sound
- A good beginning to learning about the physics of sound. Good foundational
information
·
The Physics
of Sound - An in depth look at some of the mechanics of sound.