Sound

PHYSICS HTS LESSON PLAN

ICSE Class 7 Lesson Plan – Sound

Class:

7

No. of Periods:3

Topic:

Sound — 

Subtopics

• Production of sound — vibration as the cause
• Examples & sources of sound (musical instruments, human voice, machines, natural)
• Need for a medium for sound propagation (air, liquids, solids; no sound in vacuum)
• Speed of sound in different media (qualitative and simple numerical values)

Learning Outcomes

• Explain that sound is produced by vibrating objects and recognise examples.
• List common sources of sound in daily life.
• Describe why a medium is required for sound to travel and give examples (air, water, solids).
• Recall approximate speeds of sound in air, water and solids and compare them qualitatively.
• Demonstrate simple experiments that show vibration and propagation of sound.

Procedure

Introductory Activity (engagement):
I will ask students to place a finger gently on their throat and say “sound ” for a few seconds so they can feel the vibration. Next I will ask a volunteer to pluck a stretched rubber band and place a fingertip near it to feel the vibration. These short experiences introduce the central idea: sound is produced by vibrating objects.

• Discussions of observations from the introductory activity and define sound as a form of energy produced by vibration.
• List and classify sources of sound: musical instruments (strings, drums, wind), human voice (vocal cords), animals, machines, natural sources (thunder).
• Explaination the need for a medium using the cup-telephone demonstration (or description if materials limited): sound travels through the string/air but not through vacuum.
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• Introduce the idea that sound travels faster in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases — give simple approximate values:
  • Air ≈ 340 m/s
  • Water ≈ 1500 m/s
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Activities

Activity — Student Hands-on Demonstrations

• Feeling vibrations: Students place a finger on their throat while speaking to feel vocal vibration.
• Rubber band / ruler: In pairs, students stretch and pluck a rubber band or flick a ruler over a table edge to observe and feel vibration and hear sound.
• Paper-cup telephone: Groups make a simple cup-and-string telephone (if materials available) to test sound transmission through a solid string and discuss how it travels.
• Teacher circulates, asks probing questions, and records quick observations from each group.

Values / Skills

• Observation and careful listening
• Hands-on investigation and safe handling of simple materials
• Collaboration and communication in groups
• Scientific reasoning — linking vibration to sound and medium to propagation

Assessment

• Quick oral questions: What causes sound? Name two sources of sound. Can sound travel in vacuum?
• Ask students to state which medium (air/water/solid) will carry sound fastest and why (qualitative answer).
• Observe group activity: did students identify vibration and explain transmission through the string?

Lesson Plan by Ritu | M.Sc. (Physics), B.Ed. 

For ICSE Class 7 Physics – Speed Up Science