This sound volume worksheet asks first grade students to circle the loudest sound in each row, then color circles that grow louder. An answer key is included, so children learn to compare loud and soft sounds.
This magnet activity has kindergarten to 3rd grade students sort picture cards into things a magnet will pull and things it will not, with a sorting mat, practice page and answer key.
A things that give light activity for kindergarten to 2nd grade: a board game with 12 picture cards about light sources, a practice page and an answer key included.
Light it up, turn it up
In 1st grade, energy shows up as two big things kids can see and hear: light and sound. They learn that we can only see objects when there's light, that some things give off their own light (the sun, a flashlight) and others just reflect it. With sound, they discover that vibrating things make sound: pluck a rubber band and watch it wiggle. They notice that sounds can be loud or soft, high or low. The click moment comes when a child touches their throat while humming and says, "It's shaking!"
Young scientists learn by noticing. These moves give them lots to notice.
Hold up objects like a flashlight, a mirror, a lamp and a spoon. Kids sort them into "gives light" and "doesn't give light." Then turn off the lights and test their sort. Real objects and a dark room make the idea unforgettable.
Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.
Try it withThings That Give Light ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Play quick sounds and kids hold up a card for loud or soft. Then ask them to make each sound louder or softer with their own voice. Quick, repeated checks build the vocabulary.
Why it works: pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than rereading it, one of the strongest findings in learning research (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).
Try it withSound Volume WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Spend a few minutes each day on one light or sound question: "What makes a shadow?" "Why does a drum make sound?" Little daily visits stack up into real understanding.
Why it works: the brain holds on to what it meets again and again over time; spaced practice was rated among the very best methods (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).
Try it withMagnet ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Science is the best kind of noisy.
Teacher favorites right now: Sound Volume Worksheet, Magnet Activity and Things That Give Light Activity.
First graders mostly study light and sound. They learn that light lets us see, and that vibrating objects make sound.
Sound is made when something vibrates, or shakes back and forth very fast. Have your child hum with a hand on their throat to feel it.
The sun, flashlights, lamps, candles and screens give off light. Things like the moon and mirrors don't make light; they reflect it.
Make a shadow with a flashlight and a toy. Move the light closer and farther to watch the shadow change size.
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