What students investigate

Students start with a rope wave whose pattern moves without carrying the whole rope along. They name the crest and trough, measure amplitude from the rest line to a crest, and measure wavelength from one crest to the next.

Then they compare waves that differ in only one way: the same spacing but different heights, or the same height but different spacing. A float bobbing on water and a marked point on a rope show that the material moves only locally as the pattern passes. The last card asks students to check a wave model's labels and measurements.

Who it is for

Wave Properties is written for Grade 4 physical science. It is a good starting point for the light packs, Light & Reflection and Light & Sound Signals.

The cards work well before students make waves with a rope or a tray of water, so they already know where to look for a crest and how to measure one.

What students learn

10 learning ideas, one at a time. Each one is a silent animated Learn card, then Review and Mastery questions.

1. A repeating wave pattern can travel without carrying the whole medium with it.
2. A crest is a high point, and a trough is a low point in a wave model.
3. Amplitude is measured from the rest line to a crest in this simple model.
4. Wavelength measures one full repeat between neighboring matching places.
5. Two waves can have different amplitudes but equal wavelengths.
6. Two waves can have different wavelengths but equal amplitudes.
7. A model repeats a regular wave shape in an expected order and spacing.
8. A float can bob locally as a water-wave pattern passes.
9. A marked rope point can move locally while the wave pattern travels.
10. A useful wave model has accurate labels, measurements and material movement.

Science words in this pack

Each word is taught on its Learn card, then used again in Review and Mastery.

• wave
• pattern
• rope
• crest
• trough
• rest line
• amplitude
• wavelength
• float
• marked point
• model

Inside the pack

How it works in class

• Learn. 10 silent whiteboard animations, one idea per card. No audio, so it works on a classroom screen or a quiet device.
• Review. 30 practice questions with feedback. Ideas a student misses come back.
• Mastery. 30 questions to show what each student knows on their own.
• Certificate. A student who finishes can print a certificate or save it as a PDF. It shows first-try Review and Mastery results and the ideas that needed a retry.

Standards connections

These cards support parts of the following NGSS performance expectations. They do not replace hands-on investigations.

• 4-PS4-1 — core ideas

More in FireFlash 4th Grade Science

• Energy Transfer Explore energy transfer through heat, light, sound, and electricity.
• Motion & Collisions Explore how speed and collisions relate to energy and changes in motion.
• Energy Conversions Investigate devices that change energy from one form to another.
• Light & Reflection Explore how reflected light reaches our eyes.
• Light & Sound Signals Explore how patterned light and sound can carry messages.
• Structures & Functions Look at how parts of plants and animals work together.
• Animal Senses Follow how animals sense clues and respond.
• Weathering & Erosion Read evidence of how ice, water, wind and plants change the land.
• Earthquakes & Volcanoes Interpret world maps of earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains and ocean features.

About the FireFlash 4th Grade Science series