Sound: Concepts + Keywords 

Concepts Related to Sound

If your class is interested in studying sound and you choose to facilitate a simple machine investigation, consider using any 3 or 4 concepts listed below. Choosing a limited number of concepts based on children's interests helps to narrow down the research required by teachers. It also helps teachers shape the investigation by diving deeper into the chosen content instead of feeling pressure to cover all concepts related to the topic. Choosing what's most relevant to the children in your class helps everyone get the most out of the investigation. 

Volume + Decibel (loud, soft)
Frequency + Echo +Sound waves
Vibrations + Amplitude +Resonance
Pitch (high, low)

Acoustics+ Reverberation + Absorption
Tempo + Speed 
Rhythm + Beats
Musical Instruments (Wind, String + Percussion)

Ear Anatomy + Balance 
​Hearing Loss + Hearing Protection
Vocal Cords + Communication
​Body Percussion
Environmental Sounds

Keywords

• Sound: Vibrations that travel through the air and reach our ears.
• Loud: A strong and intense sound.
• Soft: A gentle and quiet sound.
• Acoustic: Relating to sound or the sense of hearing.
• High Pitch: A sound that is high or squeaky.
• Low Pitch: A sound that is low or deep.
• Fast: Sounds that happen quickly.
• Slow: Sounds that happen slowly.
• Frequency: The number of cycles of a periodic wave that occur in a unit of time, usually measured in Hertz (Hz).
• Pitch:  The perceived frequency of sound; higher pitch corresponds to higher frequency.
• Volume: The intensity or loudness of a sound.
• Timbre: The quality or color of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds with the same pitch and loudness.
• Amplitude: The maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, measured from the position of equilibrium.
• Decibel: A unit of measurement for the intensity of sound.
• Decibel Meter: A device used to measure the intensity of sound, often in decibels.
• Echo: The reflection of sound off a surface, producing a delayed and repeated sound.
• Rhythm: A repeated pattern of beats or sounds.
• Beat: The regular and repetitive pulse in music.
• Musical Instruments: Tools or objects that make music, like drums, xylophones, or tambourines.
• Echo: The reflection of sound off surfaces, creating a repeated sound.
• Tone: The character or quality of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds.
• Environmental Sounds: 
• Quiet Time: A time when we listen for very soft or silent sounds.
• Nature Sounds: Sounds that come from the outdoors, like birds singing, leaves rustling, or rain falling.
• Body Sounds: Noises our bodies make, like clapping hands, stomping feet, or snapping fingers.
• Listening: Paying attention to the sounds around us.
• Muffle: To make a sound quieter or softer.
• Mute: To reduce the intensity or volume of a sound.
• Silence: The absence of sound.
• Vibration: The quick back-and-forth movement that creates sound.
• Ultrasonic: Sound waves with frequencies above the upper limit of human hearing.
• Infrasound: Sound waves with frequencies below the lower limit of human hearing.
• Noise: Unwanted or disruptive sound.
• Soundwave: A longitudinal wave that can travel through a medium, such as air or water.
• Instrument Families: Groups of musical instruments that have similar features or make similar sounds.
• Harmony: Sounds that go together and sound nice when played at the same time.
• Dissonance: Sounds that clash or don't sound as nice together.
• Echoic Sounds: Sounds that imitate or repeat.
• Sound Effects: Different sounds that enhance stories or imaginative play.
• Resonance: A sound being prolonged or enhanced.
• Volume Control: Adjusting the loudness of sounds.
• Mimic: Copying or imitating a sound.
• Pitch Control: Changing the highness or lowness of a sound.
• Crescendo: A gradual increase in volume.
• Decrescendo: A gradual decrease in volume.
• Tempo: The speed of the beat or rhythm.
• Conducting: Directing or leading the music with hand movements.
• Wind Instruments: Musical instruments that produce sound by the flow of air, like a flute or a trumpet.
• String Instruments: Musical instruments with strings that vibrate, like a guitar or a violin.
• Percussion Instruments: Instruments that make sound by being struck or shaken, like drums or tambourines.

Talking + Voice

• Larynx: Highly specialized structure atop the windpipe responsible for sound production, air passage during breathing and protecting the airway during swallowing
• Vocal Folds (also called Vocal Cords): “Fold-like” soft tissue that is the main vibratory component of the voice box; comprised of a cover (epithelium and superficial lamina propria), vocal ligament (intermediate and deep laminae propria), and body (thyroarytenoid muscle)
• Glottis (also called Rima Glottides): Opening between the two vocal folds; the glottis opens during breathing and closes during swallowing and sound production​​

Ears + Hearing

• Hearing: The ability to perceive sound.
• Earlobe: The fleshy lower part of the external ear.
• Cochlea: A spiral-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear responsible for converting sound vibrations into nerve impulses.
• Eardrum: The thin, membrane-like structure that separates the outer ear from the middle ear and vibrates in response to sound waves.
• Ossicles: The three small bones (malleus, incus, and stapes) in the middle ear that transmit vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.
• Eustachian Tube: A tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the throat, equalizing air pressure on both sides of the eardrum.
• Ear canal: The tube-like structure leading from the outer ear to the eardrum.
• Auricle: The external part of the ear, also known as the pinna.
• Earplug: A device designed to be inserted into the ear canal to protect the ears from loud noises.
• Balance: The ability to maintain bodily equilibrium, controlled in part by the inner ear.
• Hearing Aid: A small electronic device worn in or behind the ear to amplify sound for individuals with hearing loss.
• Deaf: Partial or complete inability to hear.
• Hard of Hearing: Having a diminished ability to hear but not completely deaf.