Topic/Theme

Energy

Project/Artifact

Synthesizer Song

Essential Questions

• Why does an object's motion change?

• How do we power computers and other electronic devices?

• How can energy be transferred from one object or system to another?

• What are the characteristic properties of waves and how can they be used?

• How can sound make something move?

Project Description

Write, create, and publish a song that shows how different sound waves create different tones.

Project Instructions

• Make a simple song of no less than 30 seconds using a keyboard and synthesizer program. 

• Then, create an informative video that’s no less than 1 minute long that does the following:

  • Shares your song.

  • Shows visually how a waveform is a pattern over time.

  • Explains amplitude and points to an example in your song of amplitude.

  • Shows how in an analog signal, higher energy inputted into the signal creates higher amplitude.

  • Includes a bibliography of any sites you used to help create your video.

Guide to Creating an Informative Video

1. Outline: Create a rough outline of your video’s structure (introduction, main content, conclusion).

2. Write a Script: Draft a script detailing what will be said and shown in each part of the video.

3. Add Visual Aids: Create still images, animation, video, and audio to illustrate the ideas you will present in the video. 

4. Storyboard: Sketch a storyboard to visualize scenes, shots, and transitions.

5. Edit the Video: Use video editing software to cut, trim, and arrange your footage.

6. Add Effects: Add transitions, text overlays, music, and sound effects as needed.

7. Review: Watch the video multiple times to ensure quality and coherence.

8. Get Feedback: Submit your video for feedback.

9. Adjust: Incorporate the feedback. 

10. Publish: Add your video to your portfolio on the website.

Resources

• The Electronic Music Synthesizer and the Physics of Music W.M. Hartmann

• OpenSciEd's Simulation Library - Feeling the Sound

• OpenSciEd's Simulation Library - Turn it Up!

• OpenSciEd's Simulation Library - Hitting the High Notes

• Dr. Bob's Soundschool

Outcomes

Energy Transfer

4-PS3-1. Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

4-PS3-3. Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.

4-PS3-4. Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

MS-PS3-1. Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.

MS-PS3-2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

MS-PS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.

MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

MS-PS3-5. Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

Waves

4-PS4-1. Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.

4-PS4-2. Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.

4-PS4-3. Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information.

MS-PS4-1. Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.

MS-PS4-2. Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

MS-PS4-3. Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.

Outcomes Courtesy of Next Generation Science Standards.

Rubrics