Classroom Resource

Steve Trash Science: Plants/Wicked Waves of Sound

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

4, 5

Overview

Steve Trash teaches kids about science with fun and magic. The show is filmed in Alabama

Join Steve Trash for a deep dive into the world of plants. Learn what goes on inside plants, how they turn sunlight into energy, and why they are SO important. After that, explore how sound moves from one place to another as Steve demonstrates the secrets of sound waves.

Science (2015) Grade(s): 4

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Plan and carry out investigations that explain transference of energy from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

Unpacked Content

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Vocabulary

  • Construct
  • Transfer
  • Energy
  • Potential energy
  • Kinetic energy
  • Friction
  • Conduction
  • Absorb
  • Reflect
  • Circuit
  • Open circuit
  • Close circuit
  • Heat
  • Radiation
  • Convection
  • Collision
  • Motion
  • Electrical energy
  • Stored energy

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat.
  • The transfer of energy, including the following:
    • Collisions between objects.
    • Light traveling from one place to another.
    • Electric currents producing motion, sound, heat, or light.
    • Sound traveling from one place to another.
    • Heat passing from one object to another.
    • Motion, sound, heat, and light causing a different type of energy to be observed after an interaction.
  • Heat is produced in many ways.
  • Heat can move via conduction.
  • The properties of different objects cause them to be able to absorb, reflect, and/or conduct energy.
  • Electric currents pass through a circuit.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Collaboratively plan and carry out an investigation that converts energy one form to another.
    • Identify the phenomenon.
    • Identify the evidence to address the purpose of the investigation.
    • Collect the data.
  • Construct an explanation using evidence about heat production.
  • Develop a model demonstrating that different objects can absorb, reflect, and/or conduct energy.
  • Develop a model demonstrating electric circuits.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects.
  • Heat energy can be produced in many ways.
  • The properties of objects, e.g. ability to absorb, reflect, or conduct energy, relate to their function.
  • Electric energy can be transferred through circuits.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Planning and Carrying out Investigations; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; Developing and Using Models

Crosscutting Concepts

Energy and Matter
Science (2015) Grade(s): 4

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Examine evidence to support an argument that the internal and external structures of plants (e.g., thorns, leaves, stems, roots, colored petals, xylem, phloem) and animals (e.g., heart, stomach, lung, brain, skin) function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

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Vocabulary

  • argue
  • articulate
  • evidence
  • internal
  • external
  • structure
  • survival
  • function
  • behavior
  • reproduction

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Internal and External structures serve specific functions within plants and animals.
  • The functions of internal and external structures can support survival, growth, behavior and/or reproduction in plants and animals.
  • Different structures work together as part of a system to support survival, growth, behavior, and/or reproduction.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Articulate an explanation from evidence explaining how the internal and external structures of plants and animals function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
  • Determine the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence collected, including whether or not it supports a claim about the role of internal and external structures of plants and animals in supporting survival, growth, behavior, and/or reproduction.
  • Use reasoning to connect the relevant and appropriate evidence to support an argument about the function of the internal and external structures of plants and animals.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Engage in Argument from Evidence

Crosscutting Concepts

Systems and System Models; Structure and Function
Science (2015) Grade(s): 5

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Defend the position that plants obtain materials needed for growth primarily from air and water.

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Vocabulary

  • claim
  • evidence
  • hydroponic

Knowledge

Students know:
  • How plants obtain nutrients.
  • How to measure growth of a plant.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Collect and analyze evidence about plant growth.
  • Determine whether evidence supports the claim that plants do not acquire most of the material for growth from soil.
  • Use reasoning to connect the evidence to support the claim. A chain of reasoning should include the following:
    • During plant growth in soil, the weight of the soil changes very little over time, but the weight of the plant changes a lot. Additionally, some plants grow without soil at all.
    • Because some plants don't need soil to grow, and others show increases in plant matter but not accompanying decreases in soil matter, the material from the soil must not enter the plant in sufficient quantities to be the chief contributor to plant growth.
    • Therefore, plants do not acquire most of the material fro growth from soil.
    • A plant cannot grow without water or air. Because both air and water are matter and are transported into the plant system, they can provide the materials plants need for growth.
    • Since soil cannot account for the change in weight as a plant grows and since plants take in water and air, both of which could contribute to the increase in weight during plant growth, plant growth must come chiefly from water and air.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Matter, including air and water, is transported into, out of, and within plant systems.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Crosscutting Concepts

Energy and Matter
Science (2015) Grade(s): 5

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Construct an illustration to explain how plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into a storable fuel, carbohydrates, and a waste product, oxygen, during the process of photosynthesis.

Unpacked Content

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Vocabulary

  • convert
  • carbohydrates
  • waste product
  • photosynthesis
  • carbon dioxide
  • produces
  • oxygen

Knowledge

Students know:
  • What plants need to survive.
  • Parts of plants and their functions in the process of photosynthesis.
  • The sun is the source of energy.
  • Plants are producers.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Construct an illustration to explain the scientific phenomenon of photosynthesis.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Plants are producers of energy through the process of photosynthesis.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Crosscutting Concepts

Energy and Matter
Link to Resource
https://www.pbs.org/video/plantswicked-waves-of-sound-xd4yzu/

CR Resource Type

Audio/Video

Resource Provider

PBS
Accessibility

Accessibility

Video resources: includes closed captioning or subtitles
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/terms-of-use/

Comments or Notes

The first half of this video describes plants, their requirements to live, and the process of photosynthesis. Students will be introduced to scientific vocabulary words like chloroplasts, cell, and stomata. The second half of this video describes the features of sound waves and how they are created. Students will also learn definitions of words related to waves, such as crest, trough, amplitude, and frequency. 

Approved Date

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