1-PS4-4
The standard
Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.
Next Generation Science Standards
What this standard means
Students need to build a simple device that sends a message using light or sound. They should choose materials, test their idea, and explain how the signal travels from one person to another. The focus is on solving a communication problem, not explaining advanced technology.
Mastery looks like a working cup phone, flashlight code, drum pattern, or similar device that can send a clear message across the room. Students often struggle with making signals consistent, keeping string tight, or explaining the difference between the signal and the message.
Ways to teach it
- Have pairs build cup-and-string phones, then test how distance, tight string, and loose string affect hearing a whispered word.
- Ask students, “How could you send the message ‘come here’ without using your voice?” and have them sketch one idea.
- Give each team a secret picture card and see if their light or sound device can help a partner identify it.
- Connect to crosswalk signals by discussing how blinking lights and beeps help people get information from far away.
Plan a lesson for 1-PS4-4
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