From the roar of a subway train or a boombox to the rumble of a large waterfall or the scratching of two leaves being blown aainst each other, sounds surround us.
The "laboratory" for studying sound is close at hand. The physical science aspects of sound are intriguing and valuable to learn. Sound is also a topic that leads easily to interdisciplinary work through writing, poetry, math, music and social studies.

Soundsational Science

These activities are drawn from 20 carefully tested projects that introduce the study of sound in K-6 classrooms.

Fourth Grade Scientists

Why do sirens and whistles sound different when you are next to them compared to listening to them as they pass by?

"The Sound of Music"

I had some doubts about whether music could be integrated into the regular school subject areas. But a little voice inside me kept saying, "Music is math! Music is science! There is a way to put them together!" so I let that little voice write my music curriculum for me. This is what resulted:

Science and the Sound of Birds

Among the most pleasant sounds in the world are the sounds of birds. Their chirps, twitters, and songs delight us and provide and opportunity to involve children in scientific study.

A Sound Garden

SITE's sound curriculum was developed in collaboration with five elementary school teachers and one middle school teacher. The staff of the School in the Exploratorium worked with physicists and sound artists to learn about sound, then invited the teachers to a special series of workshops. Later, SITE staff and classroom teachers worked together in the classrooms with the children.