January 2023

He Makes Sweet Sounds!

Download this lesson

Academic Standards

Reading Objective:

Children will recognize that sound is produced by vibrations—such as the vibrations created when Mateo Lopez strums guitar strings.

Next Generation Science Standards:

1-PS4-1 Vibrations make sounds

Vocabulary:

guitar, piano, vibrates

Check comprehension and inspire discussion.

 

1. What did Mateo do in the restaurant?
(He stood on a chair and sang for his mom on her birthday.)

2. What happened when he sang?
(People made videos and shared them, and Mateo got famous.)

3. What does vibrate mean?
(to move back and forth quickly)

4. What happens when a guitar string vibrates?

(It makes a sound that goes to your ear.)

 Go online to print or project the Reading Checkpoint.

  • Mateo was recognized as the world’s youngest mariachi singer by Guinness World Records.
  • He lives with his parents in San Antonio, Texas.
  • His grandpa came from Mexico and was a part-time mariachi musician.
  • Mateo would also like to become a pizza chef so he can eat pizza for lunch every day.

Materials: unbreakable objects made of plastic, wood, and metal (utensils, leftover containers, measuring cups or spoons, blocks, etc.); pencils; copies of the skill sheet

Overview: Kids learn that different objects, when dropped, make different sounds. They’ll take turns guessing which objects they were.

Directions:

  1. Before the lesson, set up workstations with unbreakable objects kids can drop. Have at least one plastic, metal, and wooden object for each group.
  2. Gather kids and remind them that vibrations create sound. Ask them to hold their fingers to their necks and hum. Feel the vibrations!
  3. Tell kids that when you drop something on a hard floor or table, the impact makes the object vibrate. Objects made from different materials make different sounds. Demonstrate with wood and plastic objects.
  4. Pass out skill sheets. Send kids to their workstations to drop, observe, and guess!
  5. Record results on the skill sheets.