Earlier this week, Year 4 had a fantastic morning taking part in an exciting workshop with The School of Noise. From sonic logos and musical fruit to theremins and Morse code, there was so much for the children to explore, experience and enjoy. The session began with children sharing their prior knowledge about sound:

• “It is what we hear”
• “It is caused by vibrations”
• “It is measured in decibels”

They then explored new vocabulary linked to sound and were especially surprised to learn how it connects to fire, weapons and plants:

• Scientists are exploring how sound can help extinguish fires
• Sonic devices can be used by authorities to manage large crowds
• Some plants produce ultrasonic sounds when under attack, which animals like birds can detect

Children investigated how sound travels through different states of matter. Using a slinky, they observed sound waves moving through solids, listened to vibrations with a contact microphone, and even used a hydrophone to hear bubbles underwater. One of the highlights was hearing an alarm clock placed in a vacuum, demonstrating that without particles, sound cannot travel!

The excitement continued as pupils explored a range of hands-on sound stations, including:

• Musical fruit
• Playing the theremin
• Sand art on a vibrating plate
• Confuser headphones with tuning forks
• A model of the human ear
• Morse code activities

It was a brilliant morning full of curiosity, discovery and hands-on learning. Well done, Year 4 and a big thank you to The School of Noise for such an inspiring experience. A final thank you to the PTA who paid for this event – wonderful!