Author(s): Mark Spencer Date: 2003, rev.

2012
Title of Lesson: Oscillators
Grade Level: 4 !
"ore "o#ponents
Su$%ect& "ontent Area or Topic:
"o##unications& 'h(sics
)ational*State Standards: (Assi+n as needed $ased on (our state
standards)
"o##on "ore Standards: (Assi+n as needed $ased on (our state
re,uire#ents)
http:**---.corestandards.or+*
/oca$ular(: : (Teacher add as needed $ased on (our curriculu# and learnin+
re,uire#ents)
Learnin+ O$%ectives (0hat -ill the students learn and*or de#onstrate1)
The objective of this activity is for the students explore oscillators.
Materials*2esources
The 5 building blocks deonstration board or the circuit board of your choice
!scilloscope, propscope or scope of your choice
"olteter
#udio aplifier $optional%
1
Lesson 'lan 'repared for
A22L 3ducation 4 Technolo+( 'ro+ra#
Safet( (if applica$le) )A
'rere,uisite 5nderstandin+:
!bservation
&asic electricity
Technical 'riting $(rade level%
)evie* *ith the students the vocabulary needed to describe a *avefor $*avelength,
fre+uency, cycle, crests, trough, positive side, negative side, and aplitude%.
)evie* *ith the students the t*o types of electric current $#, and -,% and the properties
of each.
'rocess "o#ponents
Anticipator( Set:
(6The 7ook8 99 so#ethin+ to e:cite the student a$out the su$%ect #atter)
.ecurely tie a strong spring to a *all or ceiling. #ttach a string to the spring. /ull the string
back and let the spring. 0ave your students discuss *hat they just observed and ho* it
ight have a connection *ith electronics.
;nstructional ;nput or 'rocedure (Input, modeling, and checking for
understanding)
0hat to do and ho- to do it:
1. .et up the oscilloscope and connect one channel of the scope to the -, voltage
supply. 0ave the students record their observation of the *avefor present and
describe *hat the *avefor display is telling the about the voltage being
sapled.
2. ,onnect the second channel of the scope to the output of the variable fre+uency
oscillator $"1!%. 0ave the students record their observations of the *avefor
present and describe *hat the *avefor display is telling the about the peak
voltage and the period in seconds.
3. 2f connected, turn on the audio aplifier and have the students listen to and note
the pitch of the oscillator for later coparison.
3. ,hange the fre+uency of the "1! fro the lo* to high end of the fre+uency range
and repeat as often as needed. 0ave the students record their observations of the
2
*avefor presented and describe *hat the *avefor display is telling the about
the peak voltage and period in seconds.
5. 2f connected, turn on the audio aplifier and have the students listen to and note
the pitch of the "1! for later coparison.
Guided 'ractice
1. #ssign the students to create *avefor dra*ings in their journals and label each
coponent of the *avefor *ith the data collected fro their scope observations.
2. #ssign the students to calculate the fre+uency of the first t*o *avefors and
copare their calculated values *ith the actual fre+uency of the preset oscillators.
;ndependent 'ractice
1. #sk the students to describe in their journals the relationship they observed
bet*een fre+uency, *avelength, and pitch.
Assess#ent*"losure
Assess#ent ('re& post etc<)
1. 'hat happens to the pitch $tone% that the *ave produces as the *avelength gets
shorter4
2. 'hat *as the *avefor of the electric current that supplied po*er to the oscillator4
'hat *as the shape of the *avefor of the electric current of the output of the
oscillator4
3. 'hen the *avelength of the last oscillator *as changed, *hat happened to the
aplitude of the *ave4 'hat happened to the period4 'hat happened to the
pitch4
3. 'hat is the relationship bet*een fre+uency and pitch4
5. 'hat is the relationship bet*een fre+uency and period4
5. 'hat is the relationship bet*een *avelength and fre+uency4
6.
3
7. #n oscillator converts *hat type of current into *hat other type of current4
8. 2n noral every9day language, *hat does the ter aplitude ean4
3nrich#ent:
2esources*2eferences
0a )adio :icense ;anual /g 10.16
#)): 0andbook /ages 8.17 < 8933
=nderstanding &asic >lectronics pages 3.5
http?@@***.arrl.org@files@file@>T/@TheA205A20&uildingA20&locksA20activityA20board
A202B3.pdf
C>very lesson is different so you ay not have to fill in all areas.
)otes:
Adaptations for special needs:
There ay be substantial accoodations re+uired for this activity depending of the need.
0earing ipaired students *ill be able to detect aplitude and pitch changes by touching
the aplifier speaker. "isually ipaired students ay need a tactile anipulative that
siulates the sine *ave for displayed on the oscilloscope. Tactile *avefors *ith
various *avelengths prepared before the class period can be ade out of corkboard *ith
push pins and rubber bands or yarn. The push9pins are placed at points along the sine
*ave plot and the rubber bands or yarn are fored along the points of the plot.
4