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ISBN-13: 978-0-15-366613-1
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What Is Light?
Light is a kind of energy. Light helps
us see. The sun gives off light. It makes
Earth bright.
Long ago, people had few lights.
They needed the sun. The sun let them
see during the day. They also used fires
to have light at night.
The sun lights Earth.
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Then people made candles. The
light from candles helped them see at
night. People also made oil lamps. The
oil lamps gave off light, too.
Now we have many lights. Lamps
light up rooms. Street lights keep cities
safe. Cars have lights on them.
MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS What are some
kinds of light?
Lamps give off light
that helps us see.
3
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Light and Shadow
Think of a car on a bright day. Is it
dark inside? No, there is light in the car.
Why? Light moves through things
that are clear. The windows are clear
glass. They let light into the car.
The sun’s light passes
4
through clear glass.
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Now think about a forest. It is not so
bright at some times of the day.
Trees are not clear. Light does not
move through them. The trees block
the sunlight.
Things that block the light make a
shadow. The trees make shadows. A
shadow is a dark place made when
something blocks light.
SEQUENCE How is a shadow made?
The girl blocks
light and makes
a shadow.
5
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What Is Sound?
People make music. They sing and
play drums. They tell stories. They clap
their hands.
All these things make sounds. A
sound is a kind of energy you can hear.
Different musical instruments
make different sounds.
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Vibrations make all sounds. A
vibration is a movement back and forth.
A drum vibrates when you hit it. This
makes the air around the drum vibrate.
The air vibrations go to your ear. Then
you can hear the sound. Put a penny on
a drum. You can see the penny vibrate
when you hit the drum. The vibration
makes the sound.
CAUSE AND EFFECT What happens to
sound if the vibration stops?
This girl is hitting
the drums and
making sound.
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Loud and Soft
Some sounds keep us safe. They are
loud. That helps us hear them. Volume
is how loud or soft a sound is.
A smoke alarm is loud. It means that
there is a fire. A car horn is also loud. It
might mean there is danger. A siren is
very loud. It means help is coming.
Some sounds are
loud to keep us safe.
8
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Some sounds are soft. A whisper is a
soft sound.
If a sound is close by, you can hear it
better. A fire truck siren next to you is
loud. Far away, its sound is soft.
CAUSE AND EFFECT What would happen if
a smoke alarm made a soft sound?
You whisper when
you are in the library.
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High and Low
Some sounds are high. Others are
low. Pitch is how high or low a sound is.
Things vibrate at different speeds.
Some things vibrate fast. That makes a
sound with a high pitch. A whistle
makes a sound with a high pitch.
Does a whistle have
a high or low pitch?
10
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A slow vibration makes a sound with
a low pitch. A big truck's horn makes a
sound with a low pitch.
CAUSE AND EFFECT Why do some sounds
have a high pitch?
A big truck's horn makes
a sound with a low pitch.
Summary
Light is energy that helps us see. Light
moves through some things. Other things
block light and make shadows. A sound is
energy we hear. It is made by vibrations.
A sound can be loud or soft. It can have
a high or low pitch. 11
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Glossary
light A kind of energy that helps us see
(2, 3, 4, 5, 11)
shadow A dark place made when an
object blocks light (5, 11)
sound Any kind of energy that you hear
(6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
vibration A movement back and forth
(7, 10, 11)
volume How loud or soft a sound is (8)
pitch How high or low a sound is (10,
11)
12
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Think and Write
1. List three things you know about
sound.
2. CAUSE AND EFFECT What happens
when light hits an object that is not
clear?
3. MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS What kind
of sound does a slow vibration make?
4. Write a story about your favorite music.
Describe different kinds of sounds.
Hands-On Activity
Work with a partner. Make a list of
sounds you hear in the classroom.
School-Home Connection
Talk to someone at home about light.
Count the lights in your home. Are some
lights for decoration? Are some lights for
safety? Talk about why you have different
kinds of lights.
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