Chapter W – Waves is built around the larger phenomenon of digital communication, where information transfer is investigated as energy transfer through electromagnetic waves. Each activity in the chapter relates back to this phenomenon.  Students likely have experiences with cellular phones, whether their own or family members’.  Likely the phones are used for much more than just making calls and sending text messages.  Throughout the chapter, students will apply principles of sound and light to cellular phones to begin to explore the basics of how phones work.  These principles include the wave model of sound, both the wave and photon model of light.

The implementation timeline below shows the sequence for implementing the anchoring phenomenon and storyline for Chapter W – Waves and includes all of the necessary links for accessing student-facing materials and teacher resources.