Waves, Energy, and Information Phenomena Poster Set

Help students investigate how waves transfer energy and carry information with this engaging Waves, Energy, and Information phenomena resource.

This six-poster collection uses visually rich science phenomena to encourage students to observe patterns, ask questions, compare evidence, and develop explanations about how waves behave and how people use waves to communicate information.

Students move beyond simply identifying waves and begin thinking about how energy travels through different systems and how wave patterns can be used to send and receive messages.

What’s Included

This resource includes six individual full-color portrait phenomena posters.

Each poster includes:

A high-interest phenomenon question

A detailed science visual or real-world scene

“What do you notice?” observation prompts

“What do you wonder?” discussion questions

Key science vocabulary

A “Try This Thinking” activity or challenge

A CER Starter for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning practice

A concise science statement reinforcing the main concept

Explore How Waves Transfer Energy

The phenomena help students investigate how waves can move energy from one place to another without necessarily moving matter along with them.

Students can observe patterns in wave behavior and consider what happens when waves travel through different systems.

These visual examples help make wave concepts more concrete and accessible for elementary learners.

Investigate Wave Patterns

Students are encouraged to look closely at characteristics and patterns in waves.

They can consider questions such as:

What patterns do you notice?

How does changing a wave affect what happens?

How can waves transfer energy?

What evidence shows that energy has moved?

How can different wave patterns represent different information?

These questions help students build a deeper understanding of the relationship between waves, energy, and communication.

Connect Waves to Information

The posters provide opportunities for students to explore how people use waves to communicate.

Students can investigate how patterns can represent information and how that information can be transmitted from one location to another.

This gives students a meaningful connection between physical science concepts and technologies they encounter in everyday life.

Build Observation and Questioning Skills

Each poster includes structured Notice and Wonder prompts that encourage students to examine the phenomenon before forming an explanation.

Students can:

Describe visible patterns

Compare different wave examples

Identify changes

Generate scientific questions

Make predictions

Develop and revise explanations

These routines support student-centered science discussions and help students become more careful observers.

Strengthen Science Vocabulary

Important vocabulary is embedded within meaningful science phenomena.

Students encounter concepts related to waves, energy, patterns, vibration, amplitude, wavelength, information, communication, signal, and transfer within visual contexts that help support understanding.

Keeping the posters displayed throughout the unit provides students with an ongoing science vocabulary reference.

Support CER Practice

Each poster includes a student-friendly CER Starter that encourages students to explain a phenomenon using evidence.

Students practice making a Claim, identifying Evidence from the visual or scenario, and using Reasoning to connect that evidence to their scientific explanation.

Repeated CER opportunities help students develop stronger oral and written scientific reasoning.

Connect Science and Technology

Waves are an important part of many communication systems.

The phenomena provide opportunities for students to consider how scientific understanding can be used to develop technologies that send, receive, and interpret information.

These connections help students see how physical science concepts are applied beyond the classroom.

Great for Classroom Use

Use these posters for:

Whole-group science instruction

Phenomenon launches

Science focus walls

Notice and Wonder routines

Small-group instruction

Science centers

Science notebook responses

Vocabulary development

CER practice

Partner discussions

Wave investigations

Science and technology connections

Unit introductions

Review and reinforcement

Classroom displays

Revisit the Phenomena Throughout the Unit

Introduce each phenomenon before instruction and invite students to share their initial ideas.

As students learn more about waves, energy transfer, and information, return to the same poster and ask them to revise their explanations using new evidence and more precise science vocabulary.

This allows students to see how scientific understanding develops as new evidence is gathered.

Make Wave Concepts Easier to Understand

Waves and energy transfer can be difficult for students to visualize when presented only through text.

These posters provide concrete visual situations students can observe, discuss, and explain.

By combining engaging phenomena with structured questioning, vocabulary development, and CER practice, this resource supports deeper understanding throughout a Waves, Energy, and Information unit.

Important Disclaimer

This resource is independently created and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or produced by Amplify Education. The use of “Amplify” in the product title is intended only to help educators identify the curriculum topic with which this supplemental resource may be used. Amplify Education owns its respective trademarks and curriculum materials.