The teacher can set up a wave simulation or can have the students set it up using a flat pan (such as a dish pan), water and a fan. Fill the pan with about two inches of water. Place an electric fan about one foot from the pan or use a hand held fan if you prefer. Turn on the fan or start fanning by hand. Start on the slowest setting and have students note what happens. Repeat on a higher setting or fan harder to show how the wind creates waves.
Line up four marbles so they are touching and in a row. Place them on a flat surface such as a table or a desk to prevent the marbles from rolling away. Have students roll a marble at one end and watch what happens. The last marble should be the only marble to move. Tell the students how the marble's energy travels in a similar way to water wave energy.
A simulated beach is similar to wind activities. Start with a long and narrow pan. Fill it with about two inches of water and then put sand on one side. Allow some sand on the side to lift out of the water. Use a wooden stick or a plastic stick and move it back and forth at the end of the pan without sand. Move it up and down to show different wave formations. Have students pay attention to the formation of waves and the reaction of the waves to the sand. Speed up movement of the stick and pay attention to what happens to the waves on the beach. Add more sand for a steeper slope and have students pay attention to any changes.
Interactive activities are online activities for students to learn about waves. Online interactive activities vary depending on the specific activity. Some follow similar methods of using water in a pan while others will use world satellite maps to illustrate various concepts relating to the waves.