Define amplitude as the height of a wave from its resting position and wavelength as the distance between repeating parts, and measure both from a drawn or real wave.
Waves can be big or small, and close together or spread out, and scientists have exact words for describing those differences. Amplitude is the height of a wave, measured from its flat resting position up to the top of the hump. A bigger amplitude usually means the wave is carrying more energy.
Wavelength is the distance from one point on a wave to the very next matching point, like from the top of one hump to the top of the next hump. Short wavelengths mean the repeating pattern is squeezed close together; long wavelengths mean it is spread far apart. Both amplitude and wavelength can be measured with an ordinary ruler on a drawing or a real rope wave.
Mastery looks like: They can measure amplitude and wavelength on a drawn or real wave and explain what each measurement describes.
Common stumbles: Measuring wavelength as a height instead of a repeating distance; measuring amplitude from the top of one hump to the bottom of the next dip instead of from the resting line.