Science at key stage 3 (Year 8)
Unit 8L: Sound and hearing
Section 8: c. How do we hear sounds?
|
|
Objectives |
| Children should learn: |
- how to frame a question that can be investigated
- how to decide whether measurements, qualitative observations, or data from secondary sources are appropriate
- to decide which factors in a particular investigation can be controlled
- to look critically at results and decide how strongly they show a relationship
- to compare their work with the work of others, and to evaluate it
|
Activities |
|
Outcomes |
|
Children: |
- Ask pupils to design and carry out an investigation into an aspect of hearing,
eg
- Are two ears better than one in detecting the direction sound is coming from?
- Does the size of the outer ear affect hearing sensitivity?
- Does hearing range decrease with age?
- Help them to decide on a suitable question to investigate, and to plan their work, including consideration of variables, collection of suitable data and evaluation of results.
- Ask pupils to use overhead transparencies (OHTs) or a flip chart to summarise their work and to present it to other pupils. Encourage pupils to compare their own investigations with those of others and to identify good and bad points in them.
|
|
- decide on appropriate measurements to answer the question
- identify factors which need to be controlled if they are to make a fair test
- describe strengths and weaknesses in their work,
eg We tested four people in each age group, but the results don't show a clear pattern, so we need to test more people
|
|
Points to note |
- Pupils could find data from secondary sources as well as collecting first-hand data.
- Extension: pupils could use secondary sources, including reference books, the internet and CD-ROMs, to find out about the use of sound in interesting or novel contexts,
eg how telephones or microphones work, how bats use ultrasound to navigate, how echo soundings are used by ships.
|
|
|
This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of
activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by
moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
|
|
|
