Often in a student’s school day so much emphasis is given to reading and math, that science and social studies are neglected. This unit will integrate many disciplines, such as language arts, math and of course science. An inquiry approach to teaching and learning will be evident in many lessons throughout the unit. Students will have opportunities to explore different dimensions of sound, while also gaining an appreciation for one of our senses that we often take for granted. Students will be given the opportunity discover how and why we hear, and what life would be like if we did not have this ability. The unit objectives are listed below.
1. Students will identify, label, and define the parts of the ear.
2. Students will read
Helen Keller Courage in the Dark
by Johanna Hurwitz and respond critically to the text.
3. Students will investigate different mechanisms of sound and how sounds differ.
4. Students will work in cooperative groups to create a game about a topic being discussed.
Due to the age of students this unit will investigate sound in its simplest form. Students will be responsible for completing response journals after each lesson. Each journal entry will be led by an open-ended question for students to reflect upon and respond to. At the end of the unit students will be responsible for their culminating activity, which will be to produce a game about a concept learned throughout the unit.