[Nora Stritch]

Thanks very much for contributing this fabulous lesson idea, Áine, as well as the source website for it: https://www.stem.org.uk/primary/resources  I’ve just been looking at it there, and it’s brilliant.  I’ll definitely be using it this coming school year.  Thanks very much for sharing!

[Nora Stritch]

Mindmap:
https://mm.tt/app/map/3391660439?t=s9VmKCxX1F

Introduction:
I teach in a Gaelscoil in Cork city. I will be teaching Rang a hAon next year.

Favourite Space Fact:
There is no sound in space!

• How you would use one Inquiry-Based Activity in your Classroom:
  https://www.sfi.ie/site-files/primary-science/media/pdfs/col/curious-minds-resource-explore-your-environment-using-your-senses-hearing.pdf
• https://www.sfi.ie/site-files/primary-science/media/pdfs/col/an-tsraith-um-iniuchadh-a-dheanamh-ar-do-thimpeallacht-agus-usaid-a-baint-agat-as-do-chuid-ceadfai-eisteacht-explore-your-environment-using-your-senses-hearing.pdf

Engage
The Trigger: What do we use our ears for?
Wondering: Can we identify things using our ears? What things are best identified using sound? e.g. a dog barking, an ambulance;
Exploring: Pupils close their eyes while the teacher holds up an item. They identify what the teacher is holding while their eyes are closed – can sound help us to identify items? Ask pupils to cover their ears – can they identify a sound being made by the teacher?

Investigate
Starter Question: Our ears are great at telling us what something is when we cannot see it, like an ambulance siren or a dog barking. How good are our ears at identifying something that normally does not create a lot of sound?
Predicting: Pupils listen to the sounds of different objects/foods and predict what they are.
Conducting the Investigation: Teacher shakes non-transparent sealed container and pupils predict what the item is before it is revealed. Teachers reveals the contents and sees how many were correct. Then pupils break into groups and repeat the investigation themselves with different materials. Pupils record how they would describe the sounds of the objects as they are shaken e.g. high, low, loud, soft. Once the objects are revealed, pupils record words they would use to describe how the objects look.
Sharing, Interpreting the Data/Results: Create a word cloud of most used words to describe the sounds of objects. Do the same but with the descriptive words for how the objects look. Do any of the words cross over? How does the sense we use change our perception of the objects?

Take the Next Step
Applying Learning: Use these words to describe sounds we hear around the school on a sound walk.
Making Connections: Make connections with words we use in music e.g. high, low, loud, soft and for describing in English and Gaeilge (N.B. description bubble)
Thoughtful Actions: By investigating the world around us using other senses we can expand our understanding of how someone with impaired hearing, sight, smell, taste or touch navigates the world. How could we make our school more accessible for people with limited hearing, e.g. learn to use some sign language.

• This reply was modified 3 months ago by Nora Stritch.

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