Technology & Engineering Resources
Sounds Like Fun!
Acoustical Engineering: Seeing Animal Sounds
This unit brings new levels of excitement and depth to traditional sound units, reinforcing basic concepts while introducing students to the field of acoustical engineering. The storybook Kwame's Sound, introduces Kwame, a young, blind drummer from Ghana. Kwame's father, an acoustical engineer, brings Kwame into the forest, where he hears the elephants that are currently the subjects of his father's work. Kwame's father introduces him to the possibility of visually or tactilely representing sound.
The storybook and the unit lessons reinforce the idea that sound is vibration, and the properties of sound include volume and pitch. Students will investigate ways to damp sound, and then will focus on developing a visualization of sound in a way that captures its key elements and communicates the sound clearly to others.
| Format | Book |
| Grades | 1 – 5 |
| Author | The Engineering is Elementary Team |
| Source/Publisher | Museum of Science |
| ISBN | n/a |
| Shelving Location | TEC 620 |
| Location | Educator Resource Center in the Lyman Library — Museum of Science, Boston |
| Website | Sounds Like Fun! |
Sounds Like Fun!
+ View Detailed Standard Connections
Primary Connections:
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Technology/Engineering > Materials and Tools (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Technology/Engineering > Engineering Design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Technology/Engineering > Engineering Design (Grade: 3 – 5)
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- Understanding Design > Problem solving (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Attributes of design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Understanding Design > Attributes of design (Grade: 3 – 5)
- The Nature of Technology > Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Abilities for a Technological World > Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
- The Designed World > Information and communication technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
Secondary Connections:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- The Nature of Technology > Relationships among technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
- The Nature of Technology > Relationships among technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
- The Nature of Technology > Core concepts of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
- The Designed World > Information and communication technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Technology/Engineering > Engineering Design (Grade: 3 – 5)
– View Concise Standard Connections
Primary Connections:
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Technology/Engineering > 1.1 Materials and Tools (Grade: 3 – 5)
Identify materials used to accomplish a design task based on a specific property, i.e., weight, strength, hardness, and flexibility. - Technology/Engineering > 2.3 Engineering Design (Grade: 3 – 5)
Identify relevant design features (e.g., size, shape, weight) for building a prototype of a solution to a given problem. - Technology/Engineering > 2.1 Engineering Design (Grade: 3 – 5)
Identify a problem that reflects the need for shelter, storage, or convenience.
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- Understanding Design > 10.E Problem solving (Grade: 3 – 5)
The process of experimentation, which is common in science, can also be used to solve technological problems. - Understanding Design > 09.C Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
The engineering design process involves defining a problem, generating ideas, selecting a solution, testing the solution(s), making the item, evaluating it, and presenting the results. - Understanding Design > 09.D Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
When designing an object, it is important to be creative and consider all ideas. - Understanding Design > 09.E Engineering design (Grade: 3 – 5)
Models are used to communicate and test design ideas and processes. - Understanding Design > 08.C Attributes of design (Grade: 3 – 5)
The design process is a purposeful method of planning practical solutions to problems. - Understanding Design > 08.D Attributes of design (Grade: 3 – 5)
Requirements for a design include such factors as the desired elements and features of a product or system or the limits that are placed on the design. - The Nature of Technology > 01.D Characteristics and scope of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
Tools, materials, and skills are used to make things and carry out tasks. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.G Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
Improve the design solutions. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.F Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
Test and evaluate the solutions for the design problem. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.E Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
The process of designing involves presenting some possible solutions in visual form and then selecting the best solution(s) from many. - Abilities for a Technological World > 11.D Apply the design process (Grade: 3 – 5)
Identify and collect information about everyday problems that can be solved by technology, and generate ideas and requirements for solving a problem. - The Designed World > 17.D Information and communication technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
The processing of information through the use of technology can be used to help humans make decisions and solve problems.
Secondary Connections:
ITEA Standards For Technological Literacy (2000)
(National)
- The Nature of Technology > 03.B Relationships among technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
Technologies are often combined. - The Nature of Technology > 03.C Relationships among technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
Various relationships exist between technology and other fields of study. - The Nature of Technology > 02.I Core concepts of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
Tools are used to design, make, use, and assess technology. - The Nature of Technology > 02.J Core concepts of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
Materials have many different properties. - The Nature of Technology > 02.K Core concepts of technology (Grade: 3 – 5)
Tools and machines extend human capabilities, such as holding, lifting, carrying, fastening, separating, and computing. - The Designed World > 17.G Information and communication technologies (Grade: 3 – 5)
Letters, characters, icons, and signs are symbols that represent ideas, quantities, elements, and operations.
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Technology/Engineering > 2.0 Engineering Design (Grade: 3 – 5)
Broad Concept: Engineering design requires creative thinking and strategies to solve practical problems generated by needs and wants.
Sounds Like Fun!
Evaluated on July 31, 2007
Comments:
Sounds Like Fun! does a good job of incorporating the design process throughout its lessons. The activities are a good balance of group and independent work, and they are also useful for cross-curriculum lesson plans for language arts, art, music, and science. Most of the materials needed for the activities can be found in the school supply closets, and the curriculum comes with a CD filled with bird calls and songs.The teacher's guide provides support for teacher tips and ideas on how to make activities adaptable for all students. Multiple means of assessment are scattered throughout the teacher's guide, and rubrics are also included.
Sounds Like Fun!
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