Sound

Here is a great interactive site that deals with sound at the grade three science level. It provides a variety of sounds such as insects, birds, reptiles, water, weather and human sounds as well. By clicking on the various links under the category of sounds it then gives you a list to choose from under that category. For example, if you click on insect sounds it takes you to a list including crickes, grasshoppers, night insects, etc. Not only is there a link to each one of their sounds, but a small description of that insect for the student to read about and further learn about that specific insect. This is a great website to be used within the subject area of sound, because not only are you listening to sounds you may hear everyday, but ones that are more abnormal that are harder to recognize making the site challening and fun!

I would incorporate this site into my class by first giving an introductory lesson to my students at their desks on the concept of sound. I would bring in tape recordings of different sounds including weather, insects and animals. We would then listen to the sounds and would match a picture of that specific sound to the tape recording. After completing this lesson with the class, I would then have my students access this site to further learn about various sounds and recognizing abormal ones too! I would have the students work in pairs for this lesson on the website, and would allow them to choose any category they wanted to listen to the various sounds. They could work as a pair to collaborate their ideas and perspectives on the sound playing so that they can realize which sound goes with which link. To wrap up this lesson, I would have the students return to the main page and look at the nature photos taken for fun, and check out some other links on the website. I don't want to completely guide my students to the proper areas on the site, but I want for them to have the freedom and choice to look at what else the site may offer as well in relation to educational material.

This site would benefit the learning of my students because through the prior class lesson with pictures and then eventually accessing the site to sounds, they are learning about sounds through both listening and seeing. By providing these various sources for the students to learn through they have the ability to reach their fullest learning potential and hopefully become engaged into the material. It is fun when you are out camping or out of the city, you can hear so many different sounds, as well as in storms and various weather seasons. Through this site the students have the ability to appreciate the uniqueness of these sounds and can then reference and recognize these sounds in the future!