Western Soundscape Archive Animal Sounds Bingo

Summary

Students use the Western Soundscape Archive to listen to and classify the sounds of animals from Utah and other western states. Equipment required: computer with speakers, Animal Sounds Bingo Cards, Interesting Sounds handout, and internet connection.

Materials

Animal Sounds Bingo Cards, Interesting Sounds handout, Computer with speakers, and internet connection

Background for Teachers

Using sounds of animals that inhabit Utah and other western states as a classification prompt shows students that characteristics other than visual can be used for animal classification. This lesson is intended to supplement other classroom work with animal classification, with the additional benefit of training students' ears to recognize the sounds of animals they may encounter in their backyard or on hikes. Using a combination of sounds and pictures for the classification game will appeal to students with a variety of learning styles.

Student Prior Knowledge

Basic knowledge of general animal types: mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students understand and can classify animals in broad categories. Students appreciate the variety of sounds animals make, and are familiar with animals from the western states.

Instructional Procedures

1) Teacher hands out Animal Sounds Bingo cards. Students can work in pairs to fill out cards. 2) Teacher introduces game. In addition to classifying animals by how they look, animals make very distinctive sounds. Ask students: Can you tell if an animal is a mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, or insect from the sound it makes? Use your ears and listen closely to the sounds of the animals. 3) Using computer with internet connection, teacher accesses Western Soundscape Archive Web Site (http://westernsoundscape.org). Teacher uses handout of interesting sounds or own selections to play sounds for the class. 4) Students can discuss in pairs - what type of animal is making the sound? Pairs work together to fill in bingo card.

Assessment Plan

Self-assessment: Students review bingo cards as a team for accuracy, talk about the different sounds they heard.

Bibliography

http://westernsoundscape.org