Using the Student Lessons

The heart of this module is the set of five classroom lessons. These lessons are the vehicles that will carry important concepts related to hearing and communication to your students. To review the concepts in detail, refer to the chart Science Content and Conceptual Flow of the Lessons.

Format of the Lessons

As you scan the lessons, you will find that each contains several major features.

At a Glance gives the teacher a convenient summary of the lesson.

• The Overview provides a short summary of student activities.
• The Major Concepts section states the central idea(s) the lesson is designed to convey.
• Objectives lists specific understandings or abilities students should have after completing the lesson.
• Teacher Background specifies which portions of the background section titled Information about Hearing, Communication, and Understanding relate directly to the student lesson. This reading material provides the teacher with the science content that underlies the key concepts covered in the lesson. The information provided is not intended to form the basis of lectures to students. Instead, it enhances the teacher’s understanding of the content so that he or she can more accurately facilitate class discussions, answer student questions, and provide additional examples.

In Advance provides instructions for collecting and preparing the materials required to complete the activities in the lesson.

• Web-Based Activities tells the teacher which of the lesson’s activities use the How Your Brain Understands What Your Ear Hears Web site as the basis for instruction.
• Photocopies lists the paper copies and transparencies that need to be made from masters, which follow the student lesson.
• Materials lists all the materials other than photocopies needed for each of the activities in the lesson.
• Preparation outlines tasks the teacher needs to perform prior to the lesson.

Procedure outlines the steps in each activity of the lesson. It provides implementation hints and answers to discussion questions.

Within the procedure, annotations provide additional commentary.

• Assessment provides strategies for assessing student progress throughout the module, and is identified by an assessment icon.
• Icons identify specific annotations:

identifies teaching strategies that address specific science content standards as defined by the National Science Education Standards.

identifies when to use the Web site as part of the teaching strategy. Instructions tell the teacher how to access the Web site and the relevant activity. Information about using the Web site can be found in Using the Web Site. A print-based alternative to Web activities is provided in the event that computers with Internet access are not available.

identifies a print-based alternative to a Web-based activity to be used when computers are not available.

identifies when assessment is embedded in the module’s structure. An annotation suggests strategies for assessment.

The Lesson Organizer provides a brief summary of the lesson. It outlines procedural steps for each activity and includes icons that denote where in each activity masters, transparencies, and the Web site are used. The lesson organizer is intended to be a memory aid for you to use only after you become familiar with the detailed procedures for the activities. It can be a handy resource during lesson preparation as well as during classroom instruction.

The Masters required to teach the activities are located at the end of each lesson.

Timeline for the Module

The timeline below outlines the optimal plan for completing the five lessons in this module. This schedule assumes that you will teach the activities on consecutive days. If your class requires more time for completing the procedures, for discussion of issues raised in this module, or for completing activities on the Web site, adjust your timeline accordingly.

Suggested Timeline

Timeline	Activity
3 weeks ahead	Reserve computers Verify ability to access Internet and to download required plug-ins
1 week ahead	Copy masters Make transparencies Gather materials
Day 1 Monday	Lesson 1 Activity 1: What Did You Say? Activity 2: When the Time Is Right
Day 2 Tuesday	Lesson 2 Activity 1: How Do We Understand? Activity 2: Sound Safari
Day 3 Wednesday	Lesson 3 Activity 1: Measuring Intensity
Day 4 Thursday	Lesson 3 Activity 2: Pitch Me a Curve
Day 5 Friday	Lesson 4 Activity 1: The Mysterious Black Box
Day 6 Monday	Lesson 4 Activity 2: Understanding Form and Function
Day 7 Tuesday	Lesson 5 Activity 1: It’s Too Loud! Activity 2: Assessing Risk for Hearing Loss
Day 8 Wednesday	Lesson 5 Activity 3: Sound Advice

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