SOUNDS OF THE SEA

Emphasis on: reading comprehension, motivation for discussion

In this article, students learn about creatures that make sounds in the sea.

Vocabulary Preview: decibels, echolocation, fused

Before Reading: Ask students to name places they usually think of noisy (school yard, cafeteria, ball game, amusement park, etc.) Then ask students to name places they consider quiet (church, library, hospital, etc.) Then ask them if they consider it noisy or quiet under water. Then explain to them that there are lots of different sounds that go on under the sea, and they are going to learn about a few by reading this article.

Discussion Questions:

Ask students if they have ever seen a piece of coral. Ask them to describe its consistency—was it soft and squishy like gelatin, or did it seem hard and stone-like? When students read that parrotfish have plates in their throats to crush coral, what does that tell them about coral's consistency? For fun, ask students if coral sounds like something they would like to eat.

Ask students to name reasons that a human baby cries. (Hunger, thirst, wetness, fear, etc.). Does a baby make different sounds for each? Do students think a frightened baby cry probably sounds different than a thirsty cry? Explain what a "nuance" is. Explain to them how a parent probably can hear the difference, although perhaps to a child or an outsider it may all sound simply like crying. Then have students read about the various sounds a dolphin makes. Explain how to humans, all the clicks and whistles may sound similar, but they probably mean very different things to another dolphin. For fun, ask students to try and imitate a "happy dolphin" sound, and then a "fearful dolphin" sound.

It might be interesting to have students participate in an activity that has them communicate situations non-verbally (charades-style). The concepts should include a range of messages representing varying degrees of urgency or emotion—e.g., danger, sorrow, joy. One student can perform the charade and then once it is guessed (or the guessing is exhausted), another student can convey the message verbally.

Students should understand how non-verbal communication can be much more difficult compared to verbally telling someone something. They should also recognize the tone with which verbal communication is presented relates to the content of the message. For example, a secret is usually whispered, while a warning is often shouted.

Ask students if they think animals use verbal or non-verbal communication, and prompt them for examples. Which type of communication would be better over long distances? Which do they think works better in the ocean, where animals can be very far apart and it can be difficult to see long distances? Tell students that animals in the ocean use both means of communication but large ones that are far apart or in deeper, darker waters (such as whales) often use sound over non-verbal communication.

PAGE 5 PUZZLE

WATERY BAND

Students complete a puzzle to answer a riddle, and learn that some sea creatures have funny musical names along the way.

Riddle Answer: You can tune a piano but you can't TUNAFISH. (Tune-a-fish).

Follow-up: To check students’ comprehension, have them explain why the joke is humorous (there is a play on words.)

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