Ocean Echolocation
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Description
Use echolocation to find others and experience how whales’ senses have adapted to suit their environment. In pairs, learners are blindfolded and use containers filled with marbles to find each other. You will need a large space (e.g. exhibit floor, conference room, lobby, outdoors) for this activity.
Quick Guide
- Preparation Time: 5 to 10 minutes
- Learning Time: 10 to 30 minutes
- Estimated materials cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
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Age Range: Ages 6 - 11
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Resource Type: Activity
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Language: English
Materials List (per group of students)
- 2 empty containers with lids (soft plastic or metal recommended)
- Roughly 20-30 large wooden beads, plastic magnetic marbles or pennies
- 2 blindfolds
- 4 participants
- Duct tape
- Large space (e.g. exhibit floor, conference room, lobby, outdoors)
Subjects
Informal Categories
- Animals
- Physical Activity
Subjects
- Life Sciences
- Diversity of Life
- Animals
- Human Senses and Perception
- Hearing
- Diversity of Life
- Physical Sciences
- Vibration and Waves
- Sound
- Vibration and Waves
Audience
To use this activity learners need to
- hear
- be mobile
- touch
Learning styles supported
- Involves teamwork and communication skills
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
Comments
This activity could go well with Identify Whale Sounds, an online activity from Lawrence Hall of Science, that lets learners listen to the songs of four different species of whales . Learners then try to pick which type of whale made each series of sounds.