Strategy Share: Creating Podcasts in the Classroom

Student-created podcasts are a fun, creative way for students to learn and for teachers to assess content knowledge. In my experience, students have been completely engaged while they learned and reviewed information, practiced collaboration, conducted research, and presented their work to others. Continue reading Strategy Share: Creating Podcasts in the Classroom

Earthquake-Monitoring Tech May Help Save Elephants

SCIENCE Technology developed to study earthquakes could help conservationists monitor elephant populations from afar. (Pacific Standard) Learn more about how elephants communicate with our great video resource. (Cue up to about 1:36.) Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas The Pacific Standard article identifies two ways elephants communicate using vocalization: sound and infrasound. What is sound? … Continue reading Earthquake-Monitoring Tech May Help Save Elephants

Can Plants Hear?

SCIENCE Pseudoscientific claims that music helps plants grow have been made for decades, despite evidence that is shaky at best. Yet new research suggests some flora may be capable of sensing sounds, such as the gurgle of water through a pipe or the buzzing of insects. (Scientific American) It’s a great time to play ‘Viridi’—and vocally tend your garden! Teachers, scroll down for a quick … Continue reading Can Plants Hear?

10 Things We Learned This Week!

What did you learn this week? Let us know in the comments or at education@ngs.org. This week, we learned … … there is a Museum of Endangered Sounds that preserves all those obsolete ’90s tech noises. How many sounds in the museum can you identify? What are some everyday sounds you think might be obsolete in 20 years? Resource: Sound out your city!     … Continue reading 10 Things We Learned This Week!

Sound Out Your City

GEOGRAPHY New maps offer an interactive look at the soundscapes of 12 different cities. (Wired) Chart your own “soundscape” and other geography adventures with Mission: Explore! Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. Discussion Ideas Go on a “soundwalk” of your school or neighborhood. Keep notes about what you hear, and how those sounds make you feel. The … Continue reading Sound Out Your City