Summary Act out various ocean noise pollution to demonstrate how hard it is for animals (e.g. whales) to communicate with each other over the noise pollution. Science content Biology: Features, Adaptations of Living Things (K, 1, 3, 7) Biology: Sensing, Organ Systems (4, 5, 6) Physics: Light and Sound (1) Lessons activity is in Hearing in animals Materials Cards depicting different types of ocean animals and noise pollution e.g. blue whale, dolphin, cracking ice, ship engine. Enough for all students to have one. Repeats are OK. Procedure Show all the students the different cards and demonstrate and practice the noise for each one. Whale sounds can be found online, though note that often the sounds are played faster so that we can hear them. This site indicates how much the sound is changed, including http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/psb/acoustics/sounds.html. The humpback and blue whale are the classic whale sounds. Play one round with 3 students where all students are blue whales. They can hear each other's noises and respond to each other. Then distribute all cards, and ask blue whales to find each other, with all the other noises going on - it is much harder. This is what whales face with the increased noise pollution from man, along with the noise pollution already there from other natural phenomena in their environment. Notes Game physically worked with Ks, but message lost on them. Fine with older grades. Grades taught Gr K Gr 2 Gr 3
