Sense of Hearing- Eardrum

Maximum: 4 people

Check the box as you finish each task. Do each one in order.
1. Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-c5GpoD8wI video on Kindle
2. Pretend the bowl in the center of the table is an eardrum and sprinkle rice on top
of plastic wrap
3. Clap your hands close to the rice without touching it
4. Discuss with a partner/ group:
a. What do you think the plastic wrap represents?
b. What do you think the rice represents?
c. How did the rice move without being touched?
6. Watch the same video on the Kindle again
7. Label what each part of the experiment represents below




8. Go to Im finished spot
(color the Parts of Ear handout OR complete Impact Challenge)







Sense of Hearing- Ear Shape
Maximum: 4 people

Check the box as you finish each task. Do each one in order:
1. Watch the first 3 minutes of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMXoHKwWmU8
2. Make a prediction- Does the size and shape of the ear affect hearing?
circle yes / no
List one reason why you think this. ____________________
3. Pick up a red cup and go to the music booth
4. Listen to music normally, then try with cup to your ear. Rotate head to point the
opening of the cup towards and away from music
5. Use paper provided- roll paper and hold to ear. Try out different sizes to make
the music sound the loudest.
6. Did the tools help you to hear the music better?
circle yes / no
7. Why do you think you heard better or worse?
_______________________________________________
8. Use a piece of paper to roll, fold, cut, and tape to best help you to hear the
music.
9. Share with a friend why you think this design is most effective
10. Fill out Label and tape to your ear piece:








Sense of Taste- Butterfly Feet
Maximum: 4 people


Why do you think butterflies taste with their feet?
Discuss with a partner
Read answer below
They taste with feet mostly to determine whether the leaves are suitable food for
caterpillars (they plan to lay eggs)




How does this help the butterfly survive?
Discuss with a partner
Read answer below


They dont chew- only suck up nectars and juices
with proboscis ( a straw like tube that rolls up when
not in use).The proboscis does not have taste
sensors- feet taste and the proboscis ingests
nutrients.







Complete the Butterfly Feet Challenge

Keynote*Catfish Taste
8 people

Lets pretend youre a catfish. You are swimming
around in dirty, murky river water and can barely see.

What do you care about? What is most important to you while swimming around?
turn and talk
group brainstorm on whiteboard

Because you (the catfish) can barely see, how do you think you can find out the information
you need?
group brainstorm on whiteboard

You, the catfish, have taste buds on the outside of your body, your sense of taste helps you to
get most information. How does this help you survive?
discussion



Okay, now youre back to being 4th grade humans. What if you automatically tasted
everything you saw, heard, smelled and touched?! Complete the Catfish Taste
sheet.















Echolocation Simulator
Maximum: 4 people

1. Go to the Echolocation Simulator on a computer.
1. Read or click the icon to listen to the description of Bat echolocation.


2. Follow the step-by-step instructions on the simulator until you complete the game
and read the description at the end.


After using the Simulator:

Use the materials on the table to create a piece of art that shows how and why
an insect echo is different from a tree echo.
Be sure to show how the bat reacts differently to each.















Sense of Smell - The Bear
Maximum: 4 people

This experiment is designed for everyone in your group to work together.

Animals (and people) have scent receptors in their nose and a portion of their brains
are dedicated to understanding those receptors. Follow the instructions on the cards
to see how bear vs. human scent receptors work.

1. Make 3 scent receptors (tape donuts) and attach
them to the human nose.
2. Make at least 10 scent receptors (tape donuts) and attach
them to the bear nose.
3. 1 person act as the timer. For 10 seconds, roll the human nose on the tray of
coffee. Check out how much coffee you collected. Thats how much coffee
scent your nose detects!
4. A different person act as the timer. For 10 seconds, roll the bear nose in the tray
of coffee. Check out how much coffee you collected.
5. Discuss: At first glance? Which one appears to have collected more?
6. Graph it! Together on one sheet of bright paper, make a graph of the scent
receptors, by stacking the tape donuts from the human nose and the bear nose,
just like the example shown.
7. Discuss as a group -
Which nose collected more particles? Human or Bear?
What does this tell you about the sense of smell of humans compared to
bears?
8. Read the FUN FACTS CARDS about bears sense of smell.
9. Discuss as a group-
How is the number of scent receptors similar to the night vision/rod
experiment?
How might the portion of the bears brain dedicated to smell impact their
sense of smell?
Finished? Draw a picture of how a bear uses its nose to find food.