TALKIN THAT TALK: COMMUNICATING, A SCIENCE PROCESS SKILL

TALKIN THAT TALK: COMMUNICATING, A SCIENCE PROCESS SKILL

MASTER TEACHER Pamela Parks

GRADES 5-8

OVERVIEW
This lesson provides students an in-depth understanding of the science/math process skill, communicating. During the lesson the students will verbally and visually distinguish six of the basic science process skills. The lesson will use video to relay the many diverse ways that living creatures communicate. Integration of the multiple intelligences into the lesson further enhances student motivation and success. As students view the video, the process skill becomes more a part of the students learning base. Discrimination of binary communication and its effective use in the "Information Age" connect the math, science, and technology to real-life. Creative and unique human communication by diverse groups further illustrates the value of human ingenuity.

ITV SERIES
Bill Nye the Science Guy: 136 Communication

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
*differentiate between the science process skills
*distinguish between information and noise
*categorize the many ways to communicate information
*create a graphic or symbolic representation binary communication
*evaluate the ways humans communicate

MATERIALS
( per class )
1 Container labeled "Box of Science Process Skills" (Large enough to hold the following     items)
1 Kagan Cooperative Learning structure Transparency: Pairs-Check
1 Light bulb
1 Cellular phone or toy phone
1 Plastic (see through) baggie
   Assortment of objects to represent groups of "things"   (paper clips, erasers, pencils,
   push pins, etc.)
1 Ruler
1 Model of an eye
1 Piece of tagboard with ???? and = = drawn on it

( per student )
1 Non-flexible plastic straw ( strong plastic kind )
2 Pair of scissors per team or group
2 Sheets of unlined paper
1 Activity Sheet # 1

VOCABULARY
noise - sound that travels in waves with no particular pattern or grouping
information - sound that travels in waves in particular patterns or groupings
communication - to give and receive information by speech, writing, signs, or sounds
binary information - communicating with only two bits of information
compact disc - a layered circular disc that transmits binary information
science process skills - skills acquired, refined, and perfected through the bodily senses that become integrated for higher ordered thinking

PRE-VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Pass out a single sheet of unlined paper to each student. Ask the students to fold the page into three sections from top to bottom, letter style. Ask a student to identify the fractions created by the folds (1/3 s). Fold again from side to side (halving the thirds) and ask a student to identify the fractions now formed (1/6 s). Students are to open the page that is now divided into 6 equal sections and write the title, Process Skills, across the top two sections. Ask the students to number down each section on the left side, 1-3. Continue the numbering by asking the students to number 4-6 in the right sections beginning at the top. As the teacher holds up each visual object (from the"Box of Science Process Skills") that represents a science process skill, the students are to identify the process skill the object represents and draw the object in one of the sections of the unlined paper. Ask the students to label the skill it represents after drawing the object (communicating - cell phone; classifying - groups of "things" such as hearts, triangles, X s, circles; measuring - ruler; inferring - ? and = signs; predicting - light bulb; and observing - eyeball).

Say, "you are going to view a music video to get us started. Listen for the message of the music." Begin tape at music video (This is toward the end of the Bill Nye video.) The visual cue is light signals for "stop and go." Audio is instrumental music. Stop video at end of music video segment.

Rewind tape to the beginning. Pause the tape. Video is an answering machine. Audio is, "Hey, Bill Nye the Science Guy here. Sorry, I am not available to take your call." While rewinding the tape, ask, "What was the message of the music video?" (Accept any reasonable answer: Communicating is done in many different ways; examples of living creatures ways of communicating; every animal communicates in some way.)

FOCUS FOR VIEWING
Pass out Activity Sheet #1. Say, "You will be watching a video that brings into focus the impact communication has to the life of living creatures." To give students a specific responsibility while viewing say, "Methods or ways we communicate are many and varied. Watch this video segment and see how many ways Bill Nye is communicating or receiving information."

VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Begin tape. Pause tape. Video is Bill Nye exiting rapidly. Audio is "That s right...communication. How does that theme song go again?" Ask the students to name the ways of communication that were viewed in the segment (answering machine, cordless telephone, laptop computer, doorbell, UPS - mail, hand signal, voice, fax machine, knock on door, telegram, facial expression, animal bark, note, carrier animal, television). Say, "As you view the next video segment, compare the difference between information and noise.

Resume the tape. Pause the tape. Video is Bill Nye and the no bicycling sign on the "Information Board of Science." Audio is "Communication is... ah... it s.. It s amazing. Yeah! Amazing!" Ask, "What is the difference between information and noise?" Solicit answer. ( Noise is randomly received sound waves. Information is sound waves that are received in a particular order or sequence.) Have the students record this comparison data on Activity Sheet # 1.

Fast forward the tape. Pause the tape. Video is only a head shot of Bill Nye. Audio is, "Information can be sent in little bits that are either off or on." Say, "Watch this next video segment. Look for the definition of binary bits of information."

Resume the tape. Pause the tape. Video is Bill Nye and the " Board of Science" in the background. Audio is "Thank you for joining me on Consider the Following." Ask the students to think about the definition of binary information. Allow for think time. Ask, "What is binary information?" (In binary information it is bits of information that is either off or on, 2 bits of information.) Solicit a correct answer. Say, "In the next video segment you will see how a CD or compact disc stores binary bits of information. Look for the way this is done on a CD."

Resume the tape. Pause the tape. Video is Bill Nye with headphones on his head. Audio is instrumental music. Ask the students to think of explanation for "How a CD works?" Show the overhead transparency of the cooperative learning activity and ask the students to follow this procedure as they share their understanding of how a CD works. (Pairs-Check: Kagan Cooperative Learning structure)

Answer: CD is like a sandwich; it is a layer of plastic, layer of metal, and a layer of plastic. In the layer of metal there are little indentations or pits. When a laser beam is shined over the pits, the light is reflected or absorbed. This light energy is converted into the bits of information. The information is converted to music.

When the cooperative learning activity is completed, ask the students to draw a visual representation of binary information on Activity Sheet # 1.

Fast forward the tape. Pause the tape. Video is spinning scuba diver on a monitor and the text: Way Cool Scientist. Audio is music. Ask the students to watch the video and look for the ways information, not, noise is communicated by our bodies.

Resume the tape. Pause the tape. Video is two young men shaking hands and walking away. Audio is, "Let s be hap, peace." Ask the students to name the ways information is communicated by our bodies. Have them again use the Pairs-Check Kagan Cooperative Learning structure again for this activity. Allow 1 minute for this activity. Say, "Watch in the next video segment for the varied ways that different cultures have communicated."

Resume the tape. Pause the tape. Video is Bill Nye near a computer and a lady (librarian?) "ssshing" him. Audio is "Human communication, it s, it s amazing."

Rewind the tape. Pause the tape. Video is Bill Nye walking down a tree lined street. Audio is "But, once humans learn to store communication outside of their bodies, they started communicating non-stop." Say, "As you recognize the different means of communication, list them in the appropriate place on the activity sheet.

Mute the tape. Resume the tape. Ask the students to view the tape and make their lists of ways humans communicate, point to students to have that student call out the example as it appears on the video. Pause the tape. Video is Bill Nye near a computer and a lady (librarian?) "ssshing" him. Say, "As you view the next segment of video, you will see another quite ingenious way people have communicated. Can you name the country and continent involved?"

Resume the tape. Add audio. Pause the tape. Video is completion of Japanese Group performance on the drums. Audio is "And now we use it as an expression of cultural heritage. So, they communicate emotions, feelings of pride, and those types of things." Solicit the name of the drum players country and the continent of that country. (Country: Japan; Continent: Asia) Say, American Sign Language is the third most used language in the United States of America. As you watch this next segment, see if you can learn the communication sign for "popcorn" or "more popcorn."

Resume tape. Pause the tape. Video is popcorn all over Bill Nye. Audio is Bill Nye laughing, hesitantly.

Rewind the tape. Video is Bill Nye and lady at sporting event. Audio is Bill reading American Sign Language by lady, " American Sign Language, ASL,..." Say, " Watch the tape again and practice the ASL for "popcorn" and "more popcorn."

Resume the tape. Pause the tape. Video is popcorn all over Bill Nye. Audio is Bill Nye laughing, hesitantly.

POST-VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Say, "You have viewed many ways people have used sounds to communicate information. American Sign Language is one way sound is not used to communicate information. However, it can be used by almost anyone to send messages."
Have all the students practice the sign for "popcorn" and "more popcorn." Ask the students to share with the class any other signs of ASL ( American Sign Language) they may know.
Say, " We are now going to make a duck call, and use the duck call to demonstrate how noise can become information by varying volume, pitch, and body movements."

Make a duck call: (See diagram below)
1. Take a plastic straw.
2. Flatten out the last few centimeters (1cm or 2cm) of one end of the straw, flatten well enough for a good crease.
3. Cut this flattened end of the straw to a point from the crease to the center of each side.

         1. Take straw
         2. Flatten 1-2 cm
         3. Cut point
         4. This is Mouth end
         5. Cut straw shorter for higher pitch

ACTION PLAN

1. Have one of the school district consultants come to the classroom and teach the students about American Sign Language and how to use this form of communication.
2. Have the class learn and sing a song using American Sign Language.
3. Have Native American volunteers visit the classroom and demonstrate the cultural ways of Native American communication or other culturally diverse group in the community that are available.
4. Take a virtual field trip to one or more of the following sites on the World wide Web:

Integrating the Internet
http://www.indirect.com//www/dhixson/index5.html
NYE Labs Online
http://www.nyelabs.kcts.org/

EXTENSIONS
Mathematics
Compare the cost ($) of different forms of communications.
        Examples: Cost of sending a letter.
                         Cost of sending message by email
                         Cost of a phone call
                         Cost of a photograph
                         Cost of a videotape
                         Cost of a fax

Art
Create a Visual that shows ten (10) means of human communication.
        Examples: Mobile
                        Collage
                        Graphic
                        Painting
                        Pictures

Social Studies
On a State map locate the different cultural groups that are present in the area.

Art Languages/Reading
Have each group or team research the different culturally diverse groups of the area and how cultural communication is used by the group.

ACTIVITY SHEET # 1

BILL NYE: THE SCIENCE GUY - COMMUNICATION

COMPARISON BETWEEN NOISE AND INFORMATION:

NOISE INFORMATION

DRAW A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF BINARY INFORMATION:

WAYS OR MEANS OF COMMUNICATION

HOW CAN WE COMMUNICATE

SHE SENDS A LETTER, HE SHAKES HIS HEAD.
SHE MAKES A PHONE CALL, HE YAWNS IN BED.
WHEN WE COMMUNICATE, IT S DONE IN MANY WAYS, COMPUTERS, MUSIC, BOOKS, AND WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE S PLAYS.
SQUIDS CHANGE THEIR COLORS, GORILLAS YELL,
DOGS, CATS, AND INSECTS USE SENSE OF SMELL.
ANIMALS COMMUNICATE BY USING THEIR BODIES,
AND EVERY DOG KNOWS HOW TO MARK THEIR SCENT ON TREES.

COMMUNICATION ALL THE TIME, THAT INCLUDES FASHION DESIGN.
DEAF PEOPLE THEY LEARN TO SIGN...COMMUNICATION
TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND ROAD SIGNS, MATHEMATICAL RMULAS WORK JUST FINE.
ALMOST ANYTHING THAT COMES TO MIND...COMMUNICATION

Updated: April 01, 2008