Ears as information gatherers

Background

Our ears are a wonderful set of sense organs. We can make out a range of sounds from the slightest of a rustle to a loud explosion, from a very low pitch sound through many octaves to very shrill sounds. We also have learnt to recognise the source, the direction and judge the distance of the sound source. We have developed an elaborate system of music, thanks to the discrimination that our ears are capable of. 

Aim

Recognise the role of ears in gathering information.

Recognise the types of information gathered by the ears. 

Activities

Close your eyes and listen carefully. What sounds do you hear? Which of them are near? Which of them far?

Sit in a lonely place quietly. Make a list of all the sounds you hear. Do you hear any new sounds? Any sound you had not heard before?

Blindfold your partner and ask him to sit comfortably in a chair in the middle of a large quiet room. Make sure he points his head directly forward. Ring a bell directly in front of him at about his chest level. Ask him to point out where the sound came from. Ring the bell in other positions ? to his right, to his left, above him, behind him, etc. Ask him to point out the direction and where the sound came from in each case.

Blindfold your partner and drop different objects near him. Can he identify them?

Behind a screen, make sounds with various objects ? crumple a paper, tap a table, and any other you can think of. How many sounds did your friend recognise? How many did he not?

Blindfold your partner and ask him to recognise his friends voices as they speak a sentence in their normal voices.

Related Questions

Imagine that you cannot hear. How can you make up for the loss of hearing?

How do birds hear?

Do all animals have ears? Name some that do not have ears? How do these animals hear sound?