Teachers Notes Unwanted Noise

Teachers’ notes – Unwanted noise

Synopsis

The aim of this activity is for learners to identify a range of unwanted sounds and to consider why sounds are deemed to be unwanted. They listen to audio files of familiar sounds and consider when these sounds are acceptable or unavoidable to hear and when hearing them might be annoying. They diamond rank a range of sounds according to how annoying they find each one.Learners explore how they might react to being the maker and listener of a range of avoidable sounds before they consider the main causes of unwanted sounds in and around school. They make a ‘noise map’ of school and consider how their findings might be used to introduce measures that might cut down on the amount of disruption caused in schools by unwanted noise. Learners consider why people might hold ‘Noise Action Days’ and gather more information about such national events and the Environmental Protection Agency. They follow the Plan – develop – reflect 3 in 1 tab structure to plan and run a ‘Noise action day’ for the school. Finally, learners begin to explore how the generation of unwanted sound can affect people and the environment on a global scale when they how noise pollution at sea might affect whales.

Curriculum links

Interdependence of organisms:

7.how human affects the local environment, e.g. litter, water pollution, noise pollution

How things work

4. how different sounds are produced and the way that sound travels

Skills

Communication: 1, 2 & 3

Enquiry – Planning: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

Enquiry – Developing: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

Enquiry – Reflecting: 5 & 6

Activities

Tab 1

/ Learners listen to audio files of different familiar sounds:
Football crowd, thunderstorm, electric drill, cockerel crowing, lawn mower, wind chimes, washing machine, wind, road traffic, church bells, emergency siren, fire alarm. They consider when these sounds are acceptable or unavoidable to hear and when hearing them might be annoying. Learners should be encouraged to explain and justify their reasoning.

Tab 2

/ Learners are provided with a diamond ranking grid and nine audio sounds that can be dragged into the grid: They are asked to diamond rank the nine sounds according to how annoying they find each one.
The nine audio sounds are:
Pneumatic drill, people arguing, baby crying, dog barking, car alarm, mobile phone, loud music, chalk on board/brakes screeching, constant droning noise.
Encourage the learners to consider when they are likely to hear each sound and why it might cause annoyance. Encourage them to justify their rankings.

Tab 3

/ This tab asks learners to imagine a range of scenarios in which they are the person making a particular sound.They are asked to explain why they have might have made the sound and to consider how another person hearing the sounds they have made might react.
A randomiser generates these scenarios:
Speaking on a mobile phone in a cafe or on a train.
Listening to loud music in your bedroom.
Blowing the car horn when collecting someone.
Listening to the radio while playing in the garden.
Unwrapping sweets in the cinema.
Encourage learners to see both sides of the argument and to develop an understanding of the effects that people’s actions might have on other people.

Tab 4

/ The aim of this tab is for learners to explore what the main causes of unwanted noise are in and around school. Ask the learners to share and discuss their ideas. They might list sounds they can hear from outside school, during class and break times or sounds they can hear from within school.

Tab 5

/ A ‘Noise Map’ is a map of an area that uses colour to show the different levels of noise in the area. Contour lines may be used to show the boundaries between different noise levels in an area.
The aim of this tab is for learners to measure the noise levels around the school at different times of the day. If possible ask the learners to use sound sensors and to record their data.
Teacher’s notes:
The level of noise in most areas will vary most of the time. There might be short-term variations, a vehicle approaching and passing by, for example and peak and off-peak periods might have an effect in the slightly longer term. In the long term the weather and the seasons might affect noise levels.
Therefore it is not possible to predict confidently what noise levels might be in any place at a particular time. However, long term averages might be possible in areas with well defined sources such as a motorway or train station. To obtain such an average is very difficult through measuring as there are issues about the time it would take, access to private property and distinguishing between sources of sound. Calculations are usually done through a computerised model of the sound in an area. This allows a ‘noise model’ to be developed and this can be useful when planning changes to the transport system, for example.
These issues may be too complex for KS2 learners to understand. However, using sound sensors to measure the levels of sound in different parts of the school at different times of the day might allow them to describe and explain patterns and to draw conclusions.

Tab 6

/ The aim of this tab is for learners to consider how the information they gathered in tab 5 might be used to cut down on the amount of disruption caused in schools by unwanted noise.
For example, learners might find that hymn practise takes every week near some classes who would like quiet at that point. Noisy deliveries might be made outside the school during morning play, and so on. Learners might consider these problems and look for solutions.

Tab 7

/ This tab informs learners that ‘Every year there are noise action days and the Environmental Protection Agency promotes a National Noise Awareness Day.’ Ask them to consider why people might hold such events and days and to use secondary sources to find out more information about events and days like this. Encourage the learners to find out what the Environmental Protection Agency is and what work they do.

Tab 8

/ This tab follows the Plan – develop – reflect 3 in 1 tab structure.
Ask the learners to plan a ‘Noise awareness day’ for the school. This tab is designed to be an open-ended task, where learners might plan a simple class sponsored event right up to a day where the whole school tries to persuade the local community to take positive steps to reduce noise pollution. Allow learners freedom to generate and develop imaginative ideas when planning an event and if at all possible to organise and run the event.
The Develop tab has an emphasis on following a plan and monitoring progress. Encourage them to refer to their plan, check progress, make and justify amendments where necessary.

Tab 9

/ The aim of this tab is for learners to begin to explore how the generation of unwanted sound can affect people and the environment on a global scale.
They are told that ‘Recent research suggests that an increase in noise pollution at sea is having a negative effect on whales’.
Ask the learners to think about and discuss why noise pollution at sea might have increased in recent years and how this might be bad for whales.
Rollover questions encourage them to gather more information about this issue or another animal of their choice and to share and discuss their findings. Ask the learners to create a one minute report of their findings and to present this to the class.

Unit 3.3.5 teachers’ notes – Unwanted noise1