Introduction to How
Your Brain Understands
our Brain Understands
What Your Ear Hears
Human communication depends on taking in
What Are the Objectives of the Module?
information from the environment through the
How Your Brain Understands What Your Ear Hears
five senses and processing that information in the
has four objectives. The first is to help students
brain. The sense of hearing is critical to this
understand the interrelationship of hearing, lan-
process. Other mental abilities such as attention
guage, and human communication. It also helps
and memory are also important.
students develop healthy hearing habits so they
avoid noise-induced hearing loss.
Because human communication is a complex
process, it may be impaired in a variety of ways.
The second objective is to use hearing and com-
About one in six Americans must cope with some
munication as a way of understanding important
form of communication disorder, such as
scientific concepts. Lessons in this module help
• not being able to hear at all or having a hearing
students sharpen their skills in observation, criti-
impairment,
cal thinking, experimental design, and data analy-
• dizziness or balance problems,
sis. They also make connections to other
• stuttering,
disciplines such as English, mathematics, and
• ringing in the ears (tinnitus),
social science.
• not being able to speak (laryngeal cancer, apha-
The third objective is to convey to students the
sia), or
purpose of scientific research. Ongoing research
• autism.
affects how we understand the world around us
Research has helped us better understand com-
and gives us a foundation for improving our
munication disorders and what causes them.
choices about personal health and the health of
Already, research has led to the development of
our community. In this module, students experi-
vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps,
ence how science provides evidence that hearing
meningitis, and rubella—diseases that previously
is key to language acquisition, that human com-
caused hearing loss for many people. Technolo-
munication is multisensory, and that excessive
gies to assist individuals with communication dis-
exposure to loud noise can lead to hearing loss.
orders have also been developed. Current and
The lessons in this module encourage students to
future research will help us better detect, diag-
think about the relationships among knowledge,
nose, intervene, rehabilitate, or treat newborns
choice, behavior, and human health in this way:
with hearing loss; understand the genetic contri-
Knowledge (what is known and not known) +
butions to hearing and communication; and apply
Choice = Power
appropriate technologies to assist those who have
communication disorders.
Power + Behavior = Enhanced Human Health
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How Your Brain Understands What Your Ear Hears
The final objective of this module is to encourage
• It is an integrated module, drawing most heav-
students to think in terms of these relationships
ily from the subjects of science, social science,
now and as they grow older.
mathematics, and health.
• The module has a Web-based technology com-
Why Teach the Module?
ponent on which there are sound clips, video,
Middle school life science classes offer an ideal
and interactive animations.
setting for integrating many areas of student inter-
• The module includes built-in assessment tools,
est. In this module, students participate in activi-
which are noted in each of the lessons with an
ties that integrate inquiry science, human health,
assessment icon.
mathematics, and the interweaving of science,
In addition, the module provides a means for pro-
technology, and society. The real-life context of
fessional development. Teachers can engage in
the module’s classroom lessons is engaging, and
new and different teaching practices such as those
the knowledge gained can be applied immediately
described in this module without completely
to students’ lives.
overhauling their entire program. In Designing
Professional Development for Teachers of Science
“Nice reflection on self-issues of hearing. Many
and Mathematics, the authors write that supple-
students are amazed at how many times they might
ments such as this one “offer a window through
be causing damage.” – Field-Test Teacher
which teachers get a glimpse of what new teach-
ing strategies look like in action.”6 By experienc-
“I learned a lot about how hearing works and
ing a short-term unit, teachers can “change how
what you can do to keep it working well.”
they think about teaching and embrace new
– Field-Test Student
approaches that stimulate students to problem-
solve, reason, investigate, and construct their own
What’s in It for the Teacher?
meaning for the content.” The use of a supple-
How Your Brain Understands What Your Ear Hears
mental unit such as this module can encourage
meets many of the criteria by which teachers and
reflection and discussion, and stimulate teachers
their programs are assessed.
to improve their practices by focusing on student
• The module is standards based and meets sci-
learning through inquiry.
ence content, teaching, and assessment stan-
dards as expressed in the National Science
The following table correlates topics often included
Education Standards. It pays particular attention in a biology curriculum with the major concepts
to the standards that describe what students
presented in this module. This information is pre-
should know and be able to do with respect to
sented to help teachers make decisions about incor-
scientific inquiry.
porating this material into the curriculum.
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Correlation of How Your Brain Understands What Your Ear Hears to Middle School Life Science Topics Topic
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Organisms sense and respond to
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
environmental stimuli.
Sound is a form of energy.
✔
✔
✔
✔
Energy can change from one form
✔
to another.
Human health and medicine
✔
✔
✔
Risk assessment and management
✔
Relationship of science, technology,
and society
✔
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