I'm Not in Range: Acting Out Cellular Phone Service
Students explore how cellular phone service works.Copyright 2011 Tony Tolley, US Air Force, Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_110502-F-HS649-178_Hospital_Corpsman_1st_Class_Cassandra_Townsend_shows_students_a_music_video_on_her_cell_phone_at_Matevulu_College_during.jpg
In this role-playing activity, students learn how cellular phone service works, its advantages and its limitations. Students also learn about the advantages and limitations of satellite phone service. Phone communication involves many aspects of science, math and engineering, and this activity conveys to students how these technologies help people to stay better connected. In the continuing story of this unit, students use what they learn to understand what communication options might be available for Maya and her parents, Spacewoman Tess and Spaceman Rohan.
Just because people are far away from each other or in constant movement does not mean that they must stop communicating. As people move further away, travel more often and to more remote locations, and, in fact, choose to live in more remote areas, engineers are developing ways for them to keep in touch. The invention of the telephone dramatically changed the way people communicate, and engineers—many different types working together—are continually creating newer and better ways for people to stay in touch with each other. To do this, engineers must understand how communication can occur over great distances, which means they must know about satellites and transmissions, receiving and measurements. The advancements made by engineers in communication and satellite technology help people by enabling them to communicate acoss continents with the touch of a button.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain the basic concepts of how cellular phone service works.
- Describe how spatial arrangements affect different types of communication.