Let Your Ears Do the Walking
Studenta experience echolationCopyright 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=dolphin&ex=1#ai:MP900262825|mt:2|
Students experience a simulation of echolation, using the sensory method to walk along a path while blindfolded. This relates to the issue of bycatching by fisheries, which they learned about in the associated lesson. Bycatching affects marine animals, especially dolphins, which use echolocation to identify the location of objects in the water, but have difficulty identifying nets, and thus are often caught accidentally. Students learn how echolocation works, why certain animals use it to determine the size, shape and distance of objects, and how humans can potentially take advantage of dolphins' echolocation ability when developing bycatch avoidance methods.
After learning how echolocation works, students discuss how net designs can be made easier for dolphins to "see" using echolocation and thus less likely for dolphins to result in entanglement. This is an example of how engineers are inspired by nature in their designs. For instance, sonar and radar are technologies that utilize the concept of echolocation.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe how difficult it can be to use only the sense of hearing to perceive their environment.
- Explain how echolocation works.