Acousticians include engineers, physicists, speech and hearing scientists, architects, biologists, psychologists, linguists, mathematicians, oceanographers, computer scientists, and musicians.
ANIMAL BIOACOUSTICS
Animal Bioacousticians study how animals make, use and hear sounds. Animal bioacoustics also includes the use of sound to study and detect the presence of animals and their behavior, the sounds they make, the effects of man-made noise on animals, and the use of SONAR to monitor the presence of plankton and fish.
Cindy Moss works in the “Batlab”.
Kelly Benoit-Bird studies underwater animals and how they live together.
Echolocation Games
Graduate Programs
LESSON PLANS FOR TEACHERS
Students investigate how bats, dolphins and whales locate objects using sound. This activity can be used as homework or in-class.
Class period lesson on Speed of Sound, Identification from a distance, Fish finding and possible extension: 3-D location
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS
Architectural acousticians study how to design buildings and other spaces that have pleasing sound quality and safe sound levels. Architectural acoustics includes the design of concert halls, classrooms and even heating systems.
Pamela Harght is an Acoustical Consultant in Austin, Texas.
Graduate Programs
MEDICAL ACOUSTICS
Doctors and medical researchers study and use acoustics to diagnose and treat different types of ailments. The study of medical acoustics includes the use of ultrasound and other acoustical techniques to learn how different types of sound interact with cells, tissues, organs and entire organisms.
ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS
Graduate Programs
MUSICAL ACOUSTICS
Musical acousticians study the science of how music is made, travels and is heard. Including architects, musicians and instrument designers.
Bill Hartmann is a psychoacoustician
Thomas Moore studies musical instruments using lasers
Graduate Programs
SPEECH SCIENCE
Speech Scientists study how speech is made, travels and is heard.
ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS
Graduate Programs
OUR EARS
Hearing specialists and educators are interested in how our ears sense sounds, what types sounds can damage our ears and how best to educate people about the dangers of loud sounds. Hearing specialists also study how to help people with hearing impairments.
Lynne Werner studies how babies hear and perceive sound.
Michael Heinz studies how our ears perceive sound.
Loud Sounds
Graduate Programs
LESSON PLANS FOR TEACHERS
Sound and Music
Introductory hands-on, minds-on activity to the science of sound, music and our ears. This lesson goes with our Teacher Activity Kit.
Dangerous Decibels Program
The classroom program is a one class period interactive program on how to protect your ears.
Complete set (105 pages) of Dangerous Decibels materials in pdf format for downloading.
Description of the Dangerous Decibels program including overview of research and testing that has been completed.
Description of which activities work at different grade levels.
Description of the physics of sound presented at a straight-forward conceptual level.
Interactive lesson demonstrating the connection between sound and vibrations.
Interactive lesson modeling the fragile hair bundles of the inner ear.
Students explore sound levels and exposure time for a variety of sources.
Students use a sound level meter to measure, compare and graph sound levels in different environments.
Other Teacher Resources
5 minute video demonstrating the proper way to roll and fit foam earplugs.
Two sided full color bookmarks show sound level for certain sounds and time limits for different levels.
Coloring Sheets - warning signs on how to protect your ears from loud sounds.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
UNDERWATER ACOUSTICS
Underwater acousticians study natural and man-made underwater sounds, how sounds are made and travel in the underwater environment.
Whitlow Au lives in Hawaii and studies animal sounds
Echolocation Games
Graduate Programs
LESSON PLANS FOR TEACHERS
Class period lesson on Speed of Sound, Identification from a distance, sound traveling through solid vs. air and Fish finding
Students investigate how bats, dolphins and whales locate objects using sound. This activity can be used as homework or in-class. Possible extension: 3-D location
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
NOISE/Environmental Acoustics
Noise specialists are mostly concerned with making our world a quieter place. They study natural and man-made noise, especially from machinery and transportation, and how people respond to noise. Knowledge produced by these scientists can be used to redesign noisy machinery, or to recommend ways of shielding the noise, or to help lawmakers and public officials create rules for limiting exposure to noise.
Paul Schomer is an environmental acoustician.
Graduate Programs
