BSCS Science Tracks: Connecting Science And Literacy: Designing Sound Systems Student Guide

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY-This module allows students to explore various sound systems in "sound centers." In the centers, they make and compare sounds by striking, plucking, and blowing through objects. They describe and record their explanations of how the systems produce sounds. They search for sounds at home and in the neighborhood and describe and compare how those sounds are produced. In later lessons, the students investigate ways to change pitch and volume by changing something in a sound system. They develop a musical system using simple equipment and tools and describe how their system "makes music."

BSCS Science Tracks includes a comprehensive Student Guide and resource book at every level, 1-5. The Student Guide is not a "read-about-science" book; rather, it serves as a guide to help students learn to do the following things.

• Conduct scientific inquiries within a collaborative team and on their own
• Become more responsible for their own learning
• Manage the hands-on activities themselves
• Structure collaborative learning tasks
• Develop science and technology concepts and skills
• Reflect on their learning and assess their own conceptual and skill development
• Conduct independent inquiries related to questions or topics of personal interest
• Develop skills for reading in the content areas
• Follow and interpret directions

In addition, the Student Guides reinforce components of basic literacy, including shared reading and writing, guided reading and writing, continuous assessment, skills instruction, reading procedural text, listening and speaking skills, journal writing, record keeping, hints and reminders, reading and writing in a social context, and reading and writing in a content area.