Song for a Whale

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Sound Experiment”

In this activity, students will create a sound experiment to describe how sound travels and explore frequency and vibration based on text details.

Iris conducts several experiments in the novel to investigate the frequency of Blue 55. Research and conduct your own experiment that describes sound waves and the way they move. Draw comparisons between your experiment and the experiment Iris conducts in the novel. Then, think about what these sounds and vibrations might symbolize to the characters when it comes to communication, hearing, and listening. Consider these suggestions as you develop your experiment:

• Define and offer examples of sound waves, frequency, and vibrations.
• Research experiments that can be used to demonstrate sound and choose one to carry out.
• What does your sound experiment prove about how sound moves, or about its qualities as a wave? Be specific.
• Did you feel or see any vibrations in your experiment? How are these sensory experiences connected to hearing?
• Create an explanation for how your experiment demonstrates sound.
• Compose an explanation to describe what the results or the sounds in your experiment might symbolize to communication in general and to the characters in the novel.
• Compare your experiment to the experiments Iris uses in the novel.

Create a journal with 3-4 entries to share with peers to document the steps of your experiment and how it demonstrated waves, vibrations, and frequency. At the end your journal, summarize how your experiment is like Iris’s in the novel.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may find it beneficial to work in small groups to develop their experiment, though writing journal entries and speculations on comparisons and symbolism can be individual in nature. Consider discussing simple experiments that demonstrate sound to generate ideas for students. Students may wish to share their experiments with peers.