How are dolphins and bats alike? They can both see with their ears! That means they both use sound waves to navigate and find food. See With Your Ears! Dolphin and Bat Echolocation introduces children to the fascinating process of echolocation and the special anatomical features dolphins and bats have to accomplish it. Does your child love to build or construct models? See With Your Ears demonstrates some of the amazing ways animals’ bodies have specific anatomy for specific functions.

Mini-course is provided as a 41-page PDF including a Science Tool Kit PDF to collect your badges.

Prefer a printed mini-course? See With Your Ears! Dolphin and Bat Echolocation is also available as a beautiful workbook here on Amazon.com.

Course Contents

Story: Dolphin and Bat School. Learn to Echolocate! In this fun, illustrated story, children are introduced to the concept of sound waves as well as special adaptations dolphins and bats have to detect them.
Activity 1: How do you hear? Cement your knowledge of the anatomical features involved in echolocation with an art project in which you create your own bat ears or dolphin snout (materials provided in the mini-course.)
Activity 2: Name that sound. Children get to experience echolocation through a movement-based game in which children must themselves try to echolocate. Use the included Experimental Journal to record your results.
Activity 3: Echolocation Elements Game. In this board game, children collect all the important elements of echolocation to complete their echolocation bingo card. Which card will you complete first—dolphin or bat?
Curiosity Connector. Look into these online resources to learn more about dolphins and bats and how they use echolocation to survive.
Tools for Your Tool Kit. Try to answer all the questions about dolphins, bats, and echolocation to earn Tools for your Science Tool Kit.
Glossary. Learn new terms to understand anatomy and sound waves.

Materials Needed

Blindfold (scarf or headband), blank paper, blanket, pen or pencil, coloring materials (crayons, markers or colored pencils), tape, and scissors

Concepts and Ideas

See With Your Ears! Dolphin and Bat Echolocation includes the following Disciplinary Core Ideas as described in the Next Generation Science Standards:

Structure and Function (LS1.A), Information Processing (LS1.D), Wave Properties (PS4.A).

Scientific Expert Kira Freed.

Illustrations by Charlie Alolkoy.