Noise Pollution in our environment

 

Lesson Objectives:

At the end of the workshop, students will be able to:

  • Define and understand noise pollution

  • Design, test, and refine solutions to reduce community noise pollution

Essential Questions:

  • What is noise pollution?

  • How do extra loud noises in the environment harm animals?

  • What steps can we take to reduce our impact on animals?

Explore our resources

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Take-Home Guide

Information for parents & legal guardians (available in English and Spanish).

Información para padres de familia y tutores legales (disponible en Inglés y Español).

Standards Alignments

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Vocabulary

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Audio Resources

Tune in to NPR “Wow in the World” Podcasts.

Infographic

Learn how noise pollution impacts animals.

Social Emotional Learning

Students build communication skills through problem solving together.

 

Reading Resources

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Challenge Teacher Guide

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Lesson Reflection

Print and send home this reflection activity to show families what their student learned.

 

Background Information

What is Noise Pollution?

Noise is an invisible form of pollution that can cause some major problems. Defined by the EPA as "unwanted or disturbing sounds," noise pollution contributes to negative health outcomes such as high blood pressure, stress-related illness, sleep disturbance, and hearing loss. Examples of noise pollution include construction work, air and road traffic noise, and even noisy pets.

Why Do We Care?

Noise pollution can cause problems for animals and their habitats as well. Human-generated noise has been shown to cause caterpillars' "hearts" (called dorsal vessels in insects) to beat faster and lead bluejays to have fewer chicks. In the oceans, animals like whales and dolphins are severely impacted when noises from ships impair their ability to communicate.