Control and Communication

This Nuffield Pathways Through Science module began with the study sound waves and vibrations including how the ear works and the properties of ultrasound. This led on to activities related to how sound vibrations are captured, recorded, and produced. The final group of activities investigated electronic systems and how they function in everyday applications. The approach to electronics was based on system kits and encouraged problem-solving activities. The three episodes were:
Col: Sound vibrations
Co2: Sound signals
C03: Electronic control

Publications
• Study Guide – to help teachers and students with planning, record keeping and revision.
• Activities – 62 sides of copiable activities as the basis for a differentiated programme of learning
• Commentary - offering hints and answers. When in difficulty students could get help from the commentary; if their experiment went wrong they could find sample results; if they were absent they could discover the outcomes of the activities they had missed.
• Sourcebook – a highly-illustrated and diverse source of information, explanations and stories. The Sourcebook complemented the activities. Some activities were served directly by features in the Sourcebook. Other features help to set the episodes of the module in context. Some activities directed students to a specific page or feature. More challenging activities required students to scan more of the pages in search of the information they need.
• Teachers’ Guide – with notes on teaching strategies and technical information about all the activities

• URL: http://stem.org.uk/rx4ua