CHIMPANZEE COMMUNICATION
LESSON
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How Do Chimpanzees Use Sound To Communicate? (2 of 2)
s #OMPARE HOW PEOPLE AND CHIMPANZEES USE SOUND TO COMMUNICATE %XPLAIN ANY SIMILARITIES OR differences. Students should conclude that both people and chimpanzees use sound to communicate emotion, stay connected and warn of danger. However, the ways that people and chimpanzees communicate are different. For example, both chimpanzees and people use sounds but people also have a spoken language that includes words and phrases to express complex meanings. People also have different languages, communicate in writing and use technology such as cell phones, e-mail and video conferencing to communicate. s #OMPARE THE lRST AND SECOND GROUP ACTIVITIES 7HICH set of sounds (human or chimpanzee) were harder to understand and why? Students’ answers will vary. s 7HAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOR CHIMPANZEES communicating in the rainforest? How do the different types of chimpanzee sounds help overcome these challenges? Chimpanzees live in dense rainforests and travel throughout the day. Because of this, their sounds must be loud enough to hear above the noise of other animals and over long distances. Several sounds, including the pant hoot and drumming can be heard throughout the rainforest. These help groups stay together. They also can help groups know if they are entering rival territory long before they see another chimpanzee.
EXTENDING THE LESSON: MUSIC AND SOCIAL STUDIES Option 1: Humans have played drums and other percussion instruments for thousands of years as an important part of religious ceremonies, peace talks, community celebrations, music making, as a way to express emotion and for long-distance communication. Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a different continent. Students should research at least three different cultures that use drumming on that continent. Have each group create a poster or PowerPoint presentation to share with the class. Option 2: Use small drums or encourage the class to make their own drums using a variety of arts and crafts materials. Coffee cans and oatmeal containers work great as small hand drums, plastic eggs and toilet paper rolls can be filled with rice to create shakers, paper plates can be stapled together and filled with lima beans to make tambourines, washers or bottle tops can be strung together to make
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rattles and simple hand clapping rhythms can imitate chimpanzee drumming on trees. Have students explore the kinds of sounds that can be made by striking the cans with alternating fingers and different parts of their hands in multiple places on the drums. Also, encourage students to create various patterns of rhythm using fast or slow beats. 9OU MAY HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE AND PLAY ALONG WITH THE group to ensure a steady beat. Help students create a new drumming “language� using repeated patterns to express words or phrases. Have students take turns teaching the class “words� from their new language. To play short clips of African drumming and rhythm for students, visit the Rhodes University International Library of African Music: http://www.ru.ac.za/ilam/products/cds/musicofafricaseries.
CONNECT WITH NATURE Go outside and listen for examples of vocal communication near your school or home. Take a tape recorder, MP3 player, digital camera with video capabilities or a video camera. Find at least three different animals to observe and try to record each one vocalizing. When you return to the classroom, present your findings to the class; see if they can guess the animals you observed just by listening! LESSON RESOURCES For Students and Teachers: s )NTERNATIONAL ,IBRARY OF !FRICAN -USIC Music of Africa Series. Rhodes University. 27 July 2011. http://www. ru.ac.za/ilam/products/cds/musicofafricaseries
Chimpanzees live and travel in groups. Chimpanzees use sounds to keep groups together.
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