Identifying Parts of the Ear

If students need each part of the ear separated out, this activity is a perfect alternative to the "Structure of the Ear" activity. Here, students will create a spider map identifying each part of the ear and describing it's function. Each cell will be devoted to a single part instead of one large diagram.

• The pinna is a flap of skin and cartilage that collects sound waves and funnels them into the ear canal.
• The ear canal is a tube that connects the pinna to the eardrum.
• The eardrum is a thin membrane that separates the outer ear and the inner ear. Sound waves that travel down the ear canal make it vibrate.
• The auditory ossicles are small bones that carry the vibrations from the eardrum to the cochlea. They amplify the vibrations. The three bones are called the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. They are some of the smallest bones in the human body.
• The cochlea is a spiral-shaped chamber that is filled with liquid with hairs that line it. It converts the vibrations into electrical signals.
• The auditory nerve connects the cochlea to the brain. It carries the electrical signal to the brain.