Children's project: why do animals need tongues? Project “Why do people and animals need language” (senior group)

Incredible facts

As a rule, when we hear the sounds made by representatives of the fauna, we do not think about what they mean, most often mistaking them for incoherent screams.

Surprisingly, most animals communicate in a much more advanced way than we might expect.

And some of these forms of communication can really surprise us.

Why does the cat meow

1. Cats only meow at people.

In fact, cats don't meow at each other. To communicate with other animals, they use other methods such as body language and hissing. Meowing is the only means of communication with a person.

The color of a cat's fur tells a lot about its character.

Cats meow to express their greetings to people, to attract attention, to ask for food, or to ask for a walk. The only exception is kittens, which tell their mother that they are hungry through meowing.

Adult cats do not meow when communicating with each other.

prairie dogs

2. Prairie dogs are quite complex.

Do you think dolphins or primates are the most complex in intellectual development? Then you are wrong. It turns out that the brains of prairie dogs are no less developed than those we consider the intellectual kings of the animal kingdom.

Prairie dogs are desert-dwelling rodents that we can see periodically emerging from underground.

These animals make certain sounds when communicating. Recently, researchers discovered that it is possible The "speech" of so-called prairie dogs may be the most complex language of communication among representatives of the animal world.

Rodents can describe predators with amazing accuracy, including species, size and shape. They can even tell you what color a person is wearing and accurately determine whether he or she has a weapon.

They can convey this information literally in one message, which lasts only a few fractions of a second.

3. Beetles use Morse code

You can imagine how difficult it is to communicate and transmit information to relatives in a huge forest if you are a small defenseless insect.

However, nature made its contribution here too. The beetles communicate with each other using a “language” that resembles Morse code.

If necessary, the insect closest to the source of danger gives special signals. Echoes of the signal along the tree bark reach the rest of the “group”. Thus, the entire procession becomes aware of a possible threat.

At night, when all sounds are especially aggravated in the silence of the night, the transmission of these signals resembles the ticking of a clock.

Elephant sound

However, biologist Andrea Turkalo, in recent research, discovered that elephants, like humans, have different voices, by which they can be easily distinguished from other relatives.

For 19 years, the biologist studied forest elephants in the Congo and confidently declares that each individual can be identified by the sound made by this smartest animal.

Now Andrea Turkalo is working to correctly interpret these sounds. A scientist wants to create something like a dictionary that will translate the “conversation” of elephants into human language.

Turkalo notes that vowel sounds clearly predominate in the “language” of elephants.

Laying hens and eggs

5. Chickens talk to eggs, and they answer them

It's no surprise when a mother coos over her future children. However, many women will be surprised if the fetus will respond to their cooing.

But for hens there is nothing strange in this. Rather, on the contrary, this is a standard procedure for chickens. About a day before hatching, the chicks begin to squeak while in the egg, thus responding to their mother's clucking.

6. Baboons hate slang

Everyone knows that baboons are at the highest stage of development among representatives of the fauna. As it turns out, these animals can even feel our pain.

Over the course of a month and a half, scientists exposed a group of six baboons to various intellectual tests, which involved using a touch screen computer to display a series of words.

The essence of these tests was that the baboons had to determine which of these words made sense and which of them were just a bunch of letters.

The animals coped with the task assigned to them with amazing accuracy. They dismissed invented words quite quickly, but the baboons stopped at real existing words, showing with all their appearance satisfaction that they were not mistaken.

7. Frogs talk

Dogs are not the only members of the animal kingdom that have the ability to hear high-frequency tones outside the range of human perception.

Frogs native to Southeast Asia can communicate using ultrasonic frequencies that are inaudible to humans.

10 most beautiful and poisonous frogs

This special species of frog can produce sounds up to 38 kilohertz, which is 18 hertz higher than humans can detect.

Scientists believe that this way it is easier for frogs to survive in natural conditions. These creatures live in areas with falling water, where lower frequencies are difficult to hear. Thus, frogs have adapted to transmit information to each other.

Dolphin language

8. Dolphins learn a second language

Observations of dolphins have shown that these smartest mammals speak a different language in their sleep.

While awake, they were not observed imitating foreign sounds, but during sleep, the sounds made by dolphins bore an ominous resemblance to others.

Repeating parrot

9. Parrots don't mindlessly copy us.

There is documented evidence of cases where a parrot not only mindlessly repeated sounds that it heard, but also was able to recognize words, individual phrases, and also carry on a conversation.

An African gray parrot named Alex has become famous for its ability to identify colors and formulate abstract concepts such as size and difference.

Alex joked quite briskly with his owner, saying the phrase: “Don’t tell me to calm down.”

Top 10 talking birds

Some parrots remember and reproduce up to several hundred words and phrases. The famous female parrot Prudle was listed in the Guinness Book of Records because she knew 800 words at the time of her death. And in the dictionary of the parrot N'kisi there are 950 words, as well as all kinds of jokes that make listeners laugh.

10. Some fish use sign language

Coral snappers coordinate their actions with their relatives while in pursuit of food.

Using their nose and dance-like movements, the perches signal to the rest of the procession that food is close and that it is worth making some effort to get it.

The animal world is amazing and incredibly interesting. Watching the habits of animals is a fascinating activity. Can they talk? How do animals communicate with each other? Do representatives of different subspecies understand each other?

Animal: the boundaries of the concept

Depending on the criteria taken as a basis, different interpretations of the word “animal” are given. In a narrow sense, in a broader concept - all four-legged animals. From a scientific point of view, animals are all those who can move and those who have a nucleus in their cells. But what can be said about those species that lead a sedentary lifestyle. Or, conversely, about microorganisms that are constantly in motion? If we talk about how animals communicate with each other, then attention should be paid mainly to mammals, however, birds and fish also have their own languages.

Animal language

Language is a complex sign system. And this is not surprising. If we talk about human language, it is fundamentally different from other sign systems in that it serves for the linguistic expression of thoughts. Speaking about how animals communicate with each other, it can be noted that in science there is a separate term denoting this process - “animal language”.

Four-legged individuals convey information to their opponent not only with the help of sounds. They have a well-developed language of gestures and facial expressions. Animals definitely have more communication channels than humans. If you compare how animals and people communicate, you can find many differences. A person mainly puts his intentions, expressions of will, desires, feelings and thoughts into speech. That is, the main load goes on verbal communication.

Animals, on the contrary, actively use nonverbals. They have much more of them than people. In addition to the non-verbal means inherent to humans (postures, gestures, facial expressions), they use (mainly with the help of the tail and ears). Smells play a big role in communication for them. Thus, animals do not have language as a system of phonemes and lexemes. The way animals communicate with each other is similar to symbols. Their language is, rather, signals that they use to convey information to their relatives.

Fish tongue

The sounds made by a person in the process of communication are articulate speech. This is the ability of the speech apparatus to create phonemes of different methods of formation: fricative, stop, tremulous, sonorant. This is not typical for any animal species. However, the language of sounds is inherent in many animals. Even some fish are capable of emitting them to inform others about danger or attack.

For example, the stingray hoots, the catfish can grunt, the flounder makes a bell ringing, the toad fish hums, and the sciena sings. Their sound is generated by the vibration of their gills, grinding of teeth, and squeezing of the bladder. There are fish that use the external environment to deliberately create sounds. Thus, a fox shark hits the water with its tail while hunting, and freshwater predators surface in pursuit of prey.

Bird language

The singing and chirping of birds is not unconscious. Birds have many signals that they use in different situations.

Birds make different sounds, for example, when nesting and migrating, when they see enemies and when searching for relatives. They are emphasized in works of oral folk art, where the hero who understands birds is part of nature. The hearing system in birds is better developed than in other animals. They perceive sounds more sensitively than humans and are able to hear shorter and faster phonemes. Birds actively use these abilities given by nature. For example, pigeons can hear at a distance of several hundred meters.

In the language set of birds of each species there are several songs that they receive with genes and learn in a flock. The ability of some birds to imitate and remember is known. Thus, science knows of a case where the African gray parrot Alex learned a hundred words and spoke. He also managed to formulate a question that scientists could not achieve from primates. The lyrebird from Australia is able to imitate not only birds, but also other animals, as well as sounds artificially created by humans. Thus, the vocal abilities of birds are great, but, it must be said, have been little studied. Birds also use non-verbal means. If you carefully observe how animals communicate with each other, their movement language will also be noticeable. For example, fluffy feathers indicate readiness for a fight, a large open beak is a sign of alarm, and its clicking is a threat.

Pet language: cats

Every owner, observing the behavior of their pets, noticed that they also know how to talk. In the lessons of natural history and the surrounding world, we study how animals communicate with each other (grade 5). For example, cats may purr differently if they ask for food or when they are resting. They meow next to a person, but remain silent or hiss alone with their relatives, using body language to communicate.

It is especially interesting to observe the position of their ears: vertically raised means attention, relaxed and extended forward - calm, directed back and pressed - threat, constant movement of the ears - concentration. The tail of furry creatures is an important signal to others. If it is raised, then the cat is happy. When the tail is raised and fluffed, the animal is ready to attack. Omitted is a sign of concentration. Quick movements of the tail - the cat is nervous.

Pet language: dogs

Illustrating how animals communicate with each other, we can say that it is also diverse.

They can not only bark, but also growl and howl. At the same time, the barking of dogs varies. For example, a quiet and rare bark means attracting attention, a loud and drawn-out bark means danger, the presence of a stranger. The dog growls in defense or guarding prey. If she howls, it means she is lonely and sad. Sometimes she squeals if someone has hurt her.

Rabbits demonstrate how animals communicate with each other using non-verbal means of communication. They rarely make sounds: mainly when they are very excited and frightened. However, their body language is well developed. Their long ears, capable of twisting in different directions, serve as a source of information for them. Rabbits, like cats and dogs, use the language of smell to communicate with each other. These animals have special glands that produce odorous enzymes with which they limit their territory.

Language of wild animals

The behavior and way in which animals communicate in the wild is similar to that of domestic animals. After all, a lot is passed on through genes. It is known that when defending themselves and protecting their territory, wild animals scream loudly and angrily. But the system of their linguistic signs is not limited to this. Wild animals communicate a lot. Their communication is complex and interesting. Dolphins are internationally recognized as the smartest animals on the planet. Their intellectual capabilities have not been fully studied. They are known to have a complex language system.

In addition to chirping, which is accessible to human hearing, they communicate using ultrasound for orientation in space. These amazing animals actively communicate in a pack. When communicating, they call the names of the interlocutor, emitting an instant unique whistle. The natural world is definitely unique and fascinating. Man has yet to study how animals communicate with each other. complex and exceptional, inherent in many of our smaller brothers.

“Animals are our little brothers” - this is what human morality teaches us. They give us aesthetic pleasure, productive communication, health and much more. However, many people have a question about why animals are needed. Let's think about this together.

Wild animals

All animals in the world do not exist separately on their own, they are part of a natural chain. If there are mice, then they are destroyers of weeds and insects, and at the same time serve as food for larger predators. If there is a leopard, then it hunts antelopes, and the weakest ones fall into its mouth. This is how natural selection and evolution of species occurs. So why are animals of different species needed on Earth? To eat and be eaten. This is the most important law of nature, proven by Darwin.

Wild animals are useful to humans. They study them to know what they can take from them. It's no secret that the greatest discoveries were made thanks to animals. What is a zipper? This is a copy of a bird's feather, looking at it, lightning was invented. Where did the idea for the airplane come from? From birds, of course! Diseases are treated with shark cartilage, perfumes are made from whale ambergris, and the energy drink Pantocrine is taken from the hooves of deer. Even social laws are studied on the basis of beehives and anthills. And there’s nothing to say about the skins, fangs, whiskers, glands and skin, the extraction of which kills animals! Man has exterminated many species of wild animals and justifies himself by creating the Red Book. So why do intelligent people need animals of the wild world? They are the source of his inspiration, the thread connecting him with the universe. How much joy communication with wild nature brings! Remember the beautiful tigers, whales, dolphins, antelopes, kangaroos! They help us understand who we are on this Earth.

Pets

All domestic animals bring benefits to humans: they provide food, skins, wool, work for people, and protect them. And they just bring joy! To understand why animals are needed in the house, we need to remember history. It is very well told in Kipling's fairy tale "The Cat That Walked Alone." A dog guards a house, a horse carries a person, a cow gives milk. This list can now be supplemented: pigs - a source of meat, chickens - meat and eggs, goats - wool and milk, sheep - wool and meat, cows - meat and milk. It’s good that horse breeding has now been revived. There are few horses on farms, but the best breeds now have sufficient numbers. In addition to all the listed gifts that we receive from pets, we undoubtedly see something much more.

Communicating with animals, a person becomes kinder, more attentive, and more caring. Why are animals needed in a city apartment? The presence of a dog, cat, hamster or aquarium fish forces a child or teenager to be responsible not only for himself, but also for another (maybe more than one) living creature. And this responsibility instills in the young soul kindness, love, and sensitivity to all living things. Is this not enough? Such a person will never be able to offend an animal or another person! Take care and love your animals!

Position: teacher

Educational institution: MBDOU kindergarten No. 9

Locality: Blizhne-Pesochnoe, Vyksa city

Name of material: Project

Topic: "Language is a friend - language is an enemy"

Description:

The type of project is educational - research. The duration of the project is medium-term. Object of research - Language Project participants - children of the senior group, teacher, parents. Project implementation period - 1 month (01/18/16 - 02/15/16)

Link to publication:

http://site/doshkolnoe/index?nomer_publ=3914

Published 06/07/2016

Text part of the publication

Municipal budgetary preschool educational institution kindergarten No. 9
Project

“Language – friend or foe?”

Completed:
Teacher Belyakova A.P. children 5-6 years old Vyksa r.p. Bl – Sand 2016

Project type
– educational – research.
Project duration
– medium-term.
Object of study
- Language
Project participants
– children of the older group, teacher, parents.
Project implementation period
– 1 month (01/18/16 - 02/15/16)
“All organs of the body get tired someday, but not

language."

Konrad Adenauer

Relevance
If the ideas of most children about the role of the body in general correspond to reality, then children understand the meaning and role of the body in human life one-sidedly, underestimating the full importance of internal organs and not imagining the full diversity of their functions. In a lesson on the topic “Which organ is the most important?” we were talking about language. The question arose: “You can live without language, is it so important?” The children wanted to learn everything about the language of humans and animals.

Hypotheses
 Language is a friend?  Is language the enemy?
What do we know?
 Humans and animals have language.  Tongues are pink and red in color.  The tongues are oval in shape.  People talk and eat using language.  Animals need a tongue in order to eat and lick.
What do we want to know?
 Do everyone have the same languages?  What languages ​​are there in shape and color.  Why else do humans and animals need language?  What can be determined using language.  What is useful for the language, what is harmful.  If it is an important organ, then how to take care of it.
How can you find out?
 On TV.  On the Internet.  Ask the teacher.  Read in a book.  Ask your parents and grandparents.  Friends can tell.
Objective of the project:
Creating conditions for the development of elementary natural scientific ideas about man and the animal world.
Project objectives:

1. Develop cognitive interest and curiosity in the process of observation, search and practical experimentation. 2. To develop skills of mental actions, analysis, synthesis in the process of cognition of the natural picture of the world, contributing to the development of speech. 3. Develop independence in resolving problem situations in research activities. 4. Develop the ability to explain what is observed and record the results using accessible methods. 5. Bring children to the conclusion that the tongue performs many different functions: in humans it determines the taste of food, participates in the formation of speech, helps digest food; in animals it serves as bait, catching prey, and as a warning. 6. Introduce the rules of care for the tongue and oral cavity. 7. Cultivate interest, love for nature, the desire to learn, to reveal its secrets.
Expected Result:
1. Children will receive primary ideas about language and learn its basic functions.
2. Children will have the simplest ideas about activities aimed at maintaining health. 3. Cognitive interest and curiosity will develop in the process of observation, search and practical experimentation. 4. Skills of mental actions, analysis, synthesis will be formed in the process of cognition of the natural picture of the world, contributing to the development of speech. 5. Independence in resolving problem situations in research activities will develop. 6. The ability to explain what is observed and record the results using accessible methods will be developed. .
Forms and methods of project implementation:
Conversations. GCD
Reading fiction. Guessing riddles. Observations. Game activity. Productive activities of children. Conducting experiments. Hometasks.
Project implementation stages

Stage 1: Preparatory.
Defining the topic (project problem). Arouse the interest of children and parents in the topic of the project.
Drawing up a project plan. Collection of information, literature, additional material. Working with children and parents. Replenish the experimentation corner with the necessary materials. Composing messages on the topic “Animal languages” and preparing children. Viewing pictures and films via the Internet “All about language” Examining illustrations Making a model of the language
Stage 2: Basic.

Conversations:
“What is language? "Nose and Tongue"
Target:
give children primary knowledge of language.
“Why do animals need tongues? " "My favorite animal".
Goals:
to cultivate interest, love for nature, the desire to learn, to reveal its secrets. “Language is the enemy” (“Velcro Tongue”). “Which organ is the most important?”
Target:
form the simplest ideas about activities aimed at maintaining health. “How to take care of the organs of the speech apparatus.”
Target:
introduce the rules of care for the tongue and oral cavity. “What does our tongue not like and what does it like?” “Why does a dog stick out its tongue? »
Goals:
develop the ability to explain what is observed and record the results using accessible methods.
Direct educational activities:
Speech development: “How we speak.”
Target:
Explain to children how human speech is formed. Introduce children to the process of speech formation and the importance of different organs in the formation of sounds. Speech development: “Cheerful tongue.”
Target:
continue to develop the ability to observe and introspect; develop logical thinking. Cognitive development: “What are microbes?”
Target:
Give children a basic understanding of microorganisms. Cognitive development: “What is Language for?”
Target:
give children primary knowledge of language. “Artistic and aesthetic development” modeling “Animals with different types of languages.

Target:
To cultivate interest, love for nature, the desire to learn, to reveal its secrets. Improve your ability to look at pictures and choose the best ones.
Reading fiction:
S. Mikhalkov “Sasha’s porridge” N. Nosov “Dreamers”. V. Dragunsky “The secret becomes clear.”
Goals:
introduce children to new works, develop the ability to listen carefully, and answer questions about the content in detail. "Interesting things about language." A little history. Making riddles about language. Proverbs and sayings about language. Introduction to encyclopedic material.
Goals:
bring children to the conclusion that the tongue performs many different functions: in humans it determines the taste of food, participates in the formation of speech, helps digest food; in animals it serves as bait, catching prey, and as a warning.
Guessing riddles about language:
He is always at work when we talk, and rests when we are silent. Behind the wall a bone nightingale lives. Always in your mouth, but you can’t swallow it. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t say anything.
A board lies in the swamp. The record lies in the sea, does not dry, does not get wet. A wet calf lives in the garden. Jump and jump - There's an animal behind bars. Whatever you know, I told you everything.
Game activity:
Didactic game “Harmful and healthy foods.” Didactic game “Tongue and nose replace each other.” Didactic game “Guess the taste.” Didactic game “Help Sickly” Didactic game “Magic Bag” Didactic game “Let’s teach Dunno how to care for her tongue.” An element of the role-playing game “At a doctor’s appointment.” Board and printed game “Sour, salty, bitter, sweet.” Word game “Guess who we’ll describe.” Word game “What would happen if...”
Goals:
development of cognitive interest, imaginative, creative, logical thinking, auditory perception, memory, speech.
Productive activities:

Drawing based on proverbs about language. Sketch of icons “What is harmful, what is useful for the speech apparatus.” Drawing symbols “What is the use of language for animals.”
Experiences:

"Language is a friend"

Experience No. 1 “Different to taste.”

Target:
To give an idea that different parts of the surface of the tongue perceive foods differently.
Conclusion:
Most of the taste buds are located on the tip of the tongue; In order to feel less of the taste of the product, you need to put it as far as possible on the tongue.
Experiment No. 2 “The difference between human language and cat language.”

Target:
Show children how human and cat tongues work.
Conclusion:
The language of a cat and a person is different, so a cat can lap up milk, but it is better for a person to drink it from a cup.
Experiment No. 3 “The tongue is a laborer.”

Target:
show children how sometimes we do not understand people who have speech problems.
Conclusion:
When children pronounce words poorly, we do not understand them, we need to do exercises for the language.
"Language is the enemy"

Experiment No. 1 “How a microbe gets into the mouth.”

Target:
give an idea of ​​how microbes and bacteria affect the tongue, introduce diseases of the tongue.
Conclusion:
 Do not lick toys  Do not put anything in your mouth  Do not put your fingers in your mouth  Wash your hands after using the toilet, going outside, walking  Clean your tongue
Experiment No. 2 “Velcro”

Target:
show children what happens to the tongue in the cold when the tongue comes into contact with iron.
Conclusion:
 in winter you cannot lick the fence, iron, because the tongue is wet and there is saliva in the mouth;  you need to be careful;  germs can enter the mouth;
Interaction with parents
Creating albums for children together with parents: “The language of a woodpecker”, “Why does an anteater need a tongue?”, “Why does a snake need a tongue?”, “Why does a chameleon need a tongue?”, “Snapping turtle”,
“What does a cat need a tongue for?”  Offer to choose a proverb or saying about language and draw a picture for it.  Homework for parents and children (observing domestic animals, learning proverbs and sayings about language, drawing a picture for them).
Result:
1. Children received primary ideas about language and learned its basic functions. 2. Children acquired the simplest ideas about activities aimed at maintaining health. 3. Cognitive interest and curiosity developed in the process of observation, search and practical experimentation.
4. Skills of mental actions, analysis, synthesis have been formed in the process of cognition of the natural picture of the world, contributing to the development of speech. 5. Independence in resolving problem situations in research activities has developed. 6. Developed the ability to explain what was observed and record the results using accessible methods. .
Stage 3-Final:
1. Exhibition of children's drawings. 2. Design of the folder for the movement “Articulation gymnastics” 3. Design of the folder for the movement “A little from the history of language”

Bibliography:
1.Veraksa N.E., Veraksa A.N. Project activities. A manual for teachers of preschool institutions, - M,: MOSAIKA-SYNTHESIS, 2010.
2. Project method in organizing cognitive and research activities in kindergarten / comp. N.V. Nishcheva. – St. Petersburg, : PUBLISHING HOUSE “CHILDHOOD-PRESS” LLC, - 2013. 3. Project activities of senior preschoolers / compiled by V.N. Zhuravleva. – Volgograd: Teacher, 2011.

Elena Anatolyevna Susikova, primary school teacher, Municipal Educational Institution Secondary School No. 15

Educational project

Animal communication

Subject, group

The world around us, 2nd grade

Brief summary of the project

A major role in environmental education and upbringing of schoolchildren, including younger ones, is played by practical, research work in

natural conditions. Theoretical knowledge gained in lessons should become the basis for independent assessment of what is happening in nature

processes and phenomena to conduct their own research, observations, the ability to summarize the results of their observations, to contribute

environmentally conscious behavior that is safe for nature and one’s own health.

Experience shows that primary school students participate in such work with pleasure and great interest, naturally at an accessible

level for them.

At a young age, children have a predominant sensory, figurative perception of the world around them, which was taken into account when developing the methodology

working with children.

The developed project “Animal Communication” was tested in primary school.

It involves children performing research work, making observations, summarizing research results in the most

Guiding Questions

Fundamental question:

How do animals communicate?

Problematic issues:

Does a person need to know about animal communication?

Can a person determine what an animal wants?

Could knowledge about animal communication be useful?

Study questions:

What do the actions and habits of animals mean?

How did signs associated with animals appear?

Project plan

1. Search and research stage

Project work planning

Research work on the project

Let's find out whether there is a language of communication between animals.

2. Practical stage of the project

We draw up rules for communicating with animals

3. Final stage of the project