Assignment - Infographics - 131
A Note on What Makes This an Infographic
A cross-section of the ear with part names is a labeled diagram - it has been in science textbooks for decades. An infographic about the ear tells the story of what happens to a sound from the moment it enters to the moment you perceive it. Each part is not just a label - it is a step in a process. Your infographic should answer: what does this part do, and how does it hand the signal to the next stage?
Objective
Create a journey narrative infographic in Canva that follows a sound wave from the outer ear all the way to the brain, explaining the role of each structure along the way.
The Journey to Follow
Structure your infographic as a numbered journey with these stages:
Stage 1: The Outer Ear (Pinna) The pinna is the visible part of the ear. It is shaped to collect and funnel sound waves into the ear canal. The shape and curves of the pinna help us detect the direction a sound is coming from.
Stage 2: The Ear Canal (External Auditory Meatus) The sound wave travels down the ear canal (about 2.5 cm long) toward the eardrum. The ear canal also produces earwax (cerumen), which traps dust and bacteria to protect the eardrum.
Stage 3: The Eardrum (Tympanic Membrane) The sound wave strikes the eardrum - a thin membrane stretched across the canal. The eardrum vibrates at exactly the same frequency as the incoming sound. Louder sounds cause larger vibrations; higher-pitched sounds cause faster vibrations.
Stage 4: The Ossicles - Three Tiny Bones The vibrating eardrum moves three small bones (ossicles) in sequence:
- Malleus (hammer) - attached to the eardrum, receives its vibration
- Incus (anvil) - connects malleus to stapes
- Stapes (stirrup) - the smallest bone in the human body; its footplate presses against the oval window of the cochlea
The ossicles amplify the vibration by a factor of approximately 22, compensating for the energy loss when sound moves from air into the fluid of the inner ear.
Stage 5: The Cochlea The stapes pushes on the oval window, sending pressure waves through the fluid-filled cochlea (a snail-shaped structure). Inside the cochlea, tiny hair cells along the basilar membrane respond to different frequencies - hair cells near the base detect high frequencies, those near the apex detect low frequencies. Each hair cell generates an electrical signal when it vibrates.
Stage 6: The Auditory Nerve The electrical signals from the hair cells travel along the auditory nerve (cochlear nerve) to the brain.
Stage 7: The Brain (Auditory Cortex) The auditory cortex in the temporal lobe of the brain processes the electrical signals and produces the experience of hearing - identifying pitch, loudness, direction, and meaning.
Design in Canva
- Show the ear in cross-section in the center of your infographic.
- Number each stage and use an arrow or flow line to show the journey progressing through the ear.
- Each stage gets a callout panel with the part name, its action, and how it passes the signal forward.
- Use a warm color for mechanical stages (outer and middle ear) and a cooler color for electrical/neural stages (cochlea, nerve, brain).
Required Elements
- All 7 stages in order, each with a function explained.
- The distinction between mechanical vibration (stages 1-4), fluid pressure (stage 5), and electrical signal (stages 6-7) made clear.
- The ossicle amplification fact (22x) included.
- Title: “How the Ear Works: The Journey of Sound.”