Final answer:
Musical intelligence does not involve identifying features in the natural world; it is about understanding and creating music. To determine instrument pitches without hearing them, the size and shape can provide clues, where generally, smaller instruments produce higher pitches.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding the statement provided, it is false that musical intelligence involves the ability to identify features in the natural world. Musical intelligence, as conceptualized by Howard Gardner in his theory of multiple intelligences, refers to the capacity to understand, create, and appreciate music and rhythmic patterns. It includes abilities such as the recognition of tonal patterns, rhythm, timbre, and the performance of musical instruments.
In answering the Check Your Understanding question, to determine which musical instrument plays high-pitch sounds and which plays low-pitch sounds without hearing them, you could examine the size and the shape of the instruments. Generally, smaller instruments produce higher-pitched sounds due to their shorter strings or smaller resonance cavities, while larger instruments tend to produce lower-pitched sounds.
These abilities to make and appreciate music are believed to be unique to humans and have been integral to our species' experience since ancient times.