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I've Got Rhythm

Explore musical instruments and the mathematics of music. Design a musical instrument poster.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Poster Board

Steps

  • Step 1

    Talk about the four types of musical instruments - strings, winds, brass, percussion. Ask students if they can think of instruments that fit into each category. Do they know which ones are played in an orchestra? Marching band?

  • Step 2

    Listen to a simple melody and see if students can tap out the beats. You might invite someone who reads music into the discussion if you are not familiar with the symbols. They can talk about math in music, for example how the fractions at the beginning of the music tell you how many beats are in the measure, how notes have different time values - some are played twice as long as others, some in half the time, etc.

  • Step 3

    Ask students to pick an instrument they like or they'd like to play. Have them identify what group it's in and learn about how it produces sound. Then have them illustrate and label the instrument on poster board. They can add embellishing designs to their creation.

Standards

ARTS: With guidance, explore and experience music concepts (such as beat and melodic contour).

MATH: Use and connect mathematical representation.

Adaptations

Encourage students to attend a local concert, perhaps a high school band or a community orchestra. Ask them to listen for the various types of instruments they learned about.

Have students research and listen to examples of different instruments from around the world, such as an Australian didgeridoo, a West African djembe, or a Russian balalaika.

Have students pick a musical instrument to create out of clay or Model Magic.