The Mini Page — 2007 Activities
MUSIC MAKERS
Issue 13
March 24-30
This week's standards:
Students listen to, analyze and describe music. (Music)
Activities:
1. Draw a picture of your favorite musical instrument on a large piece of paper. Around your picture, write words and phrases that describe the instrument. Write a sentence telling why you like it.
2. Interview several friends and classmates. Ask them what instruments they play or what instruments they would like to learn to play. Ask them to tell you why they like particular instruments. What are the most popular instruments?
3. Look in the classified ads in your newspaper to find ads for musical instruments. Categorize the instruments into four groups: strings, winds/horns, percussion (drums) and keyboards.
Which group had the largest number of instruments for sale?
4. Explain how you can make the pitch higher or lower on three different instruments by shortening or tightening, or lengthening or loosening, a part of the instrument. What does this tell you about the vibrations created by the instruments?
5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about a specific instrument. Use these questions to guide your research: What type of instrument is it? What were early versions of the instrument like? How does the instrument create sound and change pitch? Are there acoustic and electric versions of the instrument? How are they different?
Who are some famous people who have played this instrument? Now write a paragraph describing and discussing your instrument.
Standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
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