21st Century Institute: Summer 2011

YOUR name / Kevin Martin/ Elizabeth Braden / GRADE:
6-8
SCHOOL NAME / Bates Imagination Vacation
lesson title / The Physics of Steel Drum Music / Day One-
The shape of Sound
md STATE STANDARDS / Fine Art / Music 1.1.f
Listen to and demonstrate characteristic sounds on instruments of various world cultures, such as the steel drum, talking drum, guitar
Music 1.2.b Perform vocal and instrumental music representing diverse genres and world cultures with expression characteristic of the work being performed
CONTENT AREA / Science 5.D.1.a Cite examples to show that Sound waves transfer energy from one place to another
KNOWLEDGE
OBJECTIVES
(to know) / SKILL
OBJECTIVES
(to be able to do) / FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT / SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENT / 21st CENTURY SKILLS
LESSON PLAN / Fine Art / The parts and basic history of the steel drum
How a song is broken into musical phrases
Orchestral signs / How to play a melody on a steel drum / Thumbs up/down
Periodic checks on understanding / Perform a first melody on the drum / Cross-cultural
Collaboration
communication
CONTENT
AREA / Understanding the properties of solids and liquids
Understanding the transfer of energy from the strike of a mallet on a drum to the sound wave / Using the scientific method of experimentation / Class discussion and group sharing of observations / Lab book references and observations / Collaboration
Critical thinking

Vocabulary:

Malleability, physical states, experimentation, scientific method

Materials & Resources for the Class:

Chewing gum, mirrors , lab sheets, composition books, writing utensil, steel drums, stands and mallets, sheet music, magnets to hold music to drums

Materials & Resources for the Teacher:

Guitar, lab coats, map on power point of Caribbean and a world map…talking drum

Prior Knowledge

Some knowledge of geography

Procedures:

MOTIVATION/INTRODUCTION

Teachers in lab coats hand each student a piece of gum as they enter the class… the students record their observations of the gum in their “lab books”. Students Take a mirror and observe the transformation of gum then they Blow bubbles at mirror and describe what happens and record observations on lab sheets.

MODELING

Teacher conducts a series of mallet exercises to familiarize the students with the use of mallets on the steel drum.

GUIDED PRACTICE

Teacher plays a phrase of music on the steel drum and the students play it back to him. The all phrases are linked together to make a song in the Caribbean tradition of learning by rote.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Students will independently practice the melody on the steel drum as assessed by the teacher’s observation and feedback.

Assessment: Performance Task(s), Key Criteria and/or Other Evidence

Students will perform a melody at the end of class on the Caribbean steel drum. Students will record in their journals how the energy of the mallet strike is transformed into sound (by waves).

Closure:

Students will be asked to record how they think the sound reaches the ears of the listener from the drum head on a sticky note and place the note on the whiteboard. Tomorrow we will review their answers as a lead in to the next lesson.

Lesson Adaptations:

Much of the lesson is imitation and recording of observations. If a child is wearing braces and cannot chew gum… they can be paired with another student to observe the bubble blowing experiment. If a child has no use of their hands, they could be placed in the role of the conductor, and would nod to the players to start and finish the melody…perhaps even nod to individuals to do a solo. Music transcends language barriers and would not be a difficulty for the limited English learner. However, there would have to be an interpreter for any hearing impaired students.

1