Music & Sound

Learning Goal: Music brings us joy. Sound is produced by vibrating objects.

• Reading= Animal Orchestra by Scott Gustafson, Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins and Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss. Letter of the day: V is for violin.
• Art= Use a favorite drawing to decorate a drum made from a formula or coffee can. Or, make rainmakers by hammering nails (1 lb of 1 ½ in. nails) into a 15 X 1 ½ inch mailing tube. Fill with rice, beans, macaroni or popcorn seeds. Decorate the mailing tube with wrapping paper or colored electrical tape.
• Science= Use an elastic band to demonstrate how sound is produced by a vibrating object. Then experiment with sound, hearing and music. 1) See sound travel. Cover a formula can with plastic wrap and secure with elastic. Sprinkle salt on top. Pound a drum over the top of it. Watch the salt dance when the plastic (representing your ear drum) catches the sound. 2) Name that sound. Make shakers by placing beans, rice and water in clear containers. After showing them to the children, ask them to close their eyes and name which item is making the sound. 3) Sounds make music. Fill glass cups with different amounts of water and tap with a spoon. Try playing Mary Had a Little Lamb. 4) Sound scavenger hunt. Collect sounds from household items and the outdoors as you record them on a tape player. Or, walk around the house tapping objects with a wooden spoon to find that each material has a unique sound.
• Music= Listen to the violin concertos from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Move your arms like a violinist.
• Play= Play a game of musical chairs (with plenty of seats for everyone). Invite someone to play the violin for you (or other instrument) then try it yourself. Or, attend an evening band concert at your local high school.

Fun facts: The pitch of the sound can be varied by changing the rate of vibration. The eardrum is a thin membrane that spans the ear canal and catches sound waves.