My students are hesitant to compose and perform for each other. I would like for them to come together in the classroom by creating a musical space for the community. My students could overcome their stage fright!
I teach students from mixed socioeconomic backgrounds in a rural area.
These students are in the middle grades and at an age when acceptance from peers is paramount. I teach students who are randomly selected for my class from the entire school population. They are nervous about being outside their comfort zone. Many of these students would like to go to college if they can find funding. I would like for them to continue learning, overcome their stage fright and learn to help their community at the same time.
My Project
Students will make wind chimes for the outdoor garden. Students will study measurement. Students will discuss instrument construction and the effect of mass on sound waves. Students will study sound frequencies. By cutting the piping to different lengths, students will show understanding of sound waves. Students will then compose 4 measure melodies using all 8 notes of the scale. Students will compare and contrast the different types of tubing used. Students will select and compose their simple melodies and be able to defend their choice of instrument as it relates to their chosen message or theme of their song. For example, a student may choose to write a song about the Spring sunshine and thus pick the aluminum wind chime because it has a bright sound.
Students will learn about erosion. Students will study irrigation techniques. Students will construct rain chains for the garden. Students will collect data on the growth of the plants before the rain chains were installed and after.
Project-based learning has been shown to raise test score by moving students out of lower levels of questioning into the higher levels of understanding.
This project is cross-curricular as well as being rooted in this specific subject area. I believe these students will compose songs and make artistic choices without realizing that they are also studying math, science and literature.
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