Musical Shapes

Grade level: Pre-K-K (Small Group activity)

Classroom Time: 15-20 minutes, can be repeated as needed

Purpose: Students will be able to make a connection between different musical instruments and their shapes. Students will also recognize patterns with respect to the shapes and the musical instruments and/or their pictures.

Skills addressed:
Recognize and reproduce simple patterns of concrete objects
Match objects that are alike.
Recognize, describe and name shapes (circles, triangles, rectangles and squares).
Students perform with musical instruments and create puppets

Supplies:

Musical instruments of different sizes and shapes and/or pictures of instruments (See attachment 1):
Examples

Plastic/ paper shapes (See attachment 2) – Circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, etc.
Book: “Friends” or “The shape of the things” – Copy http://www.almaflorada.com/friends.htm

Lesson process:

A- Warm up:
The teacher reads a shape book to the entire class: Example
- “Friends”, by Alma Flor Ada http://www.almaflorada.com/friends.htm

B- Lesson Procedure:

After the teacher finishes reading the book, various instruments are shown to the students (cymbals, drums, blocks, etc.) one by one with the following questions asked per instrument:

-What shape are they? Ex: Cymbal – circle
-Who would (in the book) play the circle shaped instruments?

The teacher asks the same questions with the triangles / woodblocks, etc.
The Teacher tells the students they are going to play a game with the musical instruments and their shapes (in small groups)

Give each student a different instrument: (Students may also be given pictures of the instruments if instruments are not available. – Attachment 1, print, cut sheets in half and attach to a paper plate or card stock. Attach a tong depressor in order for students to hold on to the picture.)

Some students will have triangles
Some students will have cymbals, tambourines or drums.
Some students will have woodblocks or sand blocks
Three dimensional shapes could also be used - trapezoid (Cowbell) Cones (Claves),etc.

Teacher will explain to the students they are going to “Create music” by playing their musical instrument when she shows them the (Plastic/ paper) shape of their instrument, and they will stop when the teacher shows them the “Closing sign” or STOP sign when she raises her hand. (Or follow regular classroom policies in regards to stopping an activity)
The teacher holds up a shape, the students “play” their corresponding instrument for 5 seconds. Stop sign is held up. The teacher holds up a different shape, the students “play” their corresponding instrument for 5 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
Optional: Students take turns being the “Teachers” holding up the (plastic/paper) shapes to their classmates.

C. Extension activities:

Sorting and graphing:

Give students pictures of musical instruments. (See attachment 3)
Students use pictures to sort the musical instruments by shapes
After sorting the shapes, students create a graph according to the shape.

Example:

Ask students the following questions with respect to their graphs:

How many circle (triangle, rectangle) pictures are on your graph?
Circles = 3, Triangles = 1, Rectangles = 2

Patterns:

Show the students a shape pattern, below.

Students copy the shape patterns with their musical instruments according to their shapes creating a simple sound pattern. (Students can hold up pictures of the instruments if there are not enough musical instruments.)

Repeat with a new patterns. – (See attachment 4 for suggestions)
The patterns may be copied and put on a sheet for students to match the instruments with the shapes cut out.

Students create Shape-musical puppets with paper bags or Popsicle sticks. (Patterns attached – Attachment 5)

Examples:

D. Student assessment or final product to be developed:
Informal observation of student understanding of shapes characteristics.
Assess students’ understanding of graphing and patterns through activities.

Related websites:

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/coloring-pages/music/percussion-instruments.htm
http://www.almaflorada.com/friends.htm

Other resources:
Another great book to use “The Shape of the Things” by Dayle Ann Dobbs

Attachments

Pictures of instruments – Attachment 1

Hardwood Drum

Cowbell (LP Music)

SHAPES – Attachment 2

Small Pictures of Musical Instruments – Attachment 3

Attachment 3

Shape Patterns – Attachment 4 – Suggested Patterns
Repeat each line two times.

attachment 4

Puppet Patterns – Attachment 5

Mr. Square:

Ms. Circle:

Mr. Triangle:

class=Section2>

National Standards

Kindergarten:

Language Arts:
NL-ENG K-12:
1 Students read a wide range of print and non print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

NL-ENG K-12.12:
Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

NL-ENG.K-12.3 EVALUATION STRATEGIES
Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Math:
NM-ALG.PK-2.1:
Understand patterns, relations, and functions

sort, classify, and order objects by size, number, and other properties;
recognize, describe, and extend patterns such as sequences of sounds and shapes or simple numeric patterns and translate from one representation to another;
analyze how both repeating and growing patterns are generated.

NM-GEO.PK-2.4
Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems

create mental images of geometric shapes using spatial memory and spatial visualization;
recognize geometric shapes and structures in the environment and specify their location.

NM-GEO.PK-2.1
Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships

recognize, name, build, draw, compare, and sort two- and three-dimensional shapes;

NM-DATA.PK-2.1
Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer

pose questions and gather data about themselves and their surroundings;
sort and classify objects according to their attributes and organize data about the objects;
represent data using concrete objects, pictures, and graphs.

Fine Arts
NA-M.K-4.2
PERFORMING ON INSTRUMENTS, ALONE AND WITH OTHERS, A VARIED REPERTOIRE OF MUSIC

Students echo short rhythms and melodic patterns
Students perform in groups, blending instrumental timbres, matching dynamic levels, and responding to the cues of a conductor

TEKS:

Language Arts

§110.2. English Language Arts and Reading, Kindergarten. 1) In Kindergarten, students engage in many activities that help them develop their oral language skills and help them begin to read and write. Kindergarten students take part in language activities that extend their vocabulary and conceptual knowledge. Students learn to follow directions and develop the language of schooling. Students discuss the meanings of words from familiar and conceptually challenging selections read aloud. Students express themselves in complete thoughts. In Kindergarten, students listen to a wide variety of children's literature, including selections from classic and contemporary works. Students also listen to nonfiction and informational material. Students learn to listen attentively and ask and respond to questions and retell stories. Students know simple story structure and distinguish fiction from nonfiction. Kindergarten students identify and write the letters of the alphabet. Students learn that individual letters are different from printed words, that words have spaces between them, and that print is read from left-to-right and from top-to-bottom. Through meaningful and organized activities, Kindergarten students learn that spoken language is composed of sequences of sounds. Students learn to segment and identify the sounds in spoken words. Students name each letter of the alphabet, begin to associate spoken sounds with the letter or letters that represent them, and begin to use this knowledge to read words and simple stories. In Kindergarten, students write the letters of the alphabet, their names, and other words. Initially, students dictate messages and stories for others to write. Students begin to use their knowledge of sounds and letters to write by themselves.

Math:

(K.5) Patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking. The student identifies, extends, and
creates patterns. The student is expected to identify, extend, and create patterns of sounds, physical movement, and concrete objects.

(K.8) Geometry and spatial reasoning. The student uses attributes to determine how objects are alike and different. The student is expected to:
   (A) describe and identify an object by its attributes using informal language;
   (B) compare two objects based on their attributes and
   (C) sort objects according to their attributes and describe how those groups are formed.

(K.9) Geometry and spatial reasoning. The student recognizes characteristics of shapes and
solids. The student is expected to:

describe and compare real-life objects or models of solids:
recognize shapes in real-life objects or models of solids, and
describe, identify, and compare circles, triangles and rectangles, including squares.

(K.12) Probability and statistics. The student constructs and uses graphs of real objects or pictures to answer questions. The student is expected to:
(A) construct graphs using real objects or pictures in order to answer questions;

The mission of Project GRAD is to ensure a quality public education for all students in economically disadvantaged communities so that high school and college graduation rates increase.