Brian K. Faulkner is president of Makin' Music, a music education and consulting firm.
He has taught pre-school music for ten years and has provided consulting services and
professional development training for eight years. Brian is a graduate of Arkansas Tech
University with a BS in Music Education and a graduate of Nova Southeastern University with a
M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education. He is completing his Ed.D in Early Childhood Education this
year with the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern University.
Brian teaches almost 1000 preschool children each week in 16 childcare facilities. He
has conducted over 2000 hours of training sessions for such groups as Arkansas DHHS DCC
Early Childhood Education, ArkTex Council of Governments, ASU Early Childhood Services,
Arkansas Music Educators Association, Arkansas Early Childhood Association and Yale
University School of the 21st Century during the last eight years. He is a member of Southern
Early Childhood Association, Arkansas Early Childhood Association, the National Association for
the Education of Young Children, Music Educator’s National Conference, Technology Institute for
Music Educators (TI:ME), Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music service fraternity, the Arkansas
Professional Development Training Registry, and is president for the Central Arkansas
Association for the Education of Young Children. He served three years on the board of the
Arkansas Early Childhood Commission. He is also an adjunct professor of education for NSU
and contemporary music director at First United Methodist in Russellville.
Brian’s wife, Shirley, teaches general music, choir and band to home school and private
school students. He and Shirley have three children, Brandon – 27, Haley – 25, and Whitney –
23. He has a fiver-year-old granddaughter, Morgan, and a new grandson, Peyton. The
Faulkner’s also live with a large Old English sheepdog named Carmen and a dog of unknown
origin named Frankie.
This project has been registered and approved through the Arkansas Early Childhood
Professional Development System Registry
Brian K. Faulkner, M.Ed.
Makin’ Music, Inc.
1404 South Greenwich Avenue
Russellville, AR 72801
479-968-8074 home/office
479-970-3605 cell
brian.faulkner@makinmusic.net
www.makinmusic.net
1
I – Introduction to Class
II – Music Methods:
Teaching non-music teachers how to comfortably present music activities.
A – Singing and Dancing
B – Instruments
III – Music in Daily Classroom Activities:
Using teaching songs to build retention and to provide transitions.
A – Teaching Songs
Alphabet & letter songs:
“ABC Disco”
“Elmo’s Alphabet Rap”
“Gospel ABC’s”
“Hip Hop ABC’s’
“Rockin’ the Alphabet”
Jack Hartmann
Sesame Street (with Elmo)
Sesame Street (with Patti LaBelle)
Eric Litwin*
Mr. Al
Animal & Bug Songs (Biology):
“Alligator Stomp”
“Baa, Neigh, Cock-a-doodle-doo”
“Bear Hunt”
“Caterpillar”
“Five Frogs”
“I Hear a Bee”
“Dinosaur Chomp”
“Here Comes a Bear”
“It’s a No-no to Kiss a Rhino”
“Harry Caterpillar”
“Monkey Dance”
“Place in the Choir”
“Roly Poly”
“Rumble in the Jungle”
“Wish I Had a Fish”
Anna Moo*
Buck Howdy
The Learning Station
Anna Moo*
Anna Moo*
Anna Moo*
Doug Barr*
The Wiggles
Roger Day*
Robert Davis
The Wiggles
Red Grammer
Roger Day*
Roger Day*
Geof Johnson
Days of the Week & Months of the Year songs:
“Seven Days in a Week”
Stephen Fite
“The Months of the Year”
Mr. Al & Stephen Fite
“Twelve Months in the Year”
Stephen Fite
Food Songs:
“Apples and Bananas”
“Five Fruits and Vegetables”
“Fruit Salad”
“Hot Potato”
“I Like to Eat Pepperoni Pizza”
“Lettuce Sing”
“We Like Lunch”
“What’s in the Fridge”
Raffi
Geof Johnson
The Wiggles
The Wiggles
Stephen Fite
The Wiggles
Eric Litwin*
Imagination Movers
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Movement Songs:
“A Tooty-Ta”
“Around the Circle”
“At the Swing Set”
“Bop ‘til You Drop”
“Can You Point Your Finger”
“Creepy Crawlin’”
“Do the Fun Thing”
“Everybody Jump”
“Hello, My Name is Joe”
“Hey, Hey, Whadaya Say”
“Hip Hop a Tooty-ta”
“Hop on One Foot Bop”
“I Got Hands”
“If You Jump on the Bed”
“Mr. Eric’s Jumping Song”
“Moving in a Circle”
“My Hair Had a Party Last Night”
“No More Monkeys”
“Shake Your Sillies Out”
“Sit Down, Stand Up Song”
“Walk and Stop”
Mr. Al
The Happy Crowd
Mr. Al
Mr. Al
Roger Day*
Mr. Al
Eric Litwin*
Skip West
Stephen Fite
Stephen Fite
Jack Hartmann
Mr. Al
Roger Day*
Roger Day*
Eric Litwin*
Eric Litwin*
Trout Fishing in America
Genius
The Wiggles
Rick Goldin*
Fred Kock
Multicultural & Music Styles:
“Hello, Hello, Hello”
“I Like”
“Kye, Kye, Kule”
“Peanut Butter Blues”
Cathy & Marcy
Eric Litwin*
Cathy & Marcy
Anna Moo*
Number & counting songs:
“Dance Number Three”
“Everyone Counts”
“Five Frogs”
“Fiver Funky Little Monkeys”
“I’ve Got Two Hands”
“Number Dance”
“Numbers in the Bag”
“One, Two, Three, Whee”
“Six on the Bed”
“Ten Fingers”
“Two Hands, Four Hands . . .”
Eric Litwin*
Anna Moo*
Anna Moo*
Jack Hartmann
Robert Davis
Eric Litwin*
Imagination Movers
Eric Litwin*
The Learning Station
Anna Moo*
Red Grammer
Personal Hygiene, Manners, & Safety:
“Brush Your Teeth”
Raffi
“Don’t Get Burned”
Geof Johnson
“Please and Thank You”
Imagination Movers
“Put Your Seatbelt On”
Geof Johnson
“Red Means Stop”
Parachute Express
“Stop, Drop, and Roll”
Eric Litwin*
“Toothache”
Imagination Movers
“Wash Your Hands”
Geof Johnson
Shapes & color songs:
“Colors”
“Pete the Cat”
“Show Me Your Shoes”
Mr. Al
Eric Litwin*
Mr. Al
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Story Songs & Rhymes:
“Georgie Pordgie”
“Gingerbread Man”
“Herman the Worm”
“Hip Hop Humpty”
“Sitting Down to Eat”
“The Three Little Pigs
“Three Billy Goats Groove”
“Three Little Kittens”
Genius
Dana*
Stephen Fite*
Eric Litwin*
Bill Harley
Eric Litwin*
Dana
Lynn Kitchens*
Transportation Songs:
“The Factory Song”
“Fly Through the Sky”
“My Old Jalopy”
Doug Barr*
The Wiggles
Parachute Express
B – Silly Songs & Clear Your Mind Songs
“The Chicken Dance”
“The Freeze Dance”
“The Hamster Dance”
“Love Train”
“Rockin’ Robin”
“We Like to Party”
The Emeralds
Kid’s Fun
Herman & the Hamsters
The Sugar Beats
The Sugar Beats
The Vengaboys
IV – Teaching Math & Science through Music:
Covering the national standards for math and science through music materials & lessons.
A – Math Standards and Sample Lessons (www.makinmusic.net/workshops)
B – Science Standards and Sample Lessons (www.makinmusic.net/workshops)
V – Integrating Visual Art, Movement, Theater and Storytelling:
Bringing all the arts together.
A – The Visual Arts
B – Movement and Dance
C – Theater and Storytelling
VI – Music Materials:
Music materials and resources available to the early childhood professional.
A - Children’s Artists
Makin’ Music
www.makinmusic.net
Roger Day
www.rogerday.com
Anna Moo
www.annamoo.com
Eric Litwin
www.ericlitwin.com
Jack Hartmann
www.jackhartmann.com
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Lynn Kitchens
www.rockinwiththegoose.com
Putamayo Kid’s Music
www.putamayokids.com
Stephen Fite
www.melodyhousemusic.com
B – Books and Videos
Before and after school . . . Creative experiences. 1993. Video. Child Care Collection.
Muncie, IN: Ball State University. Available from NAEYC, Spanish or English.
Bruner, J. 1996. The culture of education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Chen, J-Q., ed. 1998. Project Spectrum: Early learning activities. Vol. 2 of Project
Spectrum: Frameworks for Early Childhood Education, eds. H. Gardner, D.H.
Feldman, & M. Krechevsky. New York: Teachers College Press. Available from
NAEYC.
Chenfeld, M.B. 2002. Creative experiences for young children. 3rd ed. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Chenfeld, M.B. 1993. Teaching in the key of life. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Cherry, C., & Nielsen, D.M. 1999. Creative art for the developing child: A teacher’s
handbook for early childhood education. 3rd ed. Torrance, CA: Fearon Teacher
Aids.
Cherry, C., & D.M. Nielsen. 2001. Creative movement for the developing child: An early
childhood handbook for non-musicians. 3rd ed. Torrance, CA: Fearon Teacher
Aids.
Chosky, L. 1981. The Kodaly context: Creating an environment for musical learning.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Crawford, L. 2004. Lively learning: Using the arts to teach the K–8 curriculum. Greenfield,
MA: Responsive Classroom, Northeast Foundation for Children.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. 1990. Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York:
Harper & Row.
Engel, B.S. 1995. Considering children’s art: Why and how to value their works.
Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Forman, G., & D. Kuschner. 1983. The child’s construction of knowledge: Piaget for
teaching children. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Fraser, D.L. 2000. Danceplay: Creative movement for very young children. Lincoln, NE:
Authors Choice Press.
Froebel, F. [1826/1887] 1996. The education of man. Trans. W.N. Hailmann. Reprint.
Grand Rapids, MI: Kindergarten Messenger. (Originally published in London,
England: Cambridge University Press.)
Gardner, H. 1993. Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. 10th anniv. ed.
New York: Basic.
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Gardner, H. 2000. Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the twenty-first century.
New York: Basic.
Gurian, M. (2005) The minds of boys: Saving our sons from falling behind in school and
life. Josey-Bass, San Francisco.
Head Start Bureau. 2000. A creative adventure: Supporting development and learning
through art, music, movement, and dialogue. Creative adventure media kit
includes guide for parents and professionals, videotape, and poster. Washington,
DC: Author.
Jalongo, M.R. 2003. The child’s right to creative thought and expression: A position paper
of the Association for Childhood Education International. Online:
www.acei.org/creativepp.htm.
Joyce, M. 1994. First steps in teaching creative dance to children. Mountain View, CA:
Mayfield.
Levin-Gelb Communications. 2002. Getting in tune: The powerful influence of music on
young children’s development. Brochure. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
Available in English and Spanish.
Mayesky, M. 2003. How to foster creativity in all children. Albany, NY: Delmar.
McDonald, D.T. 1979. Music in our lives: The early years. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Pica, R. 2000. Experiences in movement with music, activities, and theory. Albany, NY:
Delmar Thomson Learning.
Schirrmacher, R. 2002. Art and creative development for young children. Albany, NY:
Delmar Thomson Learning.
Smith, W. 2003. Learning about music. No. 3 of the Learning at Home series. Watson,
ACT, Australia: Early Childhood Australia.
Weikart, P.S. 1997. Movement plus rhymes,songs, and singing games. 2nd ed.
Recordings on CD available. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.
Weikart, P.S. 1998. Teaching movement and dance. 4th ed. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope
Press.
Winner, E. 1982. Invented worlds: The psychology of the arts. Cambridge. MA: Harvard
University Press.
C – Journal Articles
Achilles, E. 1999. Creating music environments in early childhood programs. Young
Children 54 (1): 21–26.
Andress, B. 1991. Research in Review. From research to practice: Preschool children
and their movement responses to music. Young Children 47 (1): 22–27.
Amabile, T.M. 1986. The personality of creativity. Creative Living 15 (3): 12–16.
Amabile, T.M. 2001. Beyond talent: John Irving and the passionate craft of creativity.
American Psychologist 56: 333–36.
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Arts Education Partnership. 1998. Young children and the arts: Making creative
connections. A report of the Task Force on Children’s Learning and the Arts:
Birth to Age Eight. Washington, DC: Author. Online:
http://aep-arts.org/PDF%20Files/Young%20Children.pdf.
Arts Education Partnership. 2002. Criticallinks: Learning in the arts and student academic
and social development. Washington, DC: Author. Online:
www.aep-arts.org/cllinkspage.htm
Custodero, L., ed. 2002. Special issue, “Musical lives of babies and families.” Zero to
Three 23 (1).
Dighe, J., Z. Calomiris, & C. van Zutphen. 1998. Nurturing the language of art in children.
Young Children 53 (1): 4–9.
Edwards, L., & M. Nabors. 1993. The creative arts process: What it is and what it is not.
Young Children 48 (3): 77–81.
Engel, B. 1996. Learning to look: Appreciating child art. Young Children 51 (3): 74–79.
Feeney, S., & E. Moravcik. 1987. A thing of beauty: Aesthetic development in young
children. Young Children 42 (6): 6–15.
Goleman, D., & P. Kaufman. 1992. The art of creativity. Psychology Today 25 (2): 40–47.
Harris, T., & J.D. Fuqua. 1996. To build a house: Designing curriculum for primary-grade
children. Young Children 52 (1): 77–83.
Hedden, S.D. 1991. Music composition with young children. The Orff Echo (Spring): 11–
12.
Hildebrandt, C. 1998. Creativity in music and early childhood. Young Children 53 (6): 68–
74.
Isenberg, J.P., & N. Quisenberry, N. 2002. Play: Essential for all children. Childhood
Education 79: 33–39.
Jacobs, G. 2001. Sharing our gifts. Young Children 56 (1): 77–79.
Jalongo, M.R. 1999. How we respond to the artistry of children: Ten barriers to
overcome. Early Childhood Education Journal 26 (4): 205–08.
Kemple, K.M., & S.A. Nissenberg. 2000. Nurturing creativity in early childhood education:
Families are part of it. Early Childhood Education Journal 28 (1): 67–71.
Moore, T. 2002. If you teach children, you can sing. Young Children 57 (4): 84–85.
Moravcik, E. 2000. Music all the livelong day. Young Children 55 (4): 27–29.
Neelly, L. 2001. Developmentally appropriate music practice: Children learn what they
live. Young Children 56 (3): 32–37.
Neelly, L. 2002. Practical ways to improve singing in early childhood classrooms. Young
Children 57 (4): 80–81.
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Palmer, H. 2001. The music, movement, and learning connection. Young Children 56 (5):
13–17.
Wolf, J. 1994. Singing with children is a cinch! Young Children 49 (4): 20–25.
Zimmerman, E., & L. Zimmerman. 2000. Research in Review. Art education and early
childhood education: The young child as creator and meaning maker. Young
Children 55 (6): 87–92.
VII – Music Centers:
How to build a center that will be used by the children.
A – Center construction and location in the classroom
B – Center materials
C – Developing a changing center
VIII – Instrument Lab
How to build music instruments from everyday materials.
A – Wind & Brass Instruments
Buzzing Brass Mouthpiece
French Hose
Trumpet
B – String Instruments
Kamancheh
Violin
Rubber Band Guitar
C – Percussion Instruments
Clay Pot Chimes
Coffee Can Drum
Xylophone
IX – Music & Technology
Computer programs that build music skills & utilize music to develop skills in other areas.
A – Music Composition and Theory
Sibelius Groovy Music
Sony Super Duper Music Looper
Music Games Interactive
www.sibelius.com
www.sonycreativesoftware.com
www.interactiveclassics.com
B – Music Software for other Disciplines
KidZup ABC Theater, Addition & Subtraction
www.kidzup.com
X – Web Resources:
Sites on the Internet to help you in the classroom and for preparation.
A – Sites for children
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Kids. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from the Baltimore
Symphony Website at http://www.bsokids.com/
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CHICO Instrument Encyclopedia. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from University of
Michigan Website at http://www.si.umich.edu/chico/instrument
Crayola Crafts. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from Crayola at
http://www.crayola.com/coloringCraft/craft/index.cfm
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from Dallas Symphony
Website at http://www.dsokids.com/2001/rooms/DSO_Intro.html
Maya and Miguel Global Groovin’. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from PBS Kids Website
at http://pbskids.org/mayaandmiguel/english/games/globalgroovin/game.html
New York Philharmonic Kids. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from New York Philharmonic
Website at http://www.nyphilkids.org/main.phtml
NGA Kids. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from National Gallery of Art Website at
http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm
PBS Kids Music. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from PBS Kids Website at
http://pbskids.org/music/
San Francisco Symphony Kids. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from San Francisco
Symphony Kids Website at http://www.sfskids.org
Sing Along Songs. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from NIEHS Kids Page Website at
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/music.htm
B – Sites for teachers
American Alliance for Theater Education. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from AATE
Website at http://www.aate.com
Arts Alive. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from the National Arts Centre Orchestra
Website at http://www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/index.asp
ArtsEdge. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from the Kennedy Center Website at
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teach/les.cfm
Songs for Teaching. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from Songs for Teaching Website at
http://www.songsforteaching.com
Music Educators National Conference. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from MENC
Website at http://www.menc.org
National Art Education Association. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from NAEA Website at
http://www.naea-reston.org
National Association for the Education of Young Children. Retrieved on March 11, 2007,
from NAEYC Website at http://www.naeyc.org
National Dance Education Organization. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from NDEO
Website at http://www.ndeo.org
National Dance Teachers Association. Retrieved on March 11, 2007, from NDTA Website
at http://www.ndta.org.uk
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Build Your Own Instruments
Buzzing Brass Mouthpiece
Do you like to annoy those around you by making funny sounds? Have you ever thought of
playing a brass instrument? If so, this activity is for you.
What You Need
1. Bottles of various sizes
2. An adult to help
What You Do
1. Brass players play their instruments by blowing air between their closed lips causing
them to vibrate together into their mouthpiece. When the lips vibrate in this way, it is
called "buzzing." This "buzzing" sound is the basic sound for all brass instruments.
Practice buzzing your lips.
2. Make a mouthpiece by cutting the top off a plastic coke bottle (Be sure to leave enough
of the bottle so that it flares out, making a place for you to buzz into.)
3. Then create a "brass" instrument by inverting it into the top of a larger bottle or jug.
Experiment with putting your mouthpiece into various jugs and containers to see what
kind of sound is produced.
Retrieved from www.dsokids.com Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
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Build a French Hose
The French horn is one of the brass instruments in the orchestra. Here's
how to build your own simple version - the French Hose!
You will need:
 A length of hose (garden hose, plumbing hose, etc.).
 2 plastic soda bottles - any size
 Masking tape or duct tape
Procedure:
Using a sharp knife or sharp scissors (ask an adult to help you with this), cut off the spouts of the
plastic bottles, as shown here:
The shorter spout will be the "mouthpiece" of your horn, and the longer one will be the "bell" (the
wide end of a brass instrument).
Wrap the tape around both ends of the hose until they are thick enough to fit your mouthpiece on
one end and the bell on the other.
Press your lips to the mouthpiece and buzz your lips. If you make your lips tighter and blow
harder, you should get a higher tone. Eventually you will discover that your French Hose makes a
whole series of tones, from low to high.
Retrieved from www.nyphilkids.org, Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
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Make a Trumpet
1. Get an adult to help you with this step! Using the sharp knife carefully cut off the spout of the
soda bottle. You want the cut part of the bottle to match up to be slightly larger than the width of
the cardboard tube. This will be your mouthpiece.
2. Tape the mouthpiece to the cardboard tube as shown
3. Form the construction paper into a funnel shape. The smallest part of the
funnel should be able to fit over the non-mouthpiece end of the cardboard tube. Tape the
construction paper so that the funnel keeps its shape.
4. Tape the funnel to the tube
Retrieved from www.nyphilkids.org, Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
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The Kamancheh
The Kamancheh (KAH-mahn-chay) is a Persian (present-day Iran) stringed instrument. Actually,
it is a kind of bowed spike fiddle - meaning that it is a violin-like instrument that uses a long
narrow neck (the spike) and is played with a bow. Although it is sometimes called a Persian Cello,
it is closer in size to the Viola.
You will need:

A 2 1/2 - 3 foot cardboard tube with strong cardboard walls (1/8 inch thick or so)

Some fishing line - about 40-80 lb test - that is, stuff you would use for ocean fishing,
rather than in a pond or stream

A small block of wood - about 1 1/2 inches square and maybe an inch thick

A tuna fish or dog/cat food can
Procedure:
Have an adult cut three slits in each end of the tube using a sharp knife
Tie a knot in the end of the fishing line and slide the knot into the slit with the knot inside the tube
Put another knot in the fishing line and slide it into the slit on the other side of the tube
If the string is too tight or too loose you may need to tie a new knot to get it just right.
Repeat steps 2-4 for the other two strings
Slide the can (open side toward the cardboard) under the strings
Rotate the block of wood so that it is now upright
Slide the can/wood assembly along the tube until the strings are nice and tight
Retrieved from www.nyphilkids.org, Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
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Make A String Instrument
Have you ever wanted to play the violin or some other string instrument? In this activity, you can
make your very own string instrument using ordinary household items!
What You Need
1. Wire clothes hanger
2. Two pieces of string, each a few feet long
What You Do
1. Read about string instruments, particularly how they are built and how they produce
sound.
2. Make a string instrument using a wire clothes hanger and two lengths of nylon string. Tie
two ends of one string across the bottom part of the hanger (like in the picture). Tighten it
until the bottom wire bends up out of the way and tie it off so that it stays tight with your
hand and then "play" it by plucking it.
3. Take a second length of string about three feet long and tie one of it to something solid.
Pull the other end tight with your hand and then "play" it by plucking it.
4. Use your clothes hanger "bow" that you made and pull it across the string. Help students
note that the tighter the string is, the higher the note will be.
Retrieved from www.dsokids.com Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
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Rubber Band Guitar
Materials:
1. A BOX, either a cardboard one or preferably, a Styrofoam box. If you use a cardboard box, a
shoebox will do, but a small corrugated cardboard box (one with those little tiny spaces between
the sheets of cardboard) will work better.
2. RUBBER BANDS. You should try a variety of rubber bands to see which make the best sound.
In general, the thicker the better (since there is more stuff vibrating it should be louder), but if you
TOO thick a rubber band, it might collapse the box, especially with a shoebox.
3. A cardboard TUBE.
Procedure:
1. First, just stretch a rubber band, pull it and then let it go. It should vibrate quite visibly. Notice,
however, how quiet it is. That is because the only thing vibrating is that little piece of rubber.
2.Cut a hole in one of the sides of the box and insert the cardboard tube.
3. Take the rubber band and stretch it around the box so that it passes over the open top of the
box.
4. Pluck the rubber band and you should hear the sound as much louder, especially with a
corrugated cardboard or Styrofoam box. You should be able to feel the box vibrating when the
string vibrates.
5. Put more rubber bands on the box. Be careful, if you wrap TOO many rubber bands around it
might collapse and/or break the box.
6. To tune your rubber band box guitar, you can make the strings tighter or looser across the
open top. Take the rubber band at the side of the box and stretch it out and down to make it
tighter. When you put it back against the box, the rubber will have enough "grab" to hold on the
tuning for a while. Experiment with the other rubber bands to find a tuning you like.
Retrieved from www.nyphilkids.org, Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
15
Clay Pot Chimes
Teaching Objective
Students will gain understanding of how the size of an instrument affects the pitch of the sounds
produced by the instrument.
Resources

20 Clay flower pots, in a variety of sizes

5 wooden dowel rods approximately 18 inches in length

String or cord, scissors, tape measure, and wooden spoon
Teaching Sequence
1. Discuss how the size of each chime affects its pitch (high or low sounds).
2. Divide students into 5 groups, giving each group 4 different size flower pots.
3. Have each group of student cut four lengths of string, 30', 24', 18' and 12'.
4. Have students match pots and string from largest/longest to smallest/shortest.
5. They should then put one end of the string through the hole in the pot and knot the string
inside the pot so the pot hangs upside down from the string.
6. Next, have them tie the free end of the string around the wooden dowel rod with the pots
arranged from largest to smallest, left to right.
7. One student should hold the rod so the pots hang freely while another student strikes the
pots gently with the wooden spoon to produce sound.
Culminating Activity
Ask the students to describe how the difference in the size of the pots affects the pitch of the
sound they produce.
Evaluation
Do students demonstrate an understanding of how the size of an instrument affects the pitch of
its sound?
Retrieved from www.dsokids.com, Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
16
Coffee Can Drums
Teaching Objective
Students will gain an understanding of how drums produce sound by building and playing a
simple drum.
Resources

Large empty coffee can

Piece of heavy plastic trash bag

Ruler

Marker of chalk

Scissors

Large rubber band

Spoon or pencil
Teaching Sequence
1. Discuss with students how a drum is constructed and how it produces sound.
2. Have students measure the diameter of their can, then mark a circle two inches larger in
diameter on their piece of plastic with the marker or chalk.
3. Students then should cut out the circle of plastic and stretch it tightly over the top of the
can, securing it with the rubber band.
Culminating Activity
Ask students to play their drums using the spoon, pencil or their hands to strike the top of the
drum.
Evaluation
Do students demonstrate an understanding of how drums produce sound?
Retrieved from www.dsokids.com Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
17
Build Your Own Xylophone
Do you drive your teachers crazy at school by drumming on the desk with your pencils? Have you
ever wanted to be a drummer or a musician? If so, this activity is for you.
What You Need
1. Different lengths of PVC pipes
2. Two boards
3. String
4. A mallet or small hammer
What You Do
1. Create a xylophone by cutting PVC pipe into various lengths.
2. Place them side by side on a frame from the longest to shortest.
3. Cut two boards the appropriate length to accommodate all the pipes. These boards will
make a good supporting frame. The best sound will be achieved by allowing a little less
than a third of each pipe to extend off the frame. When you have the pipes the way that
you want, tie them on the frame with string.
4. You can tune your xylophone by cutting the pipes shorter for higher notes and leaving the
pipes longer for the lower ones.
5. Play the xylophone by striking the pipes with a mallet of some kind.
Retrieved from www.dsokids.com Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
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