Setting the score: music for better math skills - musical activities that enhance concepts of time and graphing methods - Idea Notebook

Instructor, March, 1994 by Beth Winson

Treat your intermediate and upper-elementary students to a musical activity that will sharpen their understanding of time, help them practice more complicated graphing skills, and encourage teamwork. In this activity, students will make a plan and use time to create, play, and analyze simple musical scores. Below is a section of a completed score for you to refer to as you read this activity. 1. Divide the class into groups of three or four students. Give each group two pieces of grid paper taped together along a short edge to make one long sheet. Have students draw one horizontal line along the grid paper to represent each student in the group. The lines should be separated by four boxes and should be connected on the left. Students should label the lines with group members' names.

2. Have students make up eight simple sounds to use in their scores: snaps, stomps, growls, howls, lalas, claps, and so forth. They should be able to sustain or repeat each sound for up to 20 seconds. Have students think of simple names for each sound.

3. Kids should work together to compose a piece-deciding who will make which sounds, when, in what order, and for how long. Give students the following stipulations:

* Each sound can last only 5, 10, 15, or 20 seconds.

* Students can repeat any sound in a piece.

* Each player must be silent for part of the piece.

* No player can be silent for more than 15 seconds at a time.

* The final piece should last exactly three minutes.

4. Students write their piece by coloring in rows of boxes on the grid paper. Each box will stand for five seconds of sound. Suggest that children use a different color for each sound or its duration, writing the name of the sound under the corresponding boxes.

5. To play their piece, each person reads the line beside his or her name, and makes the sound shown for the time indicated. Students will need to watch the second hand of the clock, and will probably need to practice a few times before they perform.

6. After students' scores are complete, have them draw vertical lines on the score at the one- and two-minute marks. Then have them use their scores to find the number of seconds all students play; the number of seconds each person plays and each person is silent; and the total amount of time it would take to play the score two, three, four, and five times.