Friday, September 4, 2015

Inquiry based learning - exploring sound and music

"Mom, is this guitar and drum that I hear in the background of this song?". This was the inquiry made by my son while listening to the children's music cd when driving home. We might have heard the same songs over and over a hundred times by now and I found interesting that he has started really listening to the instruments. I made a mental note to observe if his curiosity persists and it did. So, we have started our inquiry and exploration of sounds, music and instruments. More than music or the theory behind, Sid and Nidhi are particularly fascinated by the sounds of musical instruments.
So, we started by watching a couple of animated videos that introduces various instruments and their names. They were so excited to share the newly learnt musical instrument names with their visiting aunt and uncle the same night.
Then started the pretend play where they posed themselves as violin, flute ,drum and occasionally reeling me in as the mother flute.
I picked up a few books from library on the topic of orchestra. Here is the list of books we have read so far.
Tubby the tuba by Paul Tripp- a classic book for 60 years
Crash bang donkey
Mole music
Tuba lessons
Animal Orchestra

They also watched a boston civic symphony rendition of Tubby the Tuba on YouTube. This is when they got to see real live action of an orchestra.
Then we spent a couple of days exploring diy guitars and kazoos. They enjoyed presenting their own concerts with their own instruments.


Till now, we have learnt to identify the following instruments and their sounds
Violin, flute, cello, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, drum, cymbal, xylophone, piano, piccolo, trumpet, trombone, French horn and tuba.

As with any inquiry based learning approach I have my anticipatory web of learning which includes
1. Introducing musical instruments and their sounds
2. Instrument families - string, wood winds, percussion and brass
3. Keywords and definitions such as melody, rhythm, orchestra, conductor, note, tone, pitch etc.
4. Learning about renowned musicians and composers like Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven.
5. Exploring and modeling diy instruments such as guitar, panpipes, water xylophone
6. Introducing East Indian music and instruments.

I have also planned a couple of montessori inspired activities to keep the interest alive a while longer.
1. Found a sound bingo game online which I am excited to play with them
2. Matching musical instrument models to nomenclature cards.



Coincidently, our local library has a music event " well tempered flutes",a choir of seven flutes which might be a fine experience pertaining to our topic.

I am excited, not just for my kids but for myself. How much we learn when we really listen to our innocent inquiry of our kids!!

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