The Human Translations of Sound

An embodied learning activity involving music!

Subject Area: Music, Drawing and Dance

Duration: 60 minutes

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1. Objectives - Key Questions

● By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify basic elements of percussion music theory, creatively interpret and express musical segments through playing, drawing, and movement, and discuss how these interpretations reflect their understanding of the music.

2. Materials and Resources

● Paper Sheets

● Sketch Pens

● Audio playback equipment

● Space for movement activities

● Projector or speaker for playing music

● Percussion instruments equal to number of students

3. Introductory Activity

● Objective: Introduce the concept of music theory in a fun and engaging way.

● Description of Activity:

● Play a short snippet of a familiar song or rhythm and ask students to clap along.

● Discuss with the class what they noticed about the rhythm and how they were able to clap along.

● Duration: 5 minutes

● Materials Needed: Audio playback equipment, speaker

4. Activity and Experience (Main Lesson)

● Objective: Engage participants in a multi-sensory exploration of a musical piece to deepen their understanding of music theory.

● Scaffolding and Preparation:

● Passing Out Materials: Distribute percussion instruments and art supplies as participants settle in.

● Assigning Groups: Divide participants into small groups based on the segments of audio they will work on.

● Lesson Explanation: Explain that each group will listen, play, draw, and physically interpret their segment of the audio piece. Emphasize the connection between the physical activities and the music theory concepts.

● Activity Steps:

• Listening to the assigned segment of music.

• Discussion within groups to analyse the music.

• Each group plays their segment on percussion instruments.

• Participants draw their interpretation of the segment.

• Physical embodiment of the music through dance or movement.

Supervision Tips: Circulate among the groups to ensure active participation and to help facilitate discussions and interpretations. Encourage creativity in their drawings and physical expressions.

● Duration: ~40 minutes

● Materials Needed: percussion instruments, paper sheets, sketch pens

5. Closing Activity

● Objective: Reinforce learning and allow students to reflect on their understanding of music theory.

● Description of Activity:

● Play a different short piece of music and ask students to identify basic elements they learned about during the lesson (e.g., rhythm, beat, tempo).

● Have students share one thing they enjoyed or learned during the lesson.

● Duration: 5 minutes

● Materials Needed: Audio playback equipment, speaker

6. Exit Ticket

● Objective: Assess students' understanding of the basic concepts covered in the lesson.

● Provide each student with a small slip of paper.

● Ask students to write down one drum/percussion sound they learned or came up with during the lesson.

● Collect the slips of paper and recreate the sound as students leave the class.

● Sample: "Write down one drum or percussion sound you learned or discovered during today's lesson. Describe it briefly, including any unique characteristics or rhythms you noticed. Feel free to get creative!"

Differentiation Strategies

● Adaptations and accommodations for different students could include stressing on visual learning (employing diagrams for understanding rhythm better) or auditory learning (playing/singing/speaking out the rhythm) or extension of time for some students or flexible grouping.