This STEAM lesson is for K-2 students and focuses on ordering objects of various sizes. This composing order lesson provides students with an opportunity to use sound duration in music as a pathway to creating a composition using these objects.
Ask students how they might make a long sound. Then, ask how they might make a short sound. How about a medium sound? How do they know that a sound is longer or shorter? (Teacher note: they hold the sound for different periods of time)
Using a t-chart, create 3 columns: Long (half note = 2 beats), Medium (quarter note = 1 beat), and Short (eighth note = half-beat). Then, ask students where they would put their sounds they just brainstormed. Write each sound in the corresponding place in the chart.
Time required
30-45 minutesMaterials
- Various sized objects, shapes or manipulatives
- Chart paper or board
- Markers or chalk
- Selection of instruments (optional) to perform the sound durations
Lesson Process
Step 1: Explore a variety of pre-selected different sized objects. These could be shapes, blocks, or other manipulatives. Above the previous columns, write Big above the word Long, Medium above the word Medium, and Small above the word Short.
Step 2: Ask students which columns they would place each object into – Big/Long, Medium/Medium or Small/Short. Why?
Step 3: Create a series of object order phrases. Each phrase is 8 beats long. The big objects are worth two beats. The medium objects are worth 1 beat. The small objects are worth a half-beat. (Teacher note: if working with kindergartners, do not use the beat terminology. Just see if students can create a sentence with big, medium and small objects)
Step 4: Select a sound for each object chosen in the order selected.
Assessment
Checklist
- Did the student place the object/ sound in the correct category?
- Could the student create a composition ordering sounds in three different durations?
- Could the student accurately compare two or more sound durations?
