Goals:

To hypothesize and then test their hypotheses related to amounts of water and musical sound.

To compose a “water” piece of their own in a cooperative group.

Content Areas:

Science - hypothesizing, volume, sound

Music - composing, listening, notating, performing

Language Arts - notating a musical piece in written form

Materials:

Various sizes and types of glasses

Water

Beaters for the glasses - could use a variety of things to achieve different sounds

Paper and pencils for notation

Recording of Handle's "Water Suite Music”

Procedure: (1 hour)

1) To begin this exercise, play a portion of Handel's “Water Suite Music.” This might be a good way to introduce this music lesson just to get students in the mood. Explain that today the students will create their own water music not with an orchestra, but simply with glasses and water.

2) Ask students to hypothesize about what would happen if you tapped on the edge of a glass with varying levels of water. Does the sound get higher or lower with more or less water? etc. Relate this to volume exercises done earlier to connect with science.

3) Give students time to experiment with glasses and water and test their initial guesses.

4) In small cooperative groups, have students compose their own “water” pieces. They may notate it in any way they like - encouraging contemporary notation.

5) Have students perform “water” pieces for the entire class.

Assessment:

Students will be evaluated based on their participation in the experimenting process. Their participation will be assessed through the Peer Evaluation of Group Work Rubric. Creation of a sound piece by each group will be the main tool for assessment. Criteria for success: All students should participate in the creation, notation, and performance of the piece. Each piece should incorporate glasses of water with various water levels to show evidence of experimentation. Require students to complete the Peer Evaluation of Group Work Rubric provided at the beginning of this unit.

Making Waves - written by Jennifer Cannistra, Jamie Hanna, Michael LeRoy, & Kim Mongoven

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