Musical Bag!

Ty’s One Man Band by Mildred Pitts Walter

• Brainstorm a list of answers to the following question: What is music?
• Read the story Ty’s One Man Band
• After reading talk about whether their idea of what music is has changed.
• Create a found symphony using objects found in the classroom, brought from home or from outside.
• Have students work in small groups to create a rhythm
• Have students work as a whole class to create a rhythm

Extra Activities
Musical Me!
Get a large piece of butcher paper and trace the outline of the students. Next turn on some music and fill in the outline of the body to make a musical you!

Matchbox Guitar
With a matchbox empty out the matches. Slid the box half way out of the container and glue into place or use a brad to hold in place. Cut out a bridge for the guitar out of lightweight cardboard or heavy weight cardstock. The bridge should be in the shape of a rectangle the length of the matchbox, with the upper edge slanting slightly down. Cut four notches in the top edge and glue bottom straight edge to top of matchbox towards the back half of guitar. Once dry place four rubber bands lengthwise across the box, rubber bands should have a little slack in them as not to pull to tight and collapse the box. Sometimes reinforcing the outside walls of the matchbox with help make it more rigid.

SHAKE<>
Use any container that has a lid or can be closed easily.
Fill container with beans, rice, beads, or any other small objects. Have students experiment with sounds based on volume in containers. What are the differences? Close the lid of container and shake away.

Rainstick
Make your own rain stick. Collect cardboard tubes all different sizes. Seal off one end of tube. Take nails and hammer them into the cardboard tube and then tape over the top of the nails to assure that they don’t put back out. You can decorate the outside of rain stick with glue and tissues paper. Once dry drop beans, rice, pennies, toothpicks, nails, beads or any other small items into the open end of the container. Seal the other end of the tube. Have students go one at a time to hear the variations in the different sticks.
Extension: Write a poem or short story from this prompt- “I up ended up rain stick and…”

Sound Journal
Make a blank journal, you can use the template from the bag or make your own type of journal. Talk to the sounds about their own soundscapes, the noises they hear around them. As a group, take a moment in silence to listen to the noises they hear. Make list poem of the sounds they reflect on. Hand out the journals, and have them write or draw about the noises they hear in different parts of their day. They can take it home and reflect. Ask for a volunteer to share one of their entries.

MOVE>SHAKE>JUMP
Each student needs a scarf or ribbon. Standing in a circle or around their desks, have students take turns calling out directions, “Move high, move low, fast, slow, small or tall, etc.” Put on some music to have them make their own creative movements to the music.


Booklist
Mole Music by David McPhail ISBN 0805028196
Once Upon an Ordinary School Day by Colin McNaughton ISBN 978037435647
101 Music Games for Children: Fun and Learning with Rhythm and Song by Jerry Storms ISBN 0897931645