SoundLab Episode 1: Feel the Sound

Learning Objectives

Students will…

• Demonstrate understanding of energy transfer as it relates to playing a musical instrument
• Demonstrate understanding of soundwave production
• Apply the concept of soundwave production to create sounds from found objects
• Identify and categorize music and sounds based on personal reactions, feelings, and emotions
• Create a musical track to elicit a chosen emotion
• Make inferences about intent and meaning in select musical compositions

Activities

All activities are presented in Google Slides.

• Activity 1: Energy [STEAM] – Students explore the energy required to play a musical instrument, including an in depth look at energy transfer. Then, Chrome Music Lab’s Sound Wave allows students to see sound energy at work. Questions integrated throughout the Google Slides deck evaluate students’ understanding.

• Activity 2: Digital Sound Book [Music, SEL, STEAM] – Students explore the emotional power of sound and find sounds to convey an emotion of their choice. Then, using Flipgrid they will perform their found sounds and attempt to guess their classmates’ emotional intention. Students are challenged to describe how they created sound, applying the vocabulary and concepts learned in Activity 1. The Google Slides deck includes a link to a pre-made Flipgrid topic and an option for students to participate without Flipgrid.

• Activity 3: Mixtape [Music, SEL] – Using Soundtrap or a similar program, students create a short composition to elicit an emotion using found sounds. Students can incorporate the sounds used in Activity 2 or start anew. After students have submitted their compositions, their tracks can be compiled into a collaborative class “mixtape.” Complimentary Soundtrap accounts for educators may be available through Breach.

• Activity 4: Mozart’s Mystery [Music, SEL] – Searching for musical clues in Eine kleine Nachtmusik, students will speculate why Mozart wrote this famous serenade and record their answer in writing or via Flipgrid.

• Activity 5: Finding Emotions in Music [Music, SEL] – After listening to Philip Glass’s String Quartet No. 3, student will explore how it makes them feel and why it elicits that emotion.

Vocabulary

• Energy
• Kinetic energy
• Mechanical energy
• Serenade
• Sound energy
• Soundwave
• String quartet
• Vibration