From Serendip
II&T Workshop
Student Projects
Making A Musical
Education
Project by Joel Price
This website is designed to help bridge a common gap in elementary
(and subsequent) education; the gap between
what is taught as a "formal" education and what is taught in music. In
particular, this site will focus on
helping elementary teachers design an integrative, practical, and fun way
to include music in their classroom
practices. I hope this webpage provides a way for interested people to
both take ideas and to leave ideas for
ways to better use music in the classroom.
Traditionally, music education has been separated from the "core"
subjects, such as language arts, math,
science, and social studies, much in the same way art and physical
education have been
separated. In this age of constructive, crossover curriculum, it is
surprising that music, art, and
physical education have not been included in cross-curricular development.
Music connects very closely
with all of the core subjects mentioned above, and particularly with
lanugage arts, math, and social studies
at an elementary level.
Music and language arts share a similarity in language. In both we
find particular structures that are used
in the construction of each. An example would be a poem with A, B, A, B,
A, C, A construction. A poem of this
structure is very closely related to a traditional song form; chorus,
verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus.
Lyrics to songs are often considered poetry set to song. Surely there are
a plentitude of ways to connect music to
language arts. I have written a mini-lesson
which can be used as an example for how one might use music in the classroom.
Music and math are interrelated in that music is based on a strictly
mathematical system of construction. Music
can be used to teach addition and division of fractions. Each measure of
music must contain a set number of beats,
though the number of allowable beats per measure is determined by the time
signature. Melodies are usually
comprised of a multiple of 4 number of measures of music, usually 8, 12, or
16 in traditional Western music.
Music is an integral part of most, if not all, groups of people. It is
one of the longest lasting traditions
that is passed from generation to generation. The lineage of jazz, for
example, is a fascinating and complex
set of roots to follow with a multitude of connections to other areas of
the social sciences.
Links:
Children's Music Web
Music Education Online
Go to Joel's homepage.
Email me!