Activity 1: Experimenting with Pitch

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Time frame: 45 minutes

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Lesson overview: Students will experience and demonstrate different pitches and sounds by experimenting with classroom objects to create their own.

 

Watch the Elements of Music: Pitch.

 

After watching the video, discuss the concept of pitch with your peers.

 

Brainstorm different pitches of sound that you can hear in the environment around you.

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Draw two circles - one for high pitched sounds, and one for low pitched sounds.

 

Write different ideas to this brainstorm.

Examples of high pitch: School bell, whistle, squeak of a mouse, sirens, or a bird chirping.

Examples of low pitch: Thunder, a lion's roar, bass guitar, dropping a bowling ball.

 

Experiment with different objects and surfaces to create their own different sounds involving high and low pitches. Use objects such as pencils, rulers, thick books, erasers, whiteboard markers etc. to create sounds through different ways such as scraping, hitting, tapping etc. As you create different sounds, record these in the brainstorm circles depending on whether they believe it is a low pitched or high pitched sound.

 

Mention what objects were used and how they were played to make the sound.

 

After you have had time to experiment with different objects, go to SeeSaw and write a message for Mr. Kant telling him about some high and low pitched sounds you made. Take photos to  show  me howthe sounds were made and discuss how you  know if the sounds were high or low pitched.