Lesson ideas
I have used this lesson between the Orchestra Instruments unit (5th / 6th graders) and the Invented Instruments unit.
- Ethnomusicology = the study of world music
- Explain that they just finished reviewing 4 families of the orchestra, and that ethnomusicologists have categorized the world’s instruments into families, which are similar, but not the same.
- Display pictures of instruments from around the world. As they think through what some of the instruments have in common, guide them to put them into categories based on what vibrates on each instrument.
- Introduce the ethnomusicology terms:
- aerophones = air vibrates
- chordophones = strings vibrate
- membranophones = stretched skin vibrates
- idiophones = solid material vibrates
- electrophones = electronics
- When the students build their own instruments, tell them to inform you what category/ies their instruments fit into. (I don’t require them to memorize these terms.)
Posters, Visuals, Handout, Worksheet / Assessment
(See downloads at bottom of page.)
1
2
PowerPoint
(See downloads at bottom of page.)
5 slides
YouTube
- Printable & Digital Visuals, Ethnomusicology Categories Handout, Identify Ethnomusicology Categories Worksheet / Assessment
- Instrument Alphabet
I am sure I did this lesson many years ago in a different school, and I loved it, and now I’m trying to find it again for my new school and I can’t find it anywhere! Resources on the internet are scarce and of poor quality. Where can I find this lesson??? Do I have to buy a whole membership? I thought I got it on TPT before, but I don’t see it there now.
Hi Rhoda! Yes, I have always liked this lesson! There aren’t many more lesson ideas in the PDF – just all of the printables. I don’t sell all of the resources on my site individually (that would be overwhelming!). Instead, everything is downloadable with one price. Let me know if you have any questions. 🙂