The string family 

Christina Rausch
Rausch2@comcast.net
North Elementary, Somerset MA

TI:ME Technology Areas Addressed:

Internet

Level:

Elementary

Class:

General Music

Equipment:

Computer with internet access

Duration:

15 Minutes

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

This lesson plan was written for grade 4 students to use as a review of information taught the previous year. Grade 4 students are offered string lessons in Somerset. This lesson is a quick review taught in the beginning of the year just prior to the instrumental demonstrations.

NAfME Standards of 1994 Addressed:

NAfME Standards of 1994: Listening to, analyzing and describing music.

NAfME 2014: Responding 

Materials:

Internet access
“The String Family” Worksheet (pdf)

Objectives:

Students will use the web site www.playmusic.org/string/index.html to answer questions about the string family and hear listening examples.

Procedures:

1. Review with the students the instruments of the orchestra,and the families of instruments.

2. Discuss with the students that they will have an opportunity to play a string instrument this year. Instrumental teachers will be coming to the next class to go over this in detail.

3. Give students a homework assignment to review the instruments in the string family.

4. Handout worksheet and go over the questions

5. Show the students the web page on the classroom computer and briefly explain where to find the answers.

6. Give the assignment as homework due the next class. The web address will be given along with an explaination of the assignment in the weekly parent newsletter or can be found on the school web site.

Evaluation:

The assessment will be to check student responses on the worksheet. The goal is refresh students memory about the string family and to get them thinking about which one they might like to play.

Follow Up:

This web site can be used to learn about other families of instruments at a later date.