Mar. 12, 2008: How Did Music Begin?

The Mini Page is a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children found each Wednesday in the Rocky Mountain News. This issue of The Mini Page is available through the eEdition Archive to registered eEdition subscribers. Click here to learn about subscribing to the eEdition at no cost to you (for Colorado teachers).

Activities:

1. Create a "Mad About Music" poster for your room. Paste newspaper words and pictures about music on a large piece of paper. Draw pictures of your favorite instruments on your poster.

2. Put together a comic strip "band." Paste five comic strip characters on a piece of paper. Now draw a musical instrument in each character's hand. Give your band a name.

3. Find these examples of musical performances in your newspaper: (a) a solo performance, (b) a small instrumental group, (c) a small vocal group, and (d) a large music group.

4. Look in the classified ads section of your newspaper for instruments for sale. Circle string instruments in red, wind instruments in blue, and percussion instruments in green. Put a star next to the instrument you would like to learn to play.

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about an instrumental musician. Use these questions to guide your research:

• What is the instrument?
• Who became famous for playing the instrument?
• When did the musician live?
• What was special about the musician?
• How did the musician increase the popularity of the instrument?
  

Write a paragraph about the musician and the instrument.
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This week's standards:

• Students understand music in relation to history and culture. (Music)
• Students use appropriate terminology in explaining music, music instruments and voices, and music performances. (Music)
  
  

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)