Submitted by Patricia Oeste, NBCT, Conway, Arkansas

Idea posted October 9, 2003

I just finished my math/science/music presentation as "keynote" speaker during lunch today. It was a really good presentation; I also managed to make it on the news tonight! Here is what I did:

1. "She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain": Counting by even then odd numbers. The audience even sang with us and had a chuckle over the difficulty of thinking by twos using odd numbers.
2. "Speckled Eggs" (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 4): Counting up to and back from 10.
3. "Did You Ever See A Circle?": Handing students a long piece of yarn and using the tune "Did You Ever See A Lassie?" you sing, "Did you ever see a circle, a circle, a circle? Did you ever see a circle, please show me one now! Oh Susan, Oh Andy, Oh Jamie, Oh Sarah! Did you ever see a circle, please show me one now!" etc. It was very funny watching the students try to create a hexagon with the yarn!
4. "I Spy A Shape": Using a downloadable shape sheet, we follow the song's directions of the same name in the Smart Songs, Vol. 1 recording, pointing to a circle, diamond, etc.
5. Musical Addition: Review note values. Using hundreds board begin at a number with your finger and add and subtract note/rest values.
6. Musical Spoons: An activity in independence and patterning. I created 10 different rhythmic patterns (one for each table and only one measure in length). Each table had a helper (a student) who helped them learn their rhythm. I added back-to-school words to help them get the rhythm right. (I will use this next week with the students, too, in an abbreviated format.) They then tapped their rhythm with a spoon on their glass, or used their utensils on the table, or whatever, when called upon to do so. I started with one table, added another, then another, then another. We played softer, louder, then gradually diminished and took out one group, then another, etc. until just the beginning group was playing. It was SO much fun. There were lots and lots of smiles and it sounded so cool to hear all of the different sounds they came up with layered restaurant-Orff style.
7. Musical Magic Square: Built on the idea of the magic square, but with musical values. A mathematical/musical puzzler I created.
8. Metric Equivalents: Explanation of how I try to get kids to understand metric better by estimating sizes of instruments in my classroom in metric units.
9. "12 Days Of Christmas:" Mathematical practice - how many gifts were there at the end?
10. Multicultural Mathematical Algorithms: We sang "Dahee Maatyaar" from India (Roots And Branches) and then discussed the Nikhilam Sutra from India. We also discussed lattice multiplication from Europe. They were very amazed at this, and I had to do several examples! I just love to include multicultural math when we study music of other countries. Kids are amazed that math can be approached in ways different than they learned.
11. "My Body Makes All Kinds Of Motion" sung to the tune "My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean": Discusses movements. The kids acted this out, and it was fun to see them jump, twirl, bend, whirl, etc.
12. "The Skeleton Dance" (from Cheryl Lavender's Moans, Groans & Skeleton Bones): A song (tune of "Dry Bones") that teaches the names of the bones of the body: The cranium's connected to the clavicle. The clavicle's connected to the sternum, etc.
13. "The Galaxy Rap"(from Schoolhouse Raps by Sally Albrecht): Great book! The song discussed the planets and characteristics of them.
14. Constellation Compositions: Activity for older kids. You discuss a constellation (name, story), then draw that constellation. Fit the staff to it. Make minor adjustments so that you have half tones, not quarter tones, add rhythm and play on recorder. We chose Perseus and it was BEAUTIFUL! We added Orff instruments and had a constellation composition of stellar beauty.
15. Physics of Sound: Using available water glasses, added water to make an octave scale. Played a song with the spoons hitting the glasses in the correct order.
16. Water Dance: A beautiful book with oil paintings based on the water cycle by Thomas Locker. In this book, the students followed the constant dance of water. Complimenting a poetic text and inspiring paintings are hundreds of fascinating scientific facts about water. After exploring different kinds of water events, students then composed a piece of music based on that specific water occurrence, painting a musical picture of that event.
17. "American Tears": We had to finish with this, a song that incorporates math (rhythm), science (sound), literature (text), history (American history), and stirs up emotion in the singer and listener. There was hardly a dry eye in the house.

I had many other ideas, but I hardly got to all of the above in the 50 allotted minutes. We got a standing ovation and they gave my kids lunch. It was awesome!