A Geometric Song: Patterns in Math and Music

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson students will explore the connections between mathematics and music as they write poetry, construct graphs, improvise songs and build geometric structures. They will create rhythm instruments using varied recycled materials to accompany the songs they create. Students will create and share class presentations.

Length of Lesson:

Six 45-minute periods

Notes:

This lesson is particularly suited to grades 3-4.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• Compose a class cinquain poem
• Compose a class song
• Play rhythm patterns to accompany songs
• Create bar graphs
• Use blocks to represent poetry patterns
• Work in collaborative groups to write a cinquain poem
• Work in collaborative groups to compose a song
• Work in collaborative groups to create instruments using assorted materials
• Play instruments to accompany songs using rhythmic patterns
• Create an oral class presentation
• Respond to writing prompts
• Participate in whole-class discussion

Supplies:

• Individual copies of the "Dalmatian Cinquain Graphic Organizer" for each student. These may be downloaded at the Read.Write.Think. website at Read.Write.Think Cinquain Poetry organizers. (Scroll to example 3.)
• Individual copies of the "Cinquain Graphic Organizer" for each small group of students. These may be downloaded at the Read.Write.Think. website at Read.Write.Think Cinquain Poetry organizers. (Scroll to example 12.)
• Computer with Internet access
• Wood or plastic blocks
• Drawing paper
• Graph paper
• Paint, pens, markers, crayons, colored pencils
• Sticky notes cut into small one inch strips
• An assortment of recycled materials such as milk cartons, small plastic or glass jars, and plastic water bottles
• Beans, pasta shells, rice, beads, buttons, trinkets, etc. to make varied rhythmic instruments
• Writing journal
• Materials to create a rhythm instrument An assortment of recycled materials such as milk cartons, small plastic or glass jars, and plastic water bottles, beans, pasta shells, rice, beads, buttons, trinkets
• Graph paper

Instructional Plan:

1. Tell the students that they are going to create a class cinquain poem. To introduce cinquain poems to the class, visit the following website that introduces cinquain poetry by providing examples of cinquain poems and cinquain poetry graphic organizers at Read.Write.Think Cinquain Poetry organizers.
   
   
2. Scroll down the page to example number 3 and click on the link to the "Dalmatian Cinquain Graphic Organizer." Hand out a copy of this organizer to each student. Read aloud as a class the cinquain poem about the Dalmatian, which is at the top of the page. After you are finished, read each part of the organizer aloud to the students to show them how one constructs a cinquain poem. Emphasize the cinquain pattern, which consists of the following components:
   
   • One word in the first line, which is the subject of the poem
   • Two words that describe the subject in the second line
   • Three action words ending in "ing" in the third line of the poem (These describe something that the subject does.)
   • A phrase that describes additional information about the subject in the fourth line
   • One or two words that rename the subject in the final line of the poem
   
   
3. Create a class cinquain poem so that students will understand the poem structure and how to create a poem. Write the word "Puppy" on a piece of chart paper. Post the paper so the class can view it. Ask the students to brainstorm descriptions of a puppy. Record students' responses on the chart paper. Use the ideas that the students have generated to create a class cinquain poem entitled "Puppies." Tell the students to follow each step on the organizer as you create the class poem. Ask the students for suggestions for each line of the poem. After you have written each line, have each student record it in the correct line on his or her graphic organizer. Review the students' work to ensure that everyone understands how to create a cinquain poem.
   
   
4. As a class, create a song based on this poem. You can choose to sing to a familiar melody such "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" for your song, or you can invite your students to suggest an original melody. When you have chosen a melody, have the class sing the song together. Ask the students to clap out the rhythm of the song as they sing.
   
   
5. Tell the students that they are going to create a bar graph to represent the pattern of the cinquain poem entitled "Puppies" that the class has created. Post the class cinquain poem entitled "Puppies." Tell the students to create a bar graph based on this poem. Distribute graph paper to the class.
   
   You can decide how much support and structure your students need to construct the bar graph.
   
   If you need to assist your students, use the information in the paragraphs below.
   
   Tell the students that a bar graph consists of an axis and a series of labeled horizontal or vertical bars that show different values for each bar, and that the numbers along a side of the bar graph are called the scale. First, you must draw an "x" and a "y" axis. Then you have to supply a value for each bar. This is the number of words in each line of the poem. Write the numbers from 1 to 10 on the "y" axis. Write the words "Line 1," "Line 2," "Line 3," "Line 4," and "Line 5" along the horizontal ("x") axis of your graph. You should have five spaces on your bar graph's horizontal axis representing each line of the poem. Count the number of words in each line, and create the graph by drawing a bar that represents the appropriate number on the vertical ("y") axis. If you would like more information about bar graphs, you may wish to visit the following website that contains examples that you can show your students:
   
   Bar Graphs
   
   You can also choose to have the students take the interactive bar graph quiz at Bar Graph Quiz to assess their understanding of the meaning of a bar graph.
   
   Teacher Note: If the students have more experience with creating graphs, you may choose to have them complete the interactive bar graphs at either of the following websites:
   
   • Illuminations: Bar Grapher (Click on the "my data" option.)
   • NCES Kids Zone: Create a Graph Classic
   
   
6. Divide the class into small groups consisting of three or four students. Tell the students that they are going to choose a topic and then write a group cinquain poem. You can suggest topics to the students, such as "animals," "friends," "nature," "heroes," or "sports," or you may have them select a topic of their own choice. Give each group a copy of the "Cinquain Graphic Organizer" to use to construct its poem. Invite each group to share its cinquain poem with the entire class.
   
   
7. After the poems are completed, tell the students that they are going to create a geometric representation using blocks to represent the pattern of a cinquain poem. Have the students write each individual word of the poem on sticky notes, and paste the notes on blocks they have set up in a cinquain pattern. Tell the students to cut the sticky notes into strips of three pieces so that they can be easily taped to the blocks. You can also do the cutting in advance for the students. Ask each group to share its creation with the entire class and briefly explain how they completed the task.
   
   
8. After the students have finished constructing their representations of the cinquain pattern, tell them that they are going to improvise an original song based on the cinquain poem that they have written. Give the students the option of creating a song that follows a familiar melody, or of creating an original melody for their song.
   
   
9. Provide students with an assortment of materials and ask them to create rhythm instruments to accompany their original songs. You can give the students milk cartons, small plastic or glass jars, plastic water bottles, beans, pasta, small beads, pebbles, or trinkets to use to construct their instruments.
   
   The goal of this activity is to encourage students to experiment with different sounds and materials. Tell the students that there are many different ways that they can construct rhythm instruments. The following is a list of suggestions you can share with your students:
   
   • Fill the jars with beans, beads, buttons and pasta and shake them. See if you like the sounds they make. Experiment by adding and subtracting different materials until you find the sound you like.
   • Fill a milk carton, a plastic jug, and a glass jar with beans. Listen to the different sounds they make when you shake them. Experiment by adding and subtracting different materials until you find the sound you like.
   • Cut the tops off of the plastic containers and see if it changes the sounds of the beans, pasta, buttons and beads you have filled them with. Experiment by adding and subtracting different materials until you find the sound you like.
   • Cut the containers into different shapes and see if it changes the sounds of the beans, pasta, buttons and beads you have filled them with. Experiment by adding and subtracting different materials until you find the sound you like.
   
   Teacher Note: You can give your students the suggestions above, but you can also give them the choice of how to figure out how to construct their instruments. The students may have original ideas that are not included in the list. It is important to encourage their creative input.
   
   
   
10. Have each group share its song with the entire class. Ask the group to explain how they chose the theme of the poem, how they converted their poem to a song, and how they constructed their instruments.

• What did you learn about music in this activity?
• What did you learn about poetry in this activity?
• What did you learn about math in this activity?
• Name the different ways you represented cinquain poetry.

• Music and math have patterns.
• Music, math and words have patterns.
• You can use math to show patterns in music.
• You can use math to show patterns in language.
• Music and words are connected.
• You can change a poem to a song.
• You can change a song to a poem.
• There are patterns is science and social studies as well as math, music and language.
• It is important to think about how different subjects are connected.
• It is important to think about patterns in the every day natural world.

Assessment:

Use the following rubrics to assess students' work:

• "Whole-Class Activities Rubric" (to assess students' participation in the lesson's whole-class activities.)
• "Bar Graph Assessment Rubric"
• "Small Group Assessment Rubric"

Extensions:

Tree Cinquain Poetry

1. Divide the class into four small groups. Tell your students that they are going to create original cinquain poems about different aspects of trees. Ask the first group to focus on the scientific description of trees through varied seasons. Ask the second group to focus on the colors of trees. Ask the third group to focus on the function of trees. Ask the fourth group to focus on the number of leaves and branches on trees.
   
   
2. Ask the students to share their poems with their classmates. Lead a class discussion based on how poems can express meaning in varied ways.
   
   
3. Invite students to convert their poems to songs.

• Read.Write.Think Cinquain Poetry organizers
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Illuminations (Click on the "my data" option.)
• NCES Kids Zone: Create a Graph Classic
• Yahooligans Carolyn's Unit on Graphing
• Yahooligans Tables & Graphs

Authors:

• Maureen Carroll
  Bay Breeze Educational Resources, Inc.
  Pleasanton, CA