In this lesson, students learned the fundamentals of counting and playing music. Some students even had the courage to perform!
Materials
Cardboard tube (old toilet paper roll or paper towel roll)
Wax paper
Aluminum foil
Saran wrap
Paper
Rubber band
Object to poke holes
Paint or other art supplies to decorate your kazoo
Things to Consider
Try varying the length of the kazoo using different-sized tubes. Do they sound the same or different?
Poke more holes in the sides of your kazoo. Does covering the holes change the sounds you make?
Try changing the material you cover your tube with (saran wrap or aluminum foil for instance.) Do any other materials work better? Why or why not?
Steps
Cover the end of your cardboard tube with the various papers
Secure it with a rubber band
Poke a hole(s) in the tube using a sharp pencil or another sharp object
Put the open end of the tube up to your mouth and hum or say “do” over and over to make the kazoo sound
Paint/color kazoo
Critical Thinking Questions
What do you hear? How are the sounds being made? Do the sounds change when you hum different tunes?
Encourage them to “play” songs they know and ask about their connection with the song before and after being able to play it.
Some of my students took turns singing, playing, and beat-boxing to perform songs!
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