Junkie Jams

Facilitators: Katie Zehetner, Kim Beech, and Anna Sumrall

Mission Statement
We hope students will be able to find music in noise and using nontraditional means. Students should be aware that feelings and emotion is a part of music and how music is created.

Philosophy
Music is the core of the world. It is how people everywhere express their feelings, thoughts, and needs. Think of a world with no music and there is no sound. Music can be found in any sound. Music may be a drum or a barrel. We believe that music is powerful no matter where it is. Music has been around since the beginning of time. It is as important now as it was then; however, it is constantly changing as we discover new ways to produce music.

Dispositions
• We want students to be more respectful of differing musical styles.
• We want students to use their creativity to produce a musical instrument that represents them.
• We want students to know that not all music is made from instruments.
• We want students to be aware that sounds affect them.

Guiding Questions:
• Does closing your eyes make you hear and understand music better?
• How can music be more than just musical instruments?
• What type of music can you relate to the most?
• Music tells stories. If you could pick a song to describe your story what would it be and why?
• Different types of instruments make different sounds. Some instruments are more dominant in a song than others? Pick an instrument and tell what kind of mood/feeling it belongs to, how it makes you feel?

Focusing Questions
Core
• What is music?
• Why is music important?
• Where is music found?
• Is it necessary for all music to have words?

Connections
• In what ways are sounds apart of your everyday life?
• How might music help you learn?
• There is hardly a day that goes by that we don’t hear some form of music. Compose a list of ways you hear music? (commercials, radio, etc)
• Who can make music?

Practice
• Why should we continue to create new musical sounds and ideas?
• Why are different instruments important to the musical field?
• What job/ occupation might need a background in music?

Identity
• How do certain sounds affect the way you feel?
• How is music important to you?
• How does music/sound change your mood?

Generalizations
• We want students to be able to identify different sounds.
• We want students to assess their likes and dislikes of different music/sounds.
• We want students to be able to make music with any objects.

Learning Experiences

Engagement Activity
As the students enter, they will be given rhythm sticks. The teachers will create beats/rhythms that the students have to mimic. There will also be rhythm games available on the computers for the students to try. http://beaterator.rockstargames.com/beaterator.html
http://armorgames.com/play/1393/minidrumpro
http://armorgames.com/play/1363/music-stomp

Introduction
The module will begin Using U Tube STOMP video clips. While the students watch the clips, we will explain the history of STOMP. We will discuss the origin and evolution of this performance style. The students will get to watch how the performers use everyday objects to create interesting beats and rhythms.

Guessing Game
The teachers will Use ordinary objects (grocery bags, tin plate, newspaper, jingling keys, aluminum foil, etc.) to create noises. The students will face away from the teachers and guess what object/objects may make the sound. The students will write down the guessed object. At the end of the module, the teachers will do the activity again to see if the students have become more aware of sounds. The students will look at and reevaluate their previous answers. This will be used as pre and post assessment.

Sound Scavenger Hunt
The students will search the building/grounds to find items that would make a __________ sound (ex. Find items that create a crunchy sound; find items that create a scratchy sound; find a sound that makes you move faster; find a sound that makes you move slower; find a sound that makes you feel happy; find a loud sound; find a soft sound; etc.)

Junkie Jammer
Using household objects, the students will create an instrument to use in a STOMP-like performance. The students will be provided with “junk” (pie plates, empty paint cans, match boxes, milk jugs, brooms, etc.). The students will choose objects or combine objects to create an instrument to use during a rhythmic performance. The students may decorate or transform their objects as they please.

Writing activity
The students will write in their journal to reflect on their experiences thus far. “Consider the instrument made. What type of mood does it put you in? Write a song in which you would use the instrument.”

Soundtrack
The teacher will read a story. The teacher will pause throughout the story, giving the students an opportunity to Use objects to create rhythms and/or sound effects to go with the story read by the teacher.

Feel the Music
The teachers will play different types of music using the computer. The class will listen to the different pieces of music and discuss how it makes them feel. (Does it make you excited? Does it make you sad? Does it make you move faster? Does it make you move slower?)

Musical Rondo
The students will move into groups. The teachers will assign each group a particular type of weather (sunny, snowy, rainy, and stormy). The students will Use objects to create patterns/rhythm to represent their certain type of weather. The students will present their sounds to the class. The class will discuss why this music/sound fits with the type of weather assigned.

Culminating Activity
Create a Stomp-like performance for culminating activity. Using the created instruments, the students will work together to create their own version of STOMP to perform for their parents.