I've seen Prometean Planet used for group work as well as individual and whole class instruction. Teachers allow their students to use it for play and work.
I really like that this program allows students to hear the different sounds that instruments make even though they may not have access to some of them. This program comes with ideas to help further learning such as creating an instrument. I would use this program to show students the wide variety of instruments. If an instrument is mentioned in our reading, I can show my students exactly how that particular instrument sounds and looks.
(SOURCE: http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/resources/themes/music.aspx#.VPPVvPnF8Yk)
Introduce the various instruments. There are different
families of instruments that make up an orchestra. Introduce students to these instruments and the sounds they make. As a follow up activity, record the sounds the instruments make and have students identify which instrument made what sound. If you have LRS devices, like ActiVote or ActivExpression, this is a perfect opportunity to gather instant feedback from the class.
Create an instrument. After students have an understanding of the components that make up an instrument and how
sound travels, challenge students to construct an instrument of their own using what they have learned. This can be done as an in class or at home project.
Additional Tip: Divide students into groups and assign each student a type of instrument (woodwind, string, brass..etc.). Once the groups are arranged, encourage each group to compose their own piece of music to perform.
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