INTEGRATED PROJECT OF PHYSICS, GERMAN LANGUAGE,

TECHNOLOGIES AND MUSIC

OF SIMONAS DACHAS SECONDARY SCHOOL IN KLAIPĖDA.

THE SOUND AND SIMPLE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. THE USE

Project participants – teachers:

Virginija Birenienė, a physics teacher-methodologist, senior teacher of German language,

Aurelija Maldutienė, a senior teacher of music,

Saulius Kavaliūnas, a senior teacher of technologies.

Project participants – pupils from 7 u class.

Project objectives:

· Project should broaden the outlook of pupils.

· Pupils should get a lot of positive emotions.

· Pupils should have opportunities to employ their knowledge of one subject when learning the other subject.

· Pupils should learn names of a variety of instruments in German.

· Pupils should learn a lot of notions of physics in German.

· When using a manual in German and following the instructions provided in it, pupils should learn to manufacture a number of simplest musical instruments.

· Pupils should learn the physical basics of sound.

· When constructing musical instruments, pupils should employ their knowledge in physics of the sound.

· When playing the self-made instruments, pupils should develop their musical thinking, perfect ear, bring up emotions, and learn the improvising.

· Pupils should learn to obtain sounds from self-made instruments.

· Pupils should learn to perform simple melodies by playing self-made instruments.

· Pupils should learn to work in orderly and accurately manner and use various tools for processing of wood and metal.

· They should share their experience with pupils of other classes.

Stages of the project

German stage. Manuals “Natur und Technik fur 5/6” were distributed to the pupils. They examined the instructions provided in this manual during lessons of German language and learned to manufacture simple musical instruments. The pupils have been working in 3 groups: wind instruments, percussion instruments and stringed instruments. They shared the learned information with other groups. At this stage, the pupils have learned notions “Zupfinstrumente”, “Blasinstrumente”, “Schlaginstrumente”, names of the instruments and sound-related notions in German, and made collages.

Physical stage. The pupils got the educational aids from the Red Trunk and subsequently during 2 lessons of physics they learned by using the aids to recognise various sounds, that sound is produced by a vibrating body, why sounds may be high and low, have been learning to manufacture xylophone and monochord, learned how to strengthen or weaken the sound, how functions a stethoscope, in what media may spread the sound. The pupils employed their acquired knowledge when manufacturing instruments.

Technological stage. Tools and material were distributed to the pupils in lessons of technologies. The pupils and teacher discussed projects of musical instruments and various ideas. Instruments of ecological materials have been manufactured during 4 lessons. The pupils learned to correctly hold the tools, acquired skills of using tools for processing of wood. When performing operations of sawing, drilling, polishing, assembling, varnishing, they were developing creativeness, attention to quality, aesthetical sense, seeking harmony, wholeness, beauty, balance of work and usefulness.

Musical stage. During lessons of music, the pupils learned to tune up their instruments and to perform a few simple melodies. Later, the pupils learned to perform a simple melody to the accompaniment on the piano. The children enjoyed the results of their long and thorough work: they played the instruments that they had made by themselves! The pupils of 7 u class learned that the best way to know musical instruments is to manufacture them and subsequently play the self-made instruments!

Sharing the experience. The 7 u class pupils told about instruments-related knowledge, creation and performance to pupils of 4^th class. The fourth-form pupils are going to join the subject system and are very curious of what is awaiting in future. The seventh-formers instructed the younger children how to manufacture musical instruments and explained why those instruments emit the sound.