Contextualization and Introduction

Hey there, young artists! Today, we're starting a brand-new project that's going to be a whole lot of fun – and very educational to boot. We're going to explore the marvelous worlds of Games, Play and Music! But before we can set off on this musical journey, we'll need to go over a couple basic concepts.

Theoretical Concepts

Our music is full of colors and shapes and no, that's not just a metaphor. Music is a complex but simple structure built using elements like rhythm and melody. Rhythm is that beat that repeats itself; the heartbeat of a song that gives it its timing. Melody, on the other hand, is that succession of notes we hear, that our brains put together like a sentence that "sings" the music.

Contextualization

Now, you might be wondering why we're talking about games, play and music in an Arts class? Well, art is a great way to express yourself and connect with others, and music is one of the most universal of all the arts. We might not all speak the same language, but we can all understand the language of music. Plus, games and play are amazing ways to learn while having fun! They make us apply what we already know, teach us new things and get the teamwork flowing.

In this project, you'll use games and play to see and explore musical elements in action and that won't just make you more musical, it will also improve key skills like time management, communication, problem-solving, creative thinking and proactivity. Ready to get started? Let's hop on this musical adventure together!

Hands-on Activity

Activity Title: Rhythm and Melody: Music in Play

Project Goal:

Create a simple board game featuring rhythm and melody elements. Based on a song the students are familiar with, the project wants to heighten the students' perception of musical components and strengthen their cooperation and socioemotional skills.

Step-by-Step Project Description:

The students, grouped in sets of 3 to 5, will design a board game involving music. They will then pick a popular song that all of the group members know and are familiar with. Based on that song, the students will need to separate the lyrics in parts corresponding to the number of squares on their game board.

For example, if the song chosen is "Happy Birthday" and the board will have 10 squares, the first square will have to correspond to the first verse "Happy Birthday to You" and so on. In each square of the board, other than the part of the lyrics, there should also be a music-related activity for the players to do.

For instance, one of the squares may ask the player to clap their hands following the rhythm of the music or to play a simple musical instrument such as a tambourine following the same rhythm.

Required Materials:

• Cardstock or cardboard for the board game's base;
• Colorful pencils, markers or paint;
• A die;
• Small objects to use as pawns for each player;
• Basic musical instruments such as tambourines, shakers or even household objects that can be used to make sounds.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. The students will group in 3 to 5 people teams;
2. Each group will select a well-known song the group members will all be familiar with;
3. Students will break up the song's lyrics into parts that will be equal to the number of squares their board will have. For example: If they opt for a 10 square board and "Happy Birthday" as the song, the first square will have to match the first verse "Happy Birthday to you";
4. Now comes the time to draw and color their game boards! Students may use all their imagination to create boards that will be colorful and fun;
5. In each square, other than the song's lyrics, the students must add music-related activities the players will perform whenever they land on that square;
6. With all the squares filled and the board finished, the game is ready to be played! Students will use a die and the pawns. The first to get to the last square and conclude the song properly will be the winner of the game.

Through this project, not only will our students have learned more about rhythm and melody, but they will also have gotten an opportunity to work in a team setting, manage their time, problem-solve and develop their creative thinking.

Project Submission:

Students will present the game they developed and explain how it's played to the class. Furthermore, they will do a quick presentation of their creative process, sharing how tasks were divided up, how they organized their time and what difficulties they encountered (as well as what solutions they found).

The goal is that the project's assessment is centered as much on the final product as on the group work process and the socioemotional skills developed throughout this project. To that end, students are asked to take a picture of their finished boardgame and share it with their teacher for review and further assessment.