Pinkney, Brian. (1994). Max Found Two Sticks. NY: Simon and Schuster. Rogers, Renee. (2000). Good Vibrations: Experimenting with Sound. Musical Connection: rhythm patterns for exploration/ improvisation Science Connection: sound energy/ sound is vibration/ Tuning Fork Splash! Positive Character Traits & Values: creative expression; diversity; design / pattern / order The story begins when the wind knocks down two heavy twigs from Max’s tree. In the literature selection, Max Found Two Sticks, the reader follows Max through an exciting rhythmic adventure as he experiments with everything from pails to garbage cans as he “drums” his way around the neighborhood imitating the sounds around him. Max’s creative expression is displayed through the rhythmic phrases of the story. The basis of this musical activity is for students to explore sound patterns. The teacher is encouraged to practice the patterns first by clapping, and then by adding claves or sticks. I have included the musical interpretations of the patterns. Once the patterns are accomplished, the teacher may provide interesting sound mediums for student exploration. During the reading of the story, several students may provide the rhythmic patterns instead of vocalization of the rich text. The teacher may encourage students to provide their own interpretation of the rhythmic patterns through improvisation. For this activity, you need two wooden spoons and a plastic pail. As the teacher tells the story, students provide their own personal interpretation of the sounds Max makes with his two sticks. At the end of each page, the teacher pauses allowing students to provide the sound effects. The student passes the spoons and the pail to a neighboring student and the flow of the story continues. Remind students that at the beginning of the story, Max is just starting to learn rhythmic sounds and patterns. But, by the end of the story, he has increased his skills and is able to play with a marching band. In the science connection, students find that sounds are all around us. And, all the sounds we hear have one thing in common. Sound is produced by objects vibrating back and forth which make sound waves. These vibrations are transmitted to anything the vibrating object touches, including air. The waves go out in every direction so that if they were visible, the waves would resemble concentric rounded shapes spreading out from the source, like ripples spread out when a pebble is dropped in a pond. Students are able to hear and feel vibrations by the use of tuning forks. Tuning forks come in different sizes. The larger the fork; the lower the sound; and the slower the vibration. Hold the vibrating tuning fork on assorted objects: desk, chair, ruler, pan cover, ping-pong ball, bell, and a pencil. What do you hear? Touch the palm of your hand with a vibrating fork. What do you feel? And, the ultimate tuning fork activity, Tuning Fork Splash!, allows students to observe sound waves. Fill a glass container full of water. Vibrate the fork and then plunge it into the container of water. After getting splashed a few times, students focus on observing the concentric circles created when the vibrating fork touches the water. Here are some of the rhythmic patterns in Max Found Two Sticks: Pat... pat-tat (half note…quarter-quarter) Putter---putter pat-tat (two eighths---two eights quarter-quarter) Tippy-tip…tat-tat (two eights-quarter-quarter-quarter) Thump-di-di-thump… (quarter-two eights-half note) Cling…clang…-BANG! (half note…half note……hold that whole note) |