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Making music and the instruments with which to make it is always a 'carrot' to learning about sound, waves,, open and closed pipes, and a bit of engineering. Using straws and bottles to make creative bands often is part of traditional activities - many of which may be pointed toward STEM activities. Well, I came across this neat idea from Sydney Australia on making music by blowing carrots. That's all I am going to say. Take a peek and adapt the idea for a potentially messy but very interesting activity that contains the potential for 'sound' science- yes-take that two ways:} http://www.youtube.com/embed/BISrGwN-yH4 Here's the video. A url that gives directions is verbally identified in the presentation. ~patty

I saw a news clip on a teacher workshop making guitars. What a wonderful skill! Trying to track it back. I'm also looking for "the science of Blues music" for Chicago! Anyone have a source?

Hi Juliana, Welcome to this thread. Building string instruments with various threads, elastic bands, strings, along with cardboard boxes and gourds has long been a phun scientific endeavor. Thanks for pointing this discussion along this path. patty

I thought that I would look through the resources on music and science and see what may be applicable to teachers building lessons with music and instruments that enhance a STEM or STEAM environment. They are not vegetables, but surely of interest:} patty

Musical Instruments & STEM or STEAM Collection (10 items)

Cheep, Chirp, Twitter, & Whistle

- Journal Article

Pressure, Pressure Everywhere: Using raps and hands-on activities to teach about air pressure

- Journal Article

Teaching Inquiry Skills Using Rainsticks

- Journal Article

View All 10 Items

Hi Adah, Now that you refreshed this thread with that information, I recall how wonderful the instruments were and how exciting it could be to build science lessons around the instruments. Thanks a bunch, ~patty

As a STEAM informal educator, we created an entire sound unit using simple materials such as two straws- making straw flutes, straws and snow cone cups that make straw oboes, plastic bottles to recreate a horn sound, craft sticks and rubber bands to make harmonicas, etc. The one comment I continuously heard from students was- "whoever said you needed money to create a sound instrument!"

That is very interesting to make music out of vegetables and can be used as an integrated lesson plan because in africa they use gourds for instruments. Also, this would be a good lab to connect with a garden project. There are many ways to work this concept into language arts and writing as well. Thanks for the resource! Windy Smith

I thought that was interesting too! Who would have thought, vegetables!!

WHAT!? WOW!! Saw the video and it blew my mind. I always enjoy when I see people making instrument out of house hold appliances; but I've never heard of fruit or vegetable instruments. What made it incredible is the sound that came out of the carrot. Thank you for the great resource!

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing. Engineering is everywhere!

Hi,  My name is Leanna Ferreiro. I am an Elementary Education major. I think this is a great way to have students learn about sound. This activity is fun and interactive. The use of a carrot may be messy but I think in the long run it will be well worth it. It seems like an activity that students would enjoy and take meaningful information from. There are many traditional actives that one can use to teach students about sound and sound waves like bottles, but I believe this activity goes above and beyond. It will keep students guessing and wondering how this will work. I will be sure to try and incorporate an activity like this one in my future classroom. I appreciate the great ideas to help teach students in science about sound. 

Thanks for this post. I feel like I have been introduced to whole new world. I cant wait to try it with my future students.

Wow thank you for the post! This is a very interesting and fun way for children to learn about sound and the different things that affect it. It is also a very good way for students to be creative and play with the things that they have created. I feel that students would be very excited to participate in this activity. 

This is so awesome! I am a student teacher so resources like this are super helpful. Thank you for sharing this link. I will definitely keep it in mind for the future!

I love this resource! I play the violin, so I like the idea of using a lot of musical elements to supplement learning. This could be a great science lesson about sound and vibrations. Thank you very much!

I think this a great way to engage students! I would've loved to do this lesson as a student in school.

Thank you for sharing this awesome idea! It’s such a fun way to teach about sound and music. I look forward to incorporating it into my classroom!

This is super cool. I have actually made musical instruments out of materials like this before, but this gave me new ideas! Thanks for posting!

Very fun and creative way to make a musical instrument. Would have never thought of making a musical instrument out of a carrot. Kids will probably get inspired to create their own out of other materials. Enjoyed watching the video!

This is so fun! We made guitars and kazoos with first graders last year, and I’m thinking this would be a fabulous addition to the unit! 

That's such a neat idea! I love the idea of combining subjects that you wouldn't think would go together, STEM and music. I wonder how you could adapt this idea to use materials and tools that younger kids can use. 

This is a great idea to integrate STEM and music! You can have a lesson on recycling and discuss materials that can be reused. Students can create instruments with recyclable items. I will incorporate this into my classroom!

Hi Julienne, 

Thank you for this resource. In one of my credential courses, we were talking about being resourceful and trying to make instruments using recyclables. This will be great to share with my classmates. It is engaging for all kids and affordable for the teachers. 

Hi, My name is Ricardo Diaz, I currently study Elementary Education in FIU. Your post was very useful and a fun way for students to learn about art. This activity could be very fun for students and it also works in the way that it supports the fun with information and spark their creativity. Even if the use of a carrot can be replaced with other objects, I think it is a very fun way to do it with. I have seen people teach this using other objects like sticks, bottles, and even balls. But out of all the ways i have seen people teach sound waves, this is the funnest one. I think i will be able to use this in my future classroom, i am excited to try new things and get my students to learn the material in a fun way. Thank you so much for sharing this idea!

Hi all.  

I love this discussion.  I wanted to add another resource to it, not about building an instrument but rather how an instrument can be like something else.  It may be something to challenge your students with: to find similarities between unexpected things.  Here's our take on it: 

Your Guitar is LIke a Nuclear Power Plant (a Just for Fun Post.) 

This is amazing! I don't think I had really thought about making musical instruments as a STEM lesson! With the way we are doing specials this semseter, our music teacher had my kids make their own instruments. She does her lessons via video in our classroom instead of in the music room and the students can't use the regular instruments she typically uses. This will be a cool video to share with her. Thank you!

This is an amazing Idea! What fun for students, especially if they have a knack or interest for music. That would be a really great idea to make a thematic unit centered around music!

Informal science is definitly the way to excite students. In order to get our students to invest in STEM, we must first invest in their interests, so that their personalities can come to life with curiousity in the classroom.

This is what I am looking for for music. I often search for and indir ringtones to my phone. Thank you for your wonderful sharing. 

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the video link resource that you provided. I definitely did not realize that music could be made from a carrot. I do believe that this would be a great activity for students to learn about sound, waves, open and closed pipes, and engineering, just as you had stated. I do think that this activity would be best to do in front of elementary school students, but I think that middle school students would enjoy it and really benefit from it as well.

What a neat video! This could provide an intersting introduction to the study of sound. Students could watch the video, then play a game called 'I wonder, I notice' to get the ball rolling on what they already know and what they are curious about.

https://mobilemusicschool.ie/how-to-make-your-own-rainmaker/

This was an idea I used at my summer camp. It was easy to make and cheap! I feel like it could be used for science, music, and cultural references. Hope this is useful for your students!

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