Quarter 2 - Parts of the Orchestra
During quarter 2, students will be exploring the different sections of the orchestra. Each week we will focus on a different instrument family, which instruments are included, and what is needed to play each instrument.
Week 2: Woodwind instruments
Students have been learning that the woodwind family of instruments all have have holes and require air to vibrate through them. The most common woodwind instruments students learned about were the piccolo, flute, clarinet, saxophone, and oboe.
Students learned that there are different types of woodwind instruments:
- edge blown = flute and piccolo
- single reed = clarinet and saxophone
- double reed = oboe
Some other instruments that are included in this family are bassoon, contra-bassoon, bass clarinet, and english horn.
Students learned that there are different types of woodwind instruments:
- edge blown = flute and piccolo
- single reed = clarinet and saxophone
- double reed = oboe
Some other instruments that are included in this family are bassoon, contra-bassoon, bass clarinet, and english horn.
Week 3: brass instruments
The next instrument family we studied was the brass section. This has the fewest number of instruments and are made of brass. These instruments require the lips to vibrate to make sound.
From smallest to largest:
- Trumpet
- French Horn
- Trombone
- Tuba
From smallest to largest:
- Trumpet
- French Horn
- Trombone
- Tuba
week 4: Percussion Instruments
The percussion family includes the largest number of instruments. Any instruments that do not have strings, or you don't need to blow into is usually considered percussion. A few of the percussion instruments students have learned about are:
- Snare Drum - Timpani - Bass Drum - Cymbals - Piano - Marimba - Vibraphone - Tambourine - Triangle - Tubular Bells - Gong |
Culminating Assessment
Students will be tested on this information at the end of the quarter. They will be sent home with the activity we made for each family in order to study.
Students will need to be able to:
- Fill in a chart with the families and instruments (similar to the diagram at the top of this page)
- Cut and paste instruments into the correct family and on the correct instrument name
- Answer 5 fill-in-the-blank questions
Students will need to be able to:
- Fill in a chart with the families and instruments (similar to the diagram at the top of this page)
- Cut and paste instruments into the correct family and on the correct instrument name
- Answer 5 fill-in-the-blank questions