Kickstart Lesson Landfill Harmonic
Kickstart Lesson Landfill Harmonic
Kickstart Lesson Landfill Harmonic
Key Words/Vocabulary:
Compare, contrast,
recycle, landfill,
volume, pitch, strings,
percussion, brass,
wind, voice,
cause/effect
b: Instructional Steps:
1. Students used the cover art for the documentary Landfill Harmonic to see, think, and wonder.
2. Students listened clips from the soundtrack and discussed the different sounds they heard. Students
discovered that the music they heard was made by recycled instruments and that they will be learning
about the children who played the music.
3. We read the book Adas Violin, which is the story book that goes with the documentary. We focused
on problems and solutions and making connections.
4. The students used Tableau and Venn diagrams to compare and contrast their lives to Ada.
5. Students made their own instruments with recycled materials.
6. Students wrote an informational piece describing how they made the instrument, how to play it, what
types of sounds it plays etc.
7. Students will use their instruments to create a soundtrack for Adas Violin.
8. Partners will write in role to create an interview with one of the characters from the story (Ada, Cola,
Favio, Adas Abuela). Students will video tape the interviews.
9. Students will write a letter to Ada about their experience with this lesson.
c: Formative Assessment: Students will compare and contrast their lives to Adas using tableau and
venn diagrams. Students will answer comprehension questions based on the text. Students will
compare and contrast the book to the documentary. Students will use the writing in role strategy to
create an interview with one of the characters.
d: Summative Assessment: Students will create their own instruments using recycled
materials, and present their instruments to the class by explaining their process, playing
their instruments, and describing the volume and pitch. Students will write a letter to Ada
about their experience with this lesson.
e: Closing: Students will share their projects Ideas to present/display student learning:
and have their presentations scored based Recycled instruments and reflections
on the rubric.
Resources: recycled materials, Ada Violin and El Violin de Ada by Susan Hood, Landfill
Harmonic DVD and soundtrack, iPad, venn diagrams, youtube
Rubric
3 2 1
Instrument Sturdily made and is neat. This Pretty sturdily made and neat. Not very sturdy. Not
is decorated and creative. This has decorations, but looks decorated. Materials not used
Used materials well. messy. Used materials well. well.
Volume Different volumes easily heard. Different volumes are hard to Different volumes are not
distinguish present
Pitch Different pitches easily heard. Different pitches are hard to Different pitches are not
distinguish. present.
Performance Student uses an appropriate Some items for the Information is not presented
level of voice for the entire presentation are missing. clearly and several items are
class to hear. Describes the missing.
instrument and how he/she
created it. Gives the name of
his/her instrument. Plays a
rhythm.
Writing Guide questions are answered. Guide questions are answered. Guide questions are not
Writing is free of grammatical Errors are present but do not answered completely and errors
errors. Vocab is used interfere with meaning. interfere with meaning.
appropriately.