I have a set of free Ada’s violin worksheets and a fun tutorial for recycled instruments that you can make just like they did in the book. Also, look at my page South America Unit Study Resources for more ideas about South America.
Ada’s Violin is an incredible retelling of a true story about Ada Rios and the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay.
This orchestra was made up of children playing instruments built from recycled trash.
It is a beautiful story and an inspiration to try making your own ornaments from recycling.
There are so many wonderful things you can take away from this story and share with your child.
It calls attention also to other people and communities in the world.
This is also a wonderful take on reusing, recycling, and taking care of our planet by finding new ways to use “junk” instead of just tossing it out.
You can also use it as an opportunity to introduce your child to different types of music.
The book references 60’s bands the Beatles and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Finally, as you make your instruments you can talk about the parts of an instrument and what family it belongs to.
There are lots of wonderful ideas for taking an impactful story like Ada’s Violin and turning it into a lovely mini-unit study.
BOOKS ABOUT MUSIC & RESOURCES FOR KIDS
Next, look at these fun books about music to add to your study for the day.
8 Books and Resources for a Music Unit Study
There are many concepts to cover for a music unit study and one of them is to learn about styles of music.
The Phantom of the Opera was first published as a serialization in Le Gaulois in 1909. The novel is partly inspired by historical events at the Paris Opera during the nineteenth century and an apocryphal tale concerning the use of a former ballet pupil's skeleton in Carl Maria von Weber's 1841 production of Der Freischütz. The setting of The Phantom of the Opera came from an actual Paris opera house, Palais Garnier, that Leroux had heard the rumors about from the time the opera house was finished. Act one of the opera Helle had just finished when a fire in the roof of the opera house had melted through a wire holding a counterweight for the chandelier, causing a crash that injured several and killed one. Using this accident paired with rumors of a ghost in that same opera house, Leroux wrote Le Fantôme de l'Opéra and published it in 1910
A beautiful keepsake if you have serious lovers of the music like I do. Plays the Tune: "Music of the Night", 18 note movement
Music Appreciation for the Elementary Grades: Book 1 will introduce children to seven different composers, dating from 1685 to 1828 (Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Paganini and Schubert). Each composer's childhood and adult life are vividly described in individual biographies. Every important incident is mentioned and every detail of the stories is true. Each book contains written music and delightful pictures throughout. It is more than the human side of these books that will make them live, for in the music the great masters breathe. This book includes a variety of hands-on activities such as: geography lessons, history lessons, recipes, instrument studies, music vocabulary, hand writing, musical facts of the Classical period, timelines, character trait studies, and so much more. Geared for a variety of learners-auditory, kinesthetic, visual, and just plain "active"-the Student Activity Book is an excellent companion to your reading experience. * Exceeds all of the national standards required for music appreciation (kindergarten - sixth grade.) * User- friendly for multi-age groups * Geared for a variety of learners- visual, auditory and kinesthetic * Incorporates activities from across the curriculum.
The Music Appreciation: Middle Ages Thru Classical Era course consists of 36 lessons about the music, genres, styles, and composers of Western Music from 450-1800. You'll learn about Gregorian Chant, the beginnings of musical notation, organum, Medieval church modes, Hildegard von Bingen, Guido d'Arezzo, Josquin des Prez, madrigals, motets, the beginnings of opera, music of the Reformation, Buxtehude, Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, hymn writers, Beethoven, and many more!
Style — the distinctive manner of presentation, construction, and execution in any art — is a topic of primary importance in music history. This highly regarded text by noted musicologist Richard Crocker (University of California, Berkeley) takes a much-needed fresh look at the subject and attempts to reshape some basic ideas in the light of modern research. Seeking the reasons for stylistic change within the history of style itself (rather than in the history of men or of ideas), this enlightening account shows how music, growing out of its own past, has shaped its own development.Professor Crocker's exceptionally clear and systematic presentation enables students to easily follow the evolution of Western musical style from Gregorian Chant (ca. 750) to the atonal music of the mid-20th century. The book stresses the continuity of basic musical principles over long periods of history, while it explores in detail moments of high stylistic achievement and the composers who exemplified them.
Rock and roll sprang from a combination of African-American genres, Western swing, and country music that exploded in post World War II America. Jim O'Connor explains what constitutes rock music, follows its history and sub-genres through famous musicians and groups, and shows how rock became so much more than just a style of music influencing fashion, language, and lifestyle.
Self-paced online music appreciation courses especially suited for homeschoolers either at home or at a homeschool co-op.
I loved the colorful collage illustrations throughout the book.
It inspired the upcycled little guitar we made.
I have a few ideas for you below to add to the story and make it and the lessons it contains come alive.
ADA’S VIOLIN MINI UNIT IDEAS
First, make your recycled instruments by laying out lots of items for your child to choose from and to use their imagination.
Tis can be boxes, cardboard tubes, rubber bands, old mason jar rings and lids, scraps of wood and cloth, yarn, and other safe items from the garbage or recycling bin.
Even old jugs can make a great instrument.
Take some time to listen to the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay and hear their beautiful music.
This video is not only a great example of their music but also shows images of the landfill and the beautifully crafted instruments being made and played.
I think these FREE Printable Instruments for Kids Playdough Mats Activity look fun and are another way to build kids’ fine motor strength.
Add these adorable miniature musical Instruments to your study in a sensory bin for a unique way to introduce and talk about each of the instruments, and listen to each one played to hear what they sound like while they play.
To go along with the above idea of learning about different instruments and their families here is a Virtual Field Trip to the Symphony Learning About Musical Instruments with links to each family of instruments for listening.
Include a little science into this literary activity with this DIY Water Xylophone Activity – Sound Science Experiment For Kids that allows them to learn about pitch with different water volumes.
Look at more unit study resources.
MUSIC UNIT STUDY RESOURCES
- Relax! How to Easily Add Art and Music to Your Homeschool Day
- Beethoven & The French Revolution Minibook (Music Unit Study)
- Homeschool Music Curriculum on the Beat
- Fun Facts About the Phantom of the Opera & Styles of Music Unit Study
- Fun & Easy Hands-on Ideas with Zeezok Music Appreciation
SOUTH AMERICA ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
Additionally, look at these other South America activities for kids.
- South America Unit Study resources
- Appreciating the Culture of South America Through Dance
- Free Machu Picchu Mini Book & Completed South America Lapbook
- 6 South America Country Notebooking Pages
- How to Memorize the Countries of South America & Mountain Climate Zones Minibooks
- South America Unit Study– Colorful Free Printable Map
- South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants
HOW TO MAKE A RECYCLED INSTRUMENT & ADA’S VIOLIN WORKSHEETS
You will need:
- Corrugated cardboard
- Scrap boxes- cereal, macaroni, etc
- Large rubber bands (or string)
- Push pins
- Hot glue gun/sticks
- Jumbo popsicle sticks or thin wood scrap
- Scissors
First, decide what type of instrument you would like to make.
You can easily make a small guitar, ukulele, or violin using the following instructions but you’re only limited by your imagination as to which type of instrument you create.
Trace the general shape onto a large piece of corrugated cardboard with a pencil.
Cut the shape out with scissors or a straight blade.
Lay the cardboard cutout onto a flattened box like a cereal box and trace it, you might need or want to use more than one.
Coat the cardboard in hot glue and press your printed boxes onto the top, leaving a small opening at the top unglued.
ADA’S VIOLIN WORKSHEETS
Smooth the printed cardboard over the corrugated and trim the edges up if needed.
Slip your wood scrap or a piece of cardboard cut into a strip between the corrugated and printed cardboard pieces.
Add hot glue and secure this part down.
An inexpensive wooden ruler would also be a great option for the neck of the guitar.
Cut a circle from black construction paper to make the sound hole and glue it near the bottom.
Add two dabs of hot glue just below the hole and quickly press 2 thumbtacks into it to help hold them in place.
Hot glue and press 2 thumb tacks through the top of the neck of the guitar.
It may be difficult to push it through the wood without cracking it. You could also snip off the pins of the push pins and just use the plastic head to create the frets.
Once the glue is dry knit an extra-large rubber band or sting to the thumbtacks and run them up the length of the guitar and over the tacks at both ends.
It is not loud, but the rubber bands do make a fun low twangy sound.
To create a violin just alter the shape a bit and use another scrap of wood for the bow.
ABOUT ADA’S WORKSHEETS & MUSIC INSTRUMENT FAMILIES
Finally, I have 2 free worksheets for your children.
Here is some background information to help your child fill out the worksheets.
About Ada’s life in Cateura. Cateura is a trash heap. Encourage your children to understand what that means.
For example, why do people live near or on a trash heap? Introduce poverty and talk about what it means to recycle. How would your child spend their day if they lived near a trash dump?
How did Fabio Chavez change Ada’s life and the other children? He was a musician. So, he taught the children how to play the violin, guitar and cello.
Why learn music? Encourage your children to talk about the benefits of music.
The benefits of learning music go far beyond academics. It teaches children about art and appreciate the beauty of life no matter what our circumstances are. And it shows how from something bad we can have hope.
How did Mr. Chavez solve the problem? He taught them how to recycle trash to make their own instruments. How many instruments can your child make from trash?
Recycling means to make something new and useful. This can empty landfills. Discuss what is a landfill and how they can fill up quickly.
About the music families. There are 4 music families.
Look at the list of instruments you child can list under each category and a simple definition to help them understand the sound each one makes.
BRASS MUSIC FAMILY
Like the name implies, the instruments are made of brass and sometimes other metals. Musicians place their lips on a mouthpiece to make a buzzing sound. Changing from note to note is by using slides, valves and the vibration of their lips.
Examples of instruments in this family are trombone, trumpets, tuba and horn.
PERCUSSION MUSIC FAMILY
These instruments make noise when a musician strikes, hits or shakes them. They come in various shapes and sizes. You can use materials use plastic, metal and wood.
Some instruments in the family are drums, hand bell, chime, cymbal, tambourine, xylophone and piano. Explain that the piano is in this family because it makes sound by pressing keys which strikes strings.
STRINGS MUSIC FAMILY
Musicians play these instruments by pulling a long bow over the strings. And sometimes you pluck the strings instead of using the bow.
Guitar, harp, violin, cello, fiddle, viola, banjo and mandolin are examples of instruments in this family.
WOODWIND MUSIC FAMILY
Woodwind instruments are played by blowing into a mouthpiece. They are made of wood and metal. And some instruments have reed. These pieces of wood vibrate when a musician blows on them.
Flute, clarinet, bagpipes, bassoon, recorder, oboe, flute and saxophone are some of the woodwind family instruments.
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