Summer SAVY, Session 1 Day 2, Math & Music (3rd-4th)
Hello SAVY Families,
What a fantastic day we had together! We kicked things off with a lively and engaging game of SKUNK, a fun way to review probability. All it takes is a couple of dice and a piece of paper—ask your scholar to teach you how to play!
Next, we explored the first of two math concepts for the day: fractions and their connection to music. Fractions are essential in understanding musical structure and rhythm—they determine note lengths and how beats are organized within a measure. Using hands-on manipulatives, students learned to read basic music notation, identify note names and values, and understand time signatures. They even composed their own mini musical pieces using 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, and/or 6/8-time signatures!
Our second math focus was on measurement, comparing how we measure mathematics versus music. Students measured Boomwhackers and formed hypotheses about how length affects pitch. They discovered that the length of an instrument influences the sound waves it produces—shorter instruments vibrate faster and create higher pitches, while longer ones produce lower tones.
We wrapped up the day with time for students to work on their projects. It’s such a joy to see their creativity shine!
Extend the Learning at Home:
- 🎵 Use playdough or clay to create musical notes and divide them into fractional parts.
- 👏 Practice clapping or drumming rhythms, connecting each note’s duration to its fractional value.
- 🎼 Try adding and subtracting fractions using music notation—draw notes to fill a measure (e.g., four beats in 4/4 time).
- 📝 Compose original rhythms using musical notation, then write out the fractional values and calculate the total number of whole notes.
Have a great evening,
Catherine Hayes