Making African Instruments

#TheCompleteSeries6lessons

Fully prepared with lesson plans, slideshows, differentiated learning activities and a range of printable resources, this KS2 scheme of work is ready to download and teach.

This scheme of work is also part of a Topic Bundle. Perfect if you are teaching 'Africa' as a cross-curricular topic.

#Lesson1InvestigatingAfricanInstruments

Dive into the world of African music and instruments by listening and appraising some African music with your class. Enjoy the rich and diverse music and use this to identify some common African instruments. Investigate these instruments closer by analysing them and how they make their sound or researching them to create a multimedia presentation about the children’s chosen instruments.

#Lesson2TestingMaterials

Look more closely at the kalimba and the sounds that it makes. Investigate the lengths of the keys and how this changes the sound which is produced. Can your class replicate this using a variety of materials. Encourage your children to analyse and choose materials carefully to choose the most effective for their own kalimba designs.

#Lesson3MakingaKalimba

Listen to and analyse the structure of a kalimba with your class to identify the areas they feel need to be strengthened and reinforced and the areas which will need to be secured effectively in order to make a successful kalimba. Challenge the children to take these ideas into consideration as they create their own kalimba.

#Lesson4DjembesandShekeres

Immerse your class in the sounds of the African percussion instruments, djembe drums and shekeres. Investigate the sounds each type of instrument makes and begin to design or create the main part of the instrument focusing on strengthening the structures and how they will be decorated, inspired by other African instruments they have seen.

#Lesson5MakingaDjembeorShekere

Create an African percussion instrument with your class using their designs from a previous lesson. Encourage the children to strengthen and reinforce different parts of their instruments using different materials, techniques and tools. After creating their own instruments the children can add finishing touches inspired by the African instruments they have looked at and researched.

#Lesson6PerformingandEvaluating

Give the children the opportunity to use and evaluate their products in a practical way by creating an African-music-inspired composition. Have your class perform in groups with their chosen instruments and use this to guide rich evaluations of their products’ strengths and weaknesses.

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Curriculum Objectives covered

• KS2 - use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups
• KS2 - generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design
• KS2 - select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing], accurately
• KS2 - select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities
• KS2 - investigate and analyse a range of existing products
• KS2 - evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
• KS2 - apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures