Harp Box

Students will experiment with sound as they create and decorate a harp box.

By Mariella Pace [Mariella is a teacher from New Jersey.] Image: Mariella Pace

Objectives:

Students will:

• Decorate a harp shape.
• Experiment with sound.

What You Need:

• Andrews, Jane (2004). Zoe and the magic harp. London, GB: Piccadilly Press.
• Harp or Harp CD to play in the background.
• Shoe box lids.
• Paper to cover the lids (old sheet music works great).
• Harp shapes (cut from paper).
• Art media for decorating (paint, crayons, markers, glitter, etc.)
• Shoe boxes.
• Elastic bands.
• Salt, colored rice.
• Glue.

What You Do:

1. Students glue paper (sheet music) onto the shoe box lid.
2. Students decorate their harp shape with crayons, markers, paint, etc.
3. The students will glue the decorated harp shape onto the shoebox lid.
4. The shoebox lid then goes onto the shoebox.
   • Optional: the shoebox can be covered with sheet music as well.
5. The students will then be told to put the rubber band or elastic band around the box.
6. The students will be given the salt and/or colored rice and will be instructed to place some inside the box.
7. Students will be encouraged to experiment by holding the box in different positions to see the different effects on the salt when plucking the elastic band.
8. The students will experiment with the rubber band making different sounds.
9. The students will pluck the elastic band and observe the way the salt or rice dances, responding to the vibrations.

Recommended Books:

About the Author:

Mariella Pace teach special needs children. She brings the harp in the classroom and uses it for sound and science lessons together with making a miniature harp in a box. If you like her artwork, you can see more of it on Zazzle here.

Lesson and image copyright (c) Mariella Pace.