The Arts · Grade 3

Active learning ideas

Instrument Families: Brass and Percussion

Active learning sticks when students can connect sound to motion. For brass and percussion families, hands-on exploration lets students feel vibrations and see how different actions produce different sounds. This builds memory and understanding through direct experience rather than passive listening.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• MU:Pr4.2.3a

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 35 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Sound Exploration Stations

Prepare four stations: one for brass buzzing with kazoos and recorders, one for membrane percussion like hand drums, one for idiophones such as xylophones and triangles, and one for sound recording and playback. Small groups rotate every 7 minutes, play instruments, describe timbres on worksheets, and vote on favorites.

Explain how brass instruments create sound using air and vibration.

Facilitation Tip

At the brass station, place a small mirror near the mouthpiece so students can see their lips buzz while they practice making a kazoo sound.

What to look for

Provide students with images of various instruments. Ask them to sort the instruments into 'Brass' and 'Percussion' categories and write one sentence explaining their choice for one instrument from each category, focusing on how sound is made.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Museum Exhibit
• 20 min · Pairs

Sound Sorting Game: Pairs

Provide cards with instrument photos and audio clips via tablets. Pairs listen to clips, match to photos, and sort into brass or percussion piles. Discuss why each fits, then share one example with the class.

Compare the sound production of a drum to that of a trumpet.

Facilitation Tip

Before sorting instruments in the Sound Sorting Game, model how to hold a cymbal, maraca, and drum, demonstrating the actions used to play each.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you are composing music for a parade. Which brass instruments would you choose to create excitement, and which percussion instruments would you use to keep the rhythm strong? Explain why you chose those instruments based on their sounds.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Museum Exhibit
• 25 min · Whole Class

Instrument Comparison Chart: Whole Class

Play recordings of a drum and trumpet. As a class, build a T-chart listing how each produces sound, materials used, and sound qualities. Students add drawings and volunteer demonstrations.

Categorize various percussion instruments based on how they are played.

Facilitation Tip

When completing the Instrument Comparison Chart, encourage students to describe the texture of sounds by using words like 'bright,' 'boomy,' or 'crisp' instead of just 'loud' or 'quiet.'

What to look for

Hold up a kazoo or a simple slide whistle. Ask students to identify which instrument family it most closely resembles and explain how its sound production is similar to a brass instrument. Then, strike a drum and ask students to describe how its sound is made compared to the kazoo.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Museum Exhibit
• 30 min · Individual

DIY Percussion Makers: Individual

Students use recyclables to build shakers or scrapers. They test sounds, categorize their creations, and perform a short rhythm pattern incorporating brass buzzing on kazoos.

Explain how brass instruments create sound using air and vibration.

Facilitation Tip

During DIY Percussion Makers, provide clear visuals of how to attach beads to a cup or stretch rubber bands over a box to guide construction.

What to look for

Provide students with images of various instruments. Ask them to sort the instruments into 'Brass' and 'Percussion' categories and write one sentence explaining their choice for one instrument from each category, focusing on how sound is made.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often start by demonstrating sound production for brass and percussion, but students learn best when they try it themselves. Avoid explaining too much at once; let students explore and then refine their understanding through guided questions. Research shows that children solidify concepts when they articulate their observations and compare ideas with peers.

Students will confidently name brass and percussion instruments and explain how their sounds are made. They will compare timbres, classify instruments by family, and design simple sound-makers. Look for students using terms like 'buzz,' 'strike,' and 'shake' to describe sound production.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sound Exploration Stations, listen for students who say brass instruments work like guitars by plucking strings.

  Redirect them to the brass station where they can buzz into a kazoo’s mouthpiece and feel the vibration in their lips. Have them compare this to how a guitar string moves, using questions like 'Where do you feel the sound start?'

• During the Sound Sorting Game, watch for students who group all drums together and call them the only percussion instruments.

  Bring out a triangle, maraca, or xylophone and ask the students to demonstrate how each is played. Guide them to sort by action using labels like 'strike,' 'shake,' or 'scrape' to expand their understanding.

• During Station Rotation: Sound Exploration Stations, notice students who describe loud sounds as 'the same' regardless of the instrument family.

  Play two demos at the same volume, one brass and one percussion, and ask students to describe differences in tone quality. Use volume-controlled headphones if possible to isolate the sounds for comparison.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Museum Exhibit