World Instruments Listening Unit 1

These resources introduce students to musical instruments from six different countries and make great tie-ins to other world music studies, instruments of the orchestra, and  the science of sound. Given pictures of instruments from a particular country, students use their knowledge of instruments to describe the instrument and predict what it will sound like. After listening to the instrument, they describe the actual sound and compare it to other instruments, seeing if their predictions were accurate. This same unit can also be used to supplement a deeper study of a particular country or region, or as an introduction to world music in general. Teaching suggestions are included for using the resources in several different ways. This unit includes resources to study instruments from Japan, Ireland, Brazil, India, Mozambique, and aboriginal Canada.

This download includes:

• PowerPoint slides with visuals of the country's flag, map, basic country information, and several musical instruments, with embedded links to videos of authentic performances of each instrument
• Printable worksheets for students to write their observations of each instrument
• More general information about each country and its music
• Teaching notes with additional video links and background information on each instrument
• Suggestions for using the materials in several different ways