Throughout the EcoSonic Playground Project™ curriculum, children learn about how structural building works through hands-on experience. Throughout this part of the curriculum, we encourage students to think like engineers. With an immediate problem to solve, students collaborate to create each iteration of an open scaffolding. This structure becomes the foundation for the large-scale ensemble instrument that will, in turn, become the center of the students’ musical play.
A class of students is given an engineering problem to solve: To build a cube out of PVC pipe that will stand on its own.
Initially, each student draws a structural design that they think might work:
The class is split into small groups: Children read plans, measure, and experiment with construction materials. Throughout this process, they use basic mathematical functions and geometry to figure out how to complete their structure.
Once each small group successfully builds a single cube, all of the groups collaborate to make one large structure.
This structure then becomes the scaffolding for their individual instruments.
The examples given here show how preschoolers worked through the engineering process. This curriculum may be adapted to any group of students.
The EcoSonic Playground Project is a trademark of the University of Massachusetts Lowell.