Recognizing Instruments: Kindergarten Music

Preparation:

Gather the instruments together that you are going to introduce to your class. Take a digital picture of each. Print the picture and write the name of the instrument on the back. Laminate the pictures for future use.

Materials Needed for the Lesson:

1. Guitar
2. Drums
3. Trumpet
4. Violin
5. Flute
6. Clarinet
7. Saxophone
8. Xylophone
9. Keyboard
10. Cymbals
11. Pre-made instrument pictures

Lesson:

1. Have your students name as many instruments as they can. As they do that, write the names of the instruments on the board. They may list some instruments that you are not demonstrating. Tell them they did a good job creating a list. Let them

   know that they are going to review ten instruments. At the end of the lesson you are going to test them with pictures and with sounds to see if they can identify the instruments.

2. Start with the guitar. Play a few chords for the children and then let them come up and try it themselves. Show them the picture of the guitar. Give the students an example of a famous guitar player, such as Eric Clapton.
3. Move on to instrument number two and then go down the list until you finish with instrument number ten. With each instrument play a few notes, allow the children to explore the instrument, hold up a picture of the instrument, and give an example of a famous person who has mastered that instrument.
4. When you are finished, review the picture cards with the children. Make sure to mix them up and don't go in the same order that you did when you introduced the instruments. Hold the picture and have the class shout out what each instrument is.
5. Now you want to move on to the fun part. Have each student cover their eyes. You may want to have them rest their heads in their arms on the desk top so they don't peek. Pick up an instrument and play a few notes. Have the students guess what instrument you just played based upon the sound. Again, pick an instrument randomly and not go in the same order as before.

Review:

Send home a note to the parents. Inform the parents of the day's lesson. Ask the parents to take their children to a music store to view some more musical instruments that are used to make music.