Name: Michelle Lawless

Title of Project: Lets Play it!

Needs and Opportunities

The problem I have noticed in almost all schools I have observed in is lack of enrichment
programs, such as music. For several decades, there has been an on going argument about
whether the understanding of music helps students in other curriculum areas directly. If a child is
capable of reading music which is a math based skill; they will be able to easier understand math
and science. A student who sings will not only be able to read music but understand basic reading
and grammar skills before it is introduced to them. Music causes the brain to act and react in
several different ways. Even though this may be a common belief amongst many, others feel that
music is a waste of time and should be taken out of schools and replaced with more academic
core classes. They feel a school system could use the money spent on the arts to better the
science lab equipment or have the school provide all students with calculators. These people do
not realize what music does to the brain especially to an adolescent who is in crucial
developmental stages. Music opens up a world of creativity and a heightened self-esteem for
young students, which are two crucial characteristics in the effectiveness of learning. Music and
learning go hand in hand, they both play off of each other because without one the brain may not
be reaching its fullest potential.
The issue of whether music benefits our learning abilities began in 1993 with the
publication of an article titled The Mozart Effect. In this experiment three men investigated the
effects of listening to a Mozart sonata before taking a standardized test, which used spacial
reasoning. Those that listened to the music had an enhancement in spacial reasoning but nothing
lasting more than fifteen minutes(Jenkins 2001). This showed that just by listening to music you
were not able to gain a permanent benefit within your brain, but what about being able to read
and play music?
Glenn Shellenberg in 2004 conducted an experiment amongst one hundred and forty-four
6-year -olds all who were about to enter first grade and again before the second grade. The
children were split into four groups in which two groups were given 36 weeks of keyboard or
vocal instruction and the other groups were given drama lessons or no lessons. All four groups
had an increase in IQ from the first to second testing. The IQ increase was more significant
amongst the music students then those in the non music groups(Shellenberg 2004). These
students were given the opportunity to learn to read and play music and in this case it did benefit
their learning abilities.
There is also a direct link between music and algebra. Barbara Helmrich, a professor at
the University of Notre Dame, decided to do an experiment on how closely related music and
algebra were. According to Helmrich (2010), practicing music strengthens the neural
connections that that also govern mathematical reasoning and computation. If this is the case
then learning to read and play music throughout ones life will allow will them to better
understand mathematical equations.
So as you can see, music in schools can increase IQ levels, math skills, reading
skills, self esteem, and creativity. These are the reasons why I chose this project and why I have a
deep passion for keeping music in Elementary schools.

Audience
This project will be benefiting two fourth grade students at Trace Crossings Elementary
school. These students have been learning how to play the recorder and are moving quickly
through what they have been taught. I decided with the help of Mrs. Robuck, that I would
challenge these students by increasing their knowledge of how to play the recorder. I will be
impacting student learning by teaching them new notes, rhythms, songs, and performance skills
during the extent of this project. I will be measuring their progress through observations and
tracking them in my timeline/write up. I will know they have progressed by hearing them play
each week after having had time to practice. Research says that students who are able to read and
play music have a higher IQ then students who do not and are better at math. I will not be able to
test these students in math or their IQ over the course of this project, but I only hope that the
progress I see them make will lead to an increase in their capabilities in all areas.

Timeline
I will be meeting with these students for about 45 minutes every Wednesday until we
perform our mini concert. I plan to begin my lessons with a review of the notes B, A, and G as
well as finger placement and correct embouchure. We will practice several songs using these
notes before I introduce new notes. I plan to introduce the notes E and G as well as the time
signature . I plan to teach the students between 2-4 new songs using these new notes and time
signature.

Product
The product I will show this spring is a video of my mini concert that my students will
perform. My students will be performing 2 4 songs in the music room for myself, Mrs.
Robuck, and several other students. By planning and advertising for this program, I will be
holding myself accountable to making sure these students are prepared in the best way possible.

Resources
I will be needing recorders, a room, and music to be able to complete this project. I have
gotten all of these resources from Mrs. Robuck. I chose two music books from her room, which
Im going to go through and choose what I think would be best for the students. I will then make
copies of the music either using Mrs. Robucks copy money or mine at school so the students
will have their own copies.

Conclusion
Students ability to read and play music has numerous effects in their academic lives.
Students in all levels of music should have the opportunity like these two students had to get
extra help and be challenged. I believe that understanding, reading, and playing music opens
many doors for students in the future and no student should not be given those opportunities.
These are the reason why I feel that there should be more of an emphasis on keeping music in
schools.

Michelle Lawless
Google Project
Write up
A google project is way to allow students to do their own research, ask their own
questions, and form their own conclusions, which is exactly what I did throughout this project. I
identified the problem of how music in schools needs more attention and emphasis and I decided
to stand up for this and help out with this by giving two students the opportunity to learn ever
more about how to play the recorder.
This project lasted for about 4-5 weeks with me working with them an hour once a week.
There were many things I would do differently and there were many things I would keep the
same about this project. If I could do this project again I would definitely choose to go the route
of teaching good recorder players ot become even better. I enjoy working with gifted students in
all areas and I want them to stay interested in music. I would also keep these same two kids
because they were well behaved, very bright, and just overall interested in learning. If I could do
anything differently, I would have been to work with them more. The only time I was able to pull
them out of class was on Wednesday mornings from 7:30 to 8:30 and we were only able to work
together about 4 or 5 times. The student could have definitely benefitted from more practice
time.
I think over all this project went great. My students didnt come out playing the recorder
like Mozart would have but they did learn a lot. By the end of the project they were playing
middle school music and learning notes most children dont ever learn on the recorder in
elementary school. My concert went really well. My students played the first two songs
perfectly, and slowed down a little on the last one, but thats okay! They got all the notes and
rhythms correct, which shows progress to me! I learned a lot about myself, my knowledge of

music, and my students. I learned that teaching music is hard because it is a difficult concept
within itself. I learned that the amount of understanding I have to have of music to teach it is
beyond anything I imagined. I also learned that conducting is extremely hard and you have to
practice, practice practice. I think I practiced as much or even more than these students. I learned
how interested my students were in music and how much they enjoyed playing it. They never got
tired of it or wanted to leave, they just wanted to play the music over and over again.
Student learning was impacted in multiple ways throughout this project. The students
learned new notes, new songs, and how to act in a concert. Besides learning technical things
about music and performing the students got to spend an hour of their time a week doing
something they loved to do. From my observations, the students were also happy when I picked
them up and enjoyed playing their instruments tremendously. The measureable outcomes form
this project would be the amount of songs they now have in their repertoire as well as the amount
of notes they can play compared to what they could beforehand. I believe that I could use this
principle of being involved in music and learning to play an instrument and read music could be
used with my future class by just encouragement. I would encourage my students to learn to play
an instrument, join choir, learn to read music, or anything else they wanted to do. I hope I can
foster this interest in music within my classroom with the activities I choose.
At the end of the day my students may not be the worlds greatest recorder players in the
world, but they are the greatest in my eyes. The laughs, fun memories and relationships I built
with these two boys through our equally invested interest in learning was like none other. I hope
that in the future I have the opportunity to do something like this with my students or to help out
with music in the schools that will eventually be teaching at.