Design Brief

SCHOOL BAND!

Introduction

This STEM activity is aimed at primary school students (aged 6-8 years old)
and involves using materials appropriately and effectively to create musical
instruments for a class rock band. The band must be created to perform in
front of the school, to fill in for another band that can no longer make it to
the school. Parents are asked to assist students to design and assemble their
instruments.

Design Brief

You have just been told that the band coming to your school to have all
become sick with the flu and won’t make it to school to perform at the end
of the week. Your class has been chosen to fill in for the band BUT the only
problem is, you have no instruments. Your task is to create a band making
musical instruments from the resources in your classroom, at school and at
home. You are only allowed to use materials to create an instrument, you
cannot use an instrument that is already made. Your parents have been
asked to assist you.

Use your knowledge and understanding from the science unit light and
sound that you have just completed. What creates sound? What instruments
will work best to create the loudest or quietest sounds? How does sound
travel from the source (instrument) to the end (ear)?

Be creative and LET THERE BE ROCK!!!

Technological Considerations

• Investigations
 o Children are guided and will work collaboratively to research
and consider which musical instruments can be created to be
included in the band
o A discussion prior to any research to choose the band members
and go through the requirements of the project will help outline
any background details and information, ideas about the
possible materials to be used and prior knowledge of what is
required for a band

• Design
o Children can create a poster on their iPad’s showing the results
of their investigations and research
o Detailed pictures of materials and other resources that are
labelled will help start the design process
o Students who are more comfortable to draw their posters can
do so if they do not feel they can effectively use the app

• Materials (materials from around the house and at school)

o Cardboard (boxes, sheets etc)
o String
o Rubber bands
o Rice
o Tin cans
o Any other similar resources that can make sound
o Glue
o Sticky tape etc
o Students can be creative with their materials

• Production
o Parents and teacher will assist the students to create their
musical instruments based off the students research
o Students are encouraged to be the main person to assemble the
instruments (adults to assist with cutting etc)

• Testing
o Students bring in their instruments to test as a group and will
make amendments as needed

• Evaluation
 o Before the final production and show, students test the
functionality of the final product (the instrument must be able
to make sound and also must be clearly identifiable to the
audience), creativity of the design (personalised to the student,
the difference to other instruments, encourage individuality),
aesthetics (product needs to look like the instruments that the
students intended so the audience can identify them easily), use
of materials (students need to ensure that they avoid wasting
materials unnecessarily)

• Presentation
o Students will practice their performance all together prior to
performing in front of their audience (the school)
o Once students are happy with their performance they will set
aside 5 minutes at the school assembly (in the time slot agreed
upon by the school) and will perform

• Final Assessment
o After the performance, all students brainstorm what worked,
what could have worked better and what can be done to
improve the instruments

Task Considerations

• Students make appropriately and effectively research and evaluate

which instruments and materials they will select prior to design and
construction
• Students are encouraged to work collaboratively when researching,
designing and constructing their instruments. This task focuses
greatly on group work as the students will be performing in the band
together at the end of the project
• Remind students to design their instruments to make sound (focus
area of their science topic light and sound) and what is needed to
create these sounds