Objective: Students will be able to label the instruments in the string family and learn the

relationship between the size and pitch of instruments by looking at and hearing the
instruments, in order to prepare for playing the violin.

Materials: Have a violin, viola, cello, and bass in front of the students and out of score order.
Have half sheet assessment worksheet ready but do not pass out until the end, make sure
students have folder or pencil

Introduction: 1 minute
Have you seen these instruments before? When?- Prior knowledge (in sound lesson, older
siblings, etc)
Have students talk in partner groups, and then share with the rest of the group.

Procedures: 5 minutes
Have one student pluck the strings on each instrument, ask students to listen to which ones are
higher and which ones are lower (discuss after they have been played) so we can put them in
order from highest to lowest. Start by comparing two instruments at a time and keeping them in
the same order or switching, move onto the next two, etc. For each round of comparing, a
different student can pluck the strings while the rest of the students listen. Introduce the names
of the instruments as we go to help with assessment. Students will pluck all the strings on each
instrument as if strumming to get an overall feel for the pitch of the instrument.
What do you notice about the size of the instrument and the pitch? Is there a
relationship between the size of the instrument and pitch? Enforce names of instruments as
they do this.

When the instruments are in the correct order, hand out the half sheet assessment so they can
order the instruments from high to low. Go over the correct answer with the group by calling on
people to fill in each spot.

Assessment: 2 minutes
Students will complete the half sheet of paper listing the instruments in order from highest to
lowest, and filling in the blanks, the bigger the instrument, the _____ the pitch
The smaller the instrument, the ________ the pitch. Label the instruments with the pictures.
(assessment below)

Collect half sheet make sure students have their names written
Label these instruments from the highest sounding to the lowest sounding.

____________ ___________ _________ ___________

Highest Lowest

The bigger the instrument, the ___________ the pitch/sound.

The smaller the instrument, the ___________ the pitch/sound.