Make a Sound Cube!

Props always seem to help make learning fun for kids! My kindergarten and grade one students, as well as all of my choirs, begin each music class with vocal exploration type sounds. This might include slides, waves, spins, animal sounds, and random noises that I’ve made up. In order to keep things interesting, I sometimes bring out the SOUND CUBE for these vocal warm-ups.

Thanks Ms. Cornish, my student teacher, for making this one!

WHAT YOU NEED:

·       poster board

·       pencil

·       yard stick

·       permanent marker

·       masking tape

·       clear tape

WHAT YOU DO:

  1. Have a look at the cube template from History Tech. Your cube outline will be similar to the template, but with different dimensions. The squares you draw will be 6.5” x 6.5”.

  2. Using a yardstick and pencil, draw your outline onto the poster paper by looking at the template provided and measure each line so that you have 6.5” squares.

  3.  On each square, draw a line or shape that you can see your students creating a sound to. 

  4.  Go over your drawings in permanent marker.

  5. Cut your cube outline out.

  6. Laminate your outline (if you choose to do so) and then fold along each line to put your cube together.

  7. Using making tape loops, tape the paper tabs to the inside of the cube.

  8. Once the cube is assembled, cover all corners with clear packing tape to ensure that the cube stays together.

ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR CLASS:

Use the sound cube as a warm up tool for your choir, using motion and sound to match the drawings.

Begin Music class by having a student toss the cube and the class must produce the sound indicated by the drawing.

After a student rolls the sound cube, have him/her choose a partner to sound out the drawing with.

 Roll the cube and have students draw the sound in the air with their index finger without using their voices.

Have students move the sound cube drawings silently and with their whole bodies.

Have fun!

- Steph