COSMIC MUSIC 
How would you make music in your space habitat?
​By MARIA BLUE
​
​COSMIC MUSIC
Activity Duration: 60 minutes
​Recommended Age: 6-9
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything"
- Plato.
​
In this activity, students will explore how sound and music are made. Then they will use their engineering and design talents to create their own instrument, music and artwork!   

​​EXPERIENCE
​How is music made? Sound and music are made from vibration.  Different instruments vibrate differently to create their own unique sound. 
  • How is playing an instrument different in space?
  • How would you make music in your space habitat?  ​​
Watch this video by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to see how instruments vibrate to make different sounds!
  • What do you notice about each instrument? ​
​
Check out this video of a homemade harmonica!
​THINK
  • Instruments, as well as, the human voice generate sounds. 
  • Sounds with a specific PITCH are called notes.
  • Notes can be grouped into RHYTHM and MELODY .
  • Some music is created spontaneously, and some is composed over many years.      
  • Wind instruments make music by vibrating air.
  • Musicians make the strings vibrate by rubbing a bow against them, striking them, or plucking them.
  • Percussion instruments vibrate when struck
Check out this video of a rubber band guitar!
​See another video about spoon gongs.
CREATE
​You are living in space and want to make music….
Gather these materials:
  • A small plastic tub with a lid
  • 3 rubber bands
  • 5 ft of twine or cord
  • 2 popsicle sticks
  • 1 sheet of copy paper
  • 1 metal spoon
  • 10 coins or beans
How many different instruments can you make with these items?


​What challenges would you have making music in space? 
Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, a classical musician, brought her flute as one of her personal items on her first shuttle flight. She only got to play it once, though, as part of an educational video for school kids. On short shuttle flights, she explains, astronauts are so busy that they really don't have much time to play an instrument. "For a shuttle flight, it's probably more of a sentimental thing, a memento for people who have had music as a serious hobby."
See the document below for a more detailed lesson plan:  ​
cosmic__music_activity_presentation.pdf
File Size: 1349 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
SHOW US YOUR MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - Create a piece of artwork that includes your instrument design and a line of your lyrics. You could use watercolors, markers, crayons, collage, paint or a computer program.  Share all your creations with us to be in our Design Your Habitat Gallery! (submit here).

OTHER RELATED DESIGN YOUR HABITAT VIDEOS AND ACTIVITIES

nOT jUST sURVIVING BUT THRIVING
SENSORAL ART FOR SPACE

Click here for a full activity plan and for Resources for Educators, Parents and Students who want to know more...