Schottenbauer Publishing

Monday, April 13, 2015

How to Use Graphs in Music Education

Graphs can be integrated into music education from approximately fourth grade through high school, as well as college and university classes. 



The following list describes possible learning activities centered on graphs:

Possible Lesson Plans

  • Graph Reading 
    • Identifying Minimum & Maximum 
    • Determining Graph Shape 
    • Redrawing the Graph on a Different Scale 
  • Mathematical Modeling 
    • Writing the Graph's Equation 
    • Transforming the Graph's Equation 
  • Theoretical Analysis 
    • Describing the Scientific & Mathematical Concepts Related to Graph(s) 
    • Describing the Scientific & Mathematical Theories Related to Graph(s) 
    • Identifying the Theoretically Ideal Graph & Comparing to Individual Graph(s) 
    • Understanding Measurement Error & Other Types of Error 
    • Comparing & Contrasting Specific Graphs 
  • Science Writing 
    • Describing a Graph in Words 
    • Writing a Comparison & Contrast of Graphs 
    • Describing Scientific Concepts & Theories Relevant to Graphs 
    • Developing Theories Based on Graphs 
    • Re-writing Graph Titles in Scientific Format 
    • Practicing Different Styles of Writing about Graphs (e.g., Journalistic, Scientific, Practical/Colloquial) 
  • Exploratory Research 
    • Data-Mining 
    • Developing Theories Based on Graphs 
    • Exploring Open-Ended Questions (e.g., Look at this book of graphs and write about a topic of interest.) 
  • Estimation Skills 
    • Understanding Range & Order of Magnitude 
    • Developing Theoretical Comparisons from Commonly Available Data (e.g., Here is a graph of air flow while playing a note on a trombone mouthpiece. How much air would be required to play on a trumpet mouthpiece? On a tuba? Euphonium? Flugelhorn?) 

A full listing of books with graphs from Schottenbauer Publishing, indexed by book series and data type, are available in a Teacher Resource Guide from the publisher. Additional information about using graphs in class is available on the blog Graphs in Education.



Additional Information