GUEST SPEAKER TEACHES MATH THROUGH MUSIC

May 2003 -  On April 1 6, 2003 the fifth grade students participated in a musical mathematics lesson with the help of a guest speaker, Mr. Lloyd Poholsky, introduced by Ms. Carrie Fener, the fifth and sixth grade math teacher.  Mr. Poholsky is a percussionist and special education teacher at School 22 in Yonkers , N.Y.

On his visit, the students assembled within one classroom to experience a music lesson integrating literacy and mathematics.  To begin the lesson, Mrs. Melissa Diaz-Kwan, the fifth and sixth grade reading teacher, read the students the book, Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss. The book shows various instruments in an orchestra.  Mrs. Kwan discussed into what categories each instrument should be classified.

At this point Mr. Poholsky began to show and play an array of percussion instruments to the class, including bongos, djembe, claves, harmonica, maracas, bells, triangle, and the xylophone.  Mr. Edward Fener, the computer teacher, came and played the trumpet and showed the different parts of the instrument.  The students learned about various notes, whole, half, quarter, and eighths, and performed all together with various instruments the many octaves that Mr. Poholsky put on the chalkboard.

Then the students performed a fraction game instructed by Ms. Fener, where they were subtracting and adding various fractions with the musical notes.  The students were instructed to complete an 8 line poem using various vocabulary words learned throughout the lesson about music in their life.

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