Mathematics and Society - OS X Lion Server

;to MATHEMATICS ANV MUSICIt is said that music is a universallanguage--understood and enjoyed byall. This is certainly true for mostmiddle school students. Even those whodo not participate in an orchestra orband will dance, sing or keep theirears glued to a transistor radio or setof headphones. This interest in musiccan provide the motivation for individualactivities or for an entire unit inmathematics and music.Where does the mathematics come in? Today students learn music and learn mathematicsas different courses without associating music with mathematics, but the twosubjects were not always separated. For centuries the Greeks viewed mathematics andmusic as part of the same subject. Modern students can repeat some of the experimentsof the Greeks by investigating the ratios of the lengths of strings and of the tonesthese vibrating strings produce. They can also study the graphs of the pitch, loudnessand quality of tones.The activities in this collection are organized into four sets. The first setrequires no knowledge of musical notation or expertise in playing an instrument. Inthis first set, students can research the financial aspects of a musical concert;determine the meaning of the different speed settings on a record player; determinethe pressure exerted by a phonograph needle; use logical reasoning to classify instruments;and solve mathematical word problems about music and musicians.The next set of activities (beginning with Notes, Rests and Fractions) involveslearning and practicing musical notation. The activities stress the relations betweenfractions and notes, rest, and time signatures. Students are asked to use the ratioidea--if a quarter note is assigned one beat, a half note is assigned two beats--ina variety of activities. Most of the activities in this set can be used with studentsprovided that the musical notation is explained. Musically inclined studentscan be an information source for the rest of the class. The Britannica JuniorEncyclopedia has an easy-to-read article on music notation, and the school musicteacher could also provide some background. The glossary at the end of thissection will help in many cases. You will probably want to work through the activitiesyourself to be sure they are appropriate for your class.255