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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Notes: a Mathematical Exploration of the Piano

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the history of equal temperament, the modern standard of tuning a piano. Proportion calculations of octaves and perfect fifths are utilized to calculate the frequency of each note in a major scale.
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Graphic
University of Michigan

U.michigan: Keyboard Temperament Analyzer

For Students 9th - 10th
Features a downloadable spreadsheet for analyzing keyboard temperaments. Requires a bit of physics knowledge.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Want to Make a Video Game? Here's How!

For Students 6th - 8th
Do you love playing video and computer games? Do you dream of someday creating your own? With this science fair project you can turn that "someday" wish into a "today" reality.
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Website
Other

Tb on Web: Alternate Temperaments Theory and Philosophy

For Students 9th - 10th
Explanation of various keyboard tunings, and why modern Western music uses "equal temperament."
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Website
University of Oxford (UK)

Museum of the History of Science: Wireless World: Marconi and the Radio

For Students 9th - 10th
Take an historic tour through the world of radio from Marconi's first radio transmission to the beginning of television broadcasting. Read about how Marconi's invention of wireless telegraphy had an impact on those who survived the...
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Unit Plan
Other

The Violin Site: Left Hand Violin Exercises

For Students 9th - 10th
Many exercises and techniques for the left hand are explained on this site with the use of music studies and videos. This is a good resource that helps explain the proper techniques for using the left hand properly. (Note: Videos may not...
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Handout
Other

Musical Pitch

For Students 9th - 10th
This site offers a very technical explanation of pitch. The author's emphasis is on tuning by intervals, explaining the different spaces of intervals by name. A very complex interactive diagram is included.
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Website
Other

Avatar Consultants, Inc: Tuning, Scales, and Temperament

For Students 9th - 10th
A discussion of the composition of complex sounds produced by a musical instrument. Good illustration of how music is applied to physics. Quite a bit of good information, several pages linked together with good definitions as well as...