Prison Walls: Bulletin Boards from Drab to Fab, Pt. 1

One great way to re-enforce ideas from a particular unit is with a well planned bulletin board.  I have included three recent bulletin boards in this post: one for an instrument unit, one for music around the world and one to illustrate musical meter.  I will include templates for these in later posts!  

Can You Solve This "Case"? 

Each year, I review the instrument families with students.  I created this bulletin board to give students the chance to play "detective" and solve the "case".  On the bulletin board, you will notice red folded cards with "case" numbers.  Each card gave clues for solving the "cases".  Students were asked to match each card with the appropriate "case".  Along with the bulletin board, I set up numerous centers around the classroom so that students could rotate through different activities each giving them the opportunity to study the instruments.  

Music Is A Language the Whole World Speaks

I used this bulletin board when presenting a unit on world music and instruments of other cultures.  As we moved through the music of different countries, we added laminated people (1 inch die cut with velcro attached the back) to the cultures we visited.  During the unit, I also posted music translated into many other languages.  

(Ex. muziki, موسیقی, müzik, เสียงเพลง, musik) 

 Fish in Time

As my choir students were advancing in their choral sight reading, questions came up regarding time signatures and pulse/beat.  This bulletin board was created as a visual aid in our exploration of musical time.  The board was a great springboard for conversation with my general music classes.

Students leave a "print" on our classroom...

Recently, in my Pinterest "adventures", I have noticed lots of finger print art being used in the place of guest registries for weddings.  I loved the idea of having a piece of art to commemorate the impact of certain people on yours and others lives.  As a teacher, students become like family, and this is especially true in my choral program.  This year, the students who began choir with me five years ago finally graduate.  I thought it would be interesting to commemorate the end of a successful year(s) in choir with a piece of art that will continue to grow through future students.
A friend suggested that along with the visual aspect of this idea, I add a quote to really tie the project to my music classroom.  After sifting through numerous quotes (see below), I settled on the words Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Here are the steps I followed:

1. Measured out the quote to be sure that it would be centered on the poster board.
2. Wrote out the quote in pencil, and then traced it in paint pen.
3. Traced the lines for the base and limbs of the tree.
4. Mixed paint colors to find the perfect blend, and painted the tree.
5. After some experimentation, I discovered that the index finger works best for fingerprinting.  The students placed all of their finger prints on the tree. I allowed them to choose the color and the place where they would leave their print.
6. Finally, I wrote each students name next to their fingerprint.

Here are other quotes that I considered:


I never saw a discontented tree.  They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do.  They go wandering forth in all directions with every wind, going and coming like ourselves, traveling with us around the sun two million miles a day, and through space heaven knows how fast and far!  ~John Muir

A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible.  ~Welsh Proverb

Why are there trees I never walk under
But large and melodious thoughts descend upon me?
~Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1892