Ancient Greek Musical Instruments
Teaching ancient Greek history can be exciting and fun when you incorporate educational crafts into the curriculum. Making Greek musical instruments can be a great way to teach children about how ancient Greeks made them. It's also an innovative way to teach how sound can be created with common household items. All of the items can be found around the house or at a grocery store.
Instructions
1. Make a Greek lyre. Using scissors, cut a hole slightly off-center on the top of an empty shoe box. Make the hole around 3 inches in diameter. Push 12 brass fasteners into the shoe box, placing six on one end and six on the other end. Space the brads out evenly. Cut six rubber bands in half so they become six long rubber band strings. For each rubber band string, tie one end to a brad, then stretch it across the hole, tying the other end to the opposite brad. Cut open an empty toilet paper roll, and slip it underneath one side of the strings, lifting them up slightly. Your Greek lyre is now complete.
2. Make Greek pan pipes. Lay seven plastic drinking straws on a table, making the ends line up evenly. Space them apart so they are 1/2 to 1 inch apart. Place a strip of packing tape across the straws. Flip the straws over, and place another strip of packing tape across the other side, binding it to the first strip of tape. Holding a pair of scissors at an angle, cut across the straws to create a straight, diagonal line. Students can now blow into their very own Greek pan pipes.
3. Make a Greek drum. Cut a piece of waxed paper so it is roughly a 12-inch square. Place the waxed paper across the opening of an empty oatmeal container. Stretch a rubber band across the top of the waxed paper. Gently pull the waxed paper to make it taut. Your Greek drum is now complete.
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