There are a few music lesson plan activities you can do which will make learning about Brass instruments in the music class lots of fun
The students can make simple brass instruments. You will need a sharp knife or scissors and large plastic bottles (for example soft-drink bottles) Cut the bottom off a plastic bottle. Buzz your lips into the neck of the bottle and try to get different tones. Different sized and shaped bottles can be used for different effects. Use the cut-off bottom of the bottle as a “wah wah mute” like trumpeters use plungers or hats.
Measure things in “trumpets” and “horns.” An uncoiled trumpet would stretch about 6 feet or 1.8 meters. An uncoiled horn would stretch about 12 feet or 3.6 meters. The students can cut strings into pieces of this length. Invite students to measure things in the classroom using their strings. e.g. the blackboard might be 2 trumpets long, and the hallway might be 5 horns in length. Smaller things could be measured by folding the strings e.g. if you have to fold the trumpet string three times to measure a desk, then the desk is 1/3 the size of a trumpet Some estimation and rounding is going to be necessary to make this exercise work As a possible homework assignment, ask students to measure their bedrooms, beds, family vehicles, yards, etc., and report back the next class. This exercise will help students visualise the amount of tubing that it takes to make a trumpet or horn
Recommended listening:A good piece featuring the trumpet and horn is:Bartók, Concerto for Orchestra, II. Giuoco delle coppie (Game of Pairs)
