Who invented maracas?
According to About.com, experts believe maracas were invented by the Tainos who were the native Indians of Puerto Rico during the 16th and 17th centuries. The original maracas were made from fruit and had a round shape. Maracas are considered one of the easiest instruments to play because they make sounds by shaking. About.com notes that the first maracas made sound by replacing the pulp found in the fruit with tiny pebbles. A pair of maracas will sound different because each one will have a different amount of pebbles within them. Modern maracas are now made from plastic and are very popular in Latin America.
We have blogged on these before this year. Clcik link below:
Details and more on the link above to give you an idea of how you can tweak this lesson just for you and your situation.
What are maracas?
Maracas, sometimes referred to as rumba shakers, are percussion instruments traditionally made out of a hollow gourd and filled with pebbles, beans, seeds, beads or other, similar, objects.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word originates in the Portuguese language, and the first known use of the maraca was in 1598. They are typically oval or egg-shaped and have an attached handle. Modern maracas can be constructed of materials like wood, leather and plastic. However, the most authentic and valuable ones are still made from gourds or dried seed pods. In some cultures, such as the American Southwest and the African Congo, maracas are made of turtle shells and baskets. They are almost always played in pairs and shaken like a rattle. They belong to the group of instruments identified as idiophones, primarily because they are solid and sealed. However, they differ from other idiophones, such as castanets and cymbals, in that they are shaken rather than struck with an object or clanged together. Maracas are an integral part of musicality in many regions, including the South Pacific, Africa, the Caribbean and South America. Latin American music is renowned for the use of maracas, bringing them into mainstream pop culture.
Tempera paint and colors of choice.
We use a hair dryer in between the colors changes to help with drying.
I store units in plastic bins. this is for easy grabbing when teaching certain units each wheel session.
I try to keep it all in the box to help each lesson run smoothly.
I used plastic beads and dried beans for the shakers.
Do you have a hair dryer in your room? If not, you might want to ask for one for a donation.
Paper mache is a good way to introduce this 3d unit.
They are super fun to make!
Videos below give you other ways to make paper mache. I like the plaster wrap for a classroom setting. It is more efficient and effective.
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