Summer Curriculum Week 1

Week 1: Strings and Mitzvahs

This week in summer camps across the GTA, Rabbi B taught his students all about String Instruments in the following ways:

A) Show and Share:

Rabbi B brought in an Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar and Amplifier, Ukulele and a Banjo to show different ways String instruments work.
      - Acoustic Guitars and Ukuleles: The sound from the string echoes inside the wooden guitar chamber creating a loud sound
      - Electric Guitar: The sound from the strings is picked up by the magnet battery underneath them, the battery then sends an electric signal down a wire and a speaker/amplifier takes that signal and makes it into sound
      - Banjo: The sound from the string bounces off the drum underneath and the drum echoes the sound inside the chamber. Then the sound comes out of the side holes.

B) Experimentation:

The kids all got a chance to try each type of string instrument themselves.

Rabbi B also demonstrated that when the string is long, the sound (or pitch) is low (L is for low and long) and when the string is short, the sound (or pitch) is high. He demonstrated this by pushing down on the stings on different spots along the neck of the guitar to change the pitch.

Rabbi B then brought in elastic bands for the kids to play with. They discovered that when the rubber band is stretched long or short, the sound (or pitch) changes.

C) Musical Mashal (Jewish Lesson):

Rabbi B asked the kids if there was something else he brought in made with strings. Immediately, the kids recognized the strings on Rabbi B's Tzitzis (stringed prayer shawl). He explained that mitzvahs are like strings, when we do a Mitzvah we get to be tied to Hashem. In addition, when we do a Mitzvah, it is like playing the music of Hashem.

Rabbi B also told the kids that there are more string instruments to discover. Stay tuned for week 5 to see more string instruments, some of them are Secret String Instruments (like a piano ;) )

Rabbi B will see you next week!