Science Sounds: Explore Life Sciences with Music

Finding ways to put the “A” in STEAM can be a challenge! Here are four interactive, fun activities that tie life science and music together. 

First, compare the structure and function of the human body organs to an orchestra. Then let those parts interact with a 3-part body rap. Next, a sound game that imitates how a bee communicates. Finally, measuring heart beats at different levels of exertion using a musical metronome.

The Human Body as an Orchestra

Your body is a giant orchestra! Just like an orchestra has many different instruments playing together to create beautiful music, your body has many different parts working together to keep you alive and healthy. 

• Your heart is like a drum, beating a steady rhythm. 
• Your lungs are like wind instruments, breathing in and out. 
• Your brain is like the conductor, directing all the different parts of your body. 

Together, they create a symphony of life!

Interactive Activity #1: Body Orchestra

Instrument Match: Make a chart with pictures of different organs (heart, lungs, brain, etc.) and musical instruments/elements. Have students match the organs to the music they think they resemble. Discuss their choices and the reasons for their comparisons.

Questions for Students to Consider

1. Is the conductor the brain or the heart? 
2. Which organ goes with the recorder and which goes with the drum?
3. Are there any more instruments/musical ideas and parts of your body that work similarly? Eyes, ears, hands, hair, voice? Electric guitar, sheet music, speaker/amplifier?

Interactive Activity #2: The Body Rap

The Body Rap: Divide students into 3 groups-heart, lungs, brain. Learn your chant. 

4. Heart-”Heart beats stead-y.” (tap your leg or tap the desk)
5. Lungs-”Breathe in—–, breathe out———.” (arms go up, arms go down)
6. Brain-”I’m in charge of everything.” (snap fingers)

These three chants or ostinati fit together and create an interesting sound. Just like different rhythms and instrument parts work together to create a performance, your body parts work together too. 

To perform “The Body Rap” have one group begin and then a second group, and then finally the third. Teachers and students can discuss the order. End with a signal from the teacher or groups can layer out the way they layered in. 

Life Science Standards

• LS1.A: Structure and Function: Students can explore the structure of different organs and how they relate to their functions, similar to how instruments are designed to produce specific sounds.
• LS1.B: Growth and Development: Students can discuss how the human body grows and develops, akin to a musician learning and mastering their instrument.
• LS2.A: Interdependence of Organisms: The activities can help students understand how different parts of the body work together in a coordinated manner, much like the instruments in an orchestra, band, or school concert.

Bee “Waggle Dance” Sound Game

Have you ever heard of a waggle dance? It’s a special way that bees communicate with each other. When a bee finds a good place to get food, it does a special dance that tells other bees where to go. The dance is like a map, and the movement and sounds it makes are like directions.

Interactive Activity #3: Sound Game

1. Choose a bee: One player will be the “scout bee” and the other will be the “follower bee.”
2. Hide the food: The scout bee should hide a small object that represents food, somewhere in the classroom.
3. Start the signals: The scout bee should begin making sounds to guide the follower bee to the food. The sounds could be tapping, clicking, or humming. The rhythm and pattern of the sounds should indicate the direction and distance to the hidden food. The closer the bee gets, the rhythm could get faster or humming get higher or a combination of both.
4. Follow the signals: The follower bee should listen to the scout bee’s sounds and try to interpret them to determine the location of the food.
5. Find the food: The follower bee should use the clues from the sounds to search for the hidden food.
6. Time the search: Set a timer for a specific amount of time (e.g., 1 minute). The follower bee tries to find the food before time is up.

Life Science Standards

• LS1.A: Structure and Function: Students could explore how bees’ bodies are adapted for communication and navigation.
• LS2.A: Interdependence of Organisms: Students could learn about the role of communication in maintaining a colony’s survival.
• LS2.D: Community and Ecosystem: Students could discuss how bees interact with their environment and other organisms, such as plants, through their communication.

The Beat of Our Hearts

Heart beats and music beats are both carefully measured. 

• Your heart beat rate can be taken by listening with a stethoscope or feeling the pulse in your wrist or neck. Average heart rates are between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
• Music beats are calculated using a metronome based on 60 beats per minute. The higher the number, the faster the music.

Interactive Activity #4: Measuring the Beats

1. A common method for students to find their heart rate is to count the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiply by four. Let’s give it a try. 
2. Next, fill in this chart with what you think would increase your heart rate.

	60	80	100	120
Heart Rate	Sitting

3. Now, use an online metronome and listen to the difference in basic beats at 60, 80, 100, and 120.

Online metronome choices: Orchestra Central and The Free Online Metronome.

4. Project this poem and learn it.

A heart that beats, a rhythmic sound, 
A playful tune goes round and round. 
In every note, that happy sound, 
A dance of life, of music found.

5. Try speaking it at 60 BPM. Then 80, 100, and 120.
6. Now take your heart rate again? Did the fastest tempo have an effect on your heart rate?

Learn More

Here are two studies from the NIH, National Library of Medicine with research into the effect of music genres and tempo on heart rates.

• The first research study, “Heart rate responses induced by acoustic tempo and its interaction with basal heart rate.” A study into the effect of high tempo (faster) on heart rate.
• Another research study, “Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory changes induced by different types of music in musicians and non-musicians: the importance of silence.” It also includes information about different tempi.

Life Science Standards

• LS1.A: Structure and Function: Students can explore the structure of the heart and how it relates to its function of pumping blood.
• LS1.B: Growth and Development: Students can investigate how the heart develops and changes over time.
• LS2.A: Interdependence of Organisms: Students can learn how the heart’s function is essential for the survival of an organism.
• LS4.B: Natural Selection: Students can discuss how changes in heart structure or function can be influenced by natural selection.

Earth and Space Science Standard (BONUS)

• ESS3.B: Earth and Human Activity: Students can explore how human activities, such as exercise or stress, can affect heart rate.

Exploring STEAM Integrations

We integrated musical “A” into STEAM using life science and music standards about structure, function, and communication. First we examined how the body and an orchestra both communicate and work together to function properly. Then we imitated how bees have forms of communication that use sound. Finally, we compared the variety of beats in music (tempo) and our heart (pulse). 

To find more music integrations, think about the structure (beat, rhythm, pitch, form) and function (communication) of music and how it compares to the science standard you’re teaching.

Additional Resources With Heart

Tic-Tac-Drum, like the heart activity above, is all about engaging small groups to put ostinati together for fun classroom performances. specializing in music and music integration resources. 

Bump Up Tomato is a fun song and game about friendship and “bringing back my heart to me.”

A beautiful book about feelings, “In My Heart,” has lots of music, movement, and SEL learning.