Sea Cliff 3rd graders learn about Brazil

At Sea Cliff School, third graders had an interdisciplinary culmination combining lessons in art, music, history, and global issues as they ended their extensive study of Brazil.

Many families were invited to attend the culmination to hear their children play instruments replicating the sounds in the Amazon rain forest, see drawings of animals, and listen to books the children wrote regarding their cultural and global studies on Brazil.

“The music primarily focused on the rainforest and its different layers,” music teacher Ashley Hassett-Bordes said. “My students and I talked about how the instrument sounds were meant to mimic the sounds heard in the rain forest. During the culmination, my students played instruments including hand drums and shakiras, and each group played a different rhythm pattern. These patterns were layered together creating one overall sound - just like in a real rainforest.”