Dive Brief:

• Building an acoustic guitar may have its roots in music, but it can offer students valuable science lessons, as well — from analyzing what materials they’ll use to how those materials will work.
• A program called the STEM Guitar includes materials along with instructions on how to build the instrument, writes District Administration.
• Schools can receive grants to pay for the kits and also professional development for educators who want to bring these into their classrooms.

Dive Insight:

Weaving arts into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects is now catching on in schools through STEAM programs. These can include anything from using 3D printers to build chess pieces for an after school club to constructing musical instruments requiring a level of precision that taps into STEM skills such as measuring, calculating and analytics.

The connection between music and math is not hard to find, as the marks of musicians — beats of music in a composition, for example — are very mathematical in nature. Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras also talked about the shift between two notes as an interval, applying mathematical concepts to music, according to the American Mathematical Society.

Folding art into STEM curriculum can do more than provide an outlet for students who are intimidated by science and math assignments. It can also infuse creativity and excitement into curriculum. Allowing students to see the sciences as project-based, rather than as a series of rote memorization tasks, gives them a window into the way real-world scientists and engineers work.