Materials:

• Sink and tap
• Tall plastic cups (at least 625 ml or 22 ounces/2 3/4 cups capacity)
• Plastic pitchers
• Wash basin or storage bin
• Permanent marker
• Recording of song “Splish Splash” by Bobby Darin
• Count the Songs handout

1. Show the cup and explain the questions of the day: How much time will it take to fill up the cup with water.  Will it be a short or a long time?  What if the tap is running at full blast?
   
   
2. Review the different measuring tools that the class has already used up till now, such as rulers or string.  Ask what tools could be used to measure time (clocks and watches) and explain that music can be one of them. 
   
   
3. The teacher explains the activity, which consists in playing a short piece of music while placing the cup under running water, then quickly pulling it away when the music stops.  The class will then see how much water goes in the cup during that time.
   
   
4. Distribute plastic cups with the students’ names on them and pencils.  Play the opening five seconds of the song “Splish Slash” by Bobby Darin (“Splish Splash I was takin ’a bath, all upon a Saturday night”) Ask the class to estimate how high the water will get in that brief time (water pressure can vary, so make sure to use a tall, maximum size cup, such as a convenience store “slurpie” drink).  The students draw a line on their cup showing how high they think the water will go.
   
   
5. With one hand on the CD player, and the other holding the cup by the sink, let the water run in the cup for the five second duration of the song’s opening line.  Make a mark on the side of the cup showing the water level.  Place the cup on a counter or table and ask the class to place their cups alongside it, so everyone can see who made the closest estimate.

Application:

1. Practice singing the first line of the song along with the CD until the class learns it by heart (hint: standing in place and dancing is a good way to keep time with the music!).
   
   
2. If there is still room in the cup, fill it up while the class sings the song.  Write the number of “splish-splash songs” that fit on the cup itself.  Next, bring up the pitcher or larger container and ask the class to guess how many “splish-splash songs” will be able to fit in this one. 
   
   
3. Explain the procedure of the next activity: in pairs, the students will take the worksheets and draw cups of water representing their estimates.  While they are doing this, call up the students in pairs to place their cups under the tap, singing the song they have learned.  As they mark the water line on the side of the cup (this can be done with a marker to avoid confusing it with the earlier estimate), give them their own pitcher to fill.
   
   
4. After drawing their estimates on the worksheets, the students use their newly marked cups to fill their pitchers and “count the songs” in each one (they can correct their estimates by simply circling the right number of cup drawings, or by adding the missing cups in a different colour). 
   
   
5. After everyone has had a chance to correct their estimates, fill the sink using the pitcher.  As the class counts the pitcher-fulls, ask how they can keep track of the number of songs it took to fill the sink.  List the strategies they could use (draw the total number of cups, or write the number under the symbol of a cup).

Assessment:

1. Repeat elements of this lesson using the wash basins or storage bins on another day.  Remember to emphasize the ways students can represent the numbers, such as “1 sink= 3 pitchers= 3+3+3 Splish Splash songs.”  Also, ask the students to try estimating the time and water amount they use while brushing their teeth, having a bath, etc.   The full song can be also be played for a dance activity during gym time.

Download a Pdf version of this lesson plan.