More lesson ideas

More Ideas for Lessons:

1.      Tempo:   On the Trail by Grofe – have students turn their chairs around and “ride” them like burros while showing the following youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_7DA1G6tVs

After going over some tempo terminology, listen to different selections for examples.  Some choices might be: Camille Saint-Saens “Carnival of Animals” – “Elephants”, “The Swan”, “The Aquarium”; Mozart’s Piano Concerto Number 21 – Andante; Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”; Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” (this is another good “horseback riding” selection!). Student volunteers can lead the class in appropriate movements for each. If you have students who are a little shy or do not want to participate, they can hold up signs with the appropriate tempo markings. Make some signs with the musical term on one side and the tempo on the other for students who need a little more support. For example:  LARGO and SLOW.

2.      Famous Composers:  Compile worksheets and have students complete them as center activities. Have students listen to selections in a whole group setting first, and then divide into smaller groups to complete worksheets. You could either rotate each group through every center or bring the whole class back together for each group to present their information. You could create centers based on famous composers, grouping them by different styles (for example, Still, Scott Joplin, Duke Ellington, Huddie Ledbetter are all famous African – American musicians and composers but are known for producing different styles of music ), by different eras (for example, Handel, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Saint – Saens),  by instrument (for example, all piano or all orchestral selections) or even by musical concept (for example, form, dynamics, tempo, etc.).  Denise Gagne has a series called, “Listening Resource Kits” that are very good. 

3.      Opera vs. Musical: Ask students if they can name a famous musical. Discuss their answers. Ask if they know what an opera is. Again, discuss their answers. Have an “opera only” day (or portion of the class) where everything is sung. Sing the following with any melody you like:

Everything’s sung in an o – per – a (O - per – a)

Everything they do on stage (On the stage)

Everything’s sung in an o – per – a (O - per – a)

And it was once all the rage (All the rage!)!

Hold up signs with the phrases in parentheses for students to repeat after you. Make signs with the following vocabulary words (you can make them so you can post them on the word wall, if you’d like): Recitative; Aria; Overture; Intermission; Finale.

Sing each of the vocabulary words in a dramatic voice; have students repeat each one. Play excerpts of “Porgy and Bess” for the students, including the song, “Summertime”.

Some information about “Porgy and Bess” – it premiered on Broadway in 1935, and it featured an African – American cast of classically – trained singers, which was never done at that time. It was based on Porgy by the famous poet, DuBose Heyward. It was written by George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward, with some of the lyrics written by Ira Gershwin. The music was influenced by jazz and blues. It is considered one of the most important musical works of the 20^th century.  

4.      The Science of Sound: This is an excellent center idea for 4^th grade in particular, since it is usually included in the science portion of the 4^th grade CRCT.  Please see attached center activities.

5.      Legato vs. Staccato: Listen to “Le Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint – Saens. There is an excellent version in the Silver – Burdett music series. Divide class into two groups – one to dance as skeletons on the staccato section, the other to wave scarves around in time to the legato section. Ask for volunteers for each group (differentiation); if you find too many want to participate in one group over the other, you can repeat the activity so students can switch parts.

6.      Choreographed Locomotor Movement: “Shoo, Fly” – girls all dance first together and then boys dance. The boys will usually beg to participate after they see the cool “inside out” circle the girls make! On line formation dances, try working “backwards” – teach a simple song game such as “Here Comes Valerie”, then find some Motown music for a “Soul Train Line”, then show videos of “The Stroll” and learn how to do that. Finally, the students can watch a video of “The Virginia Reel” and learn that dance. The students will have already gotten more comfortable with dancing in front of each other, and they will more than likely be more willing to learn the older dances. This method also lends itself very well to discussing the way the dances have evolved and changed while maintaining many similar traits. The students may even be able to come up with some current line dances.

7.      Centers for Instruction: There are quite a few areas that lend themselves to the center concept. The students enjoy working in centers because it is in their comfort zone. If you want to create centers, make sure that you include worksheets, research, or some type of memorization activity for the majority of them, with only one or two playing centers.

For example, after teaching about the letter names of pitches and where they are found on the staff, I taught my 4^th and 5^th grade students about Major vs. minor scales and keys, and assessed their knowledge of scales, keys, and note names in 3 weeks. I also included information about an important American composer, and exposed the students to two famous songs.

 After we discussed, sang, read, and played the Major scale in the keys of C, F, and G, I talked about sharps and flats in relation to the keyboard. I then introduced the minor scale. We sang and read both scales using the solfege syllables in the key of C for simplicity. After that, I showed youtube videos of “Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier” (there is a beautiful rendition by James Taylor), and “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” as sung by Paul Robison. We completed a Vinn diagram on the two selections as a group, with student volunteers manning the markers (you could use a smartboard for interactive use of technology). The next week, the class divided into 4 groups –

Center 1 – reading about William Grant Still and completing worksheets about what they read. They were allowed to work together in any way they chose, but they each had to complete their own worksheet. I didn’t have a listening station with headphones, but if I had one, they could have used it.

Center 2 – flashcards with pitches on the treble staff, musical terms the students had learned so far, and instructions to memorize them as a group. I allowed them to choose how they would work on the flashcards, and then I came around and quizzed them.

Center 3 – playing the Major and minor scales in the key of C by reading them on the staff. I had both scales printed out (and each pitch labeled if they needed). There were resonator bells for the students to use. Again, each group determined how they would accomplish the task. I found the resonator bells to be effective for this activity, but you could use hand bells, too. Either instrument requires the students to work together and is easily played by everyone. If the group is smaller, each student can play more than one pitch.

Center 4 – writing two melodies of their own, one in Major, one in minor. Again, encourage groups to accomplish the task in their own way. I gave them staff paper and required them to choose a time signature, write at least 4 measures, and asked that they include rhythm. Some students wrote their own melodies; others worked in pairs or small groups. I played their selections at the end of the period.

The centers took about half of the class time to complete, so we rotated once. The third week, we were able to rotate two more times until all students visited all four centers. It was a little noisy and busy, and I had to bounce around the classroom quite a bit, but it was effective. I was also able to document individual results of informal assessments, and I had written artifacts (as per TKES).