Songs About Perseverance

The character trait of Perseverance has been the focus for our school this month.  Here are some songs about Perseverance for the Elementary Music Room:

• Bright Happy Day - Music K-8 (Keep a Good Attitude no matter what) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qgj_4dSqxA
• Fly - Maddie and Tae
• Little By Little - Natalie Sleeth - http://www.hinshawmusic.com/search_results.php?keyword=sleeth&RECORD_INDEX(hinshaw_search)=31
• Lyrics - http://www.scoutscan.com/songs/songsl.html
• Haba Na Haba - http://www.stantons.com/sheet-music/title/haba-na-haba-little-by-little/35008658/

Using Your iPod For Assessment in the Music Classroom

Today we tried a solfege assessment that utilized an iPod and it worked out great!  Students are often intimidated by singing a solo all by themselves.  This activity allowed students to have the support of a group sound while still allowing me to hear their growth as individuals.

1. Display a Grade Level Appropriate Solfeggi Melody for all to see
2. As a class, practice the melodies a few times.
3. Set your iPod to Voice Memo and start a new recording.
4. The first student says "This is Student Name."  Then holds the iPod close to his or her mouth while the entire class sings several melodies.
5. Pass the iPod to the next student and repeat several times.
6. Assess different students on the next class meeting.

This is so great for several reasons!  Not only did I get to hear each student individually on the recording, but I also was able to hear who was using a singing voice versus a speaking voice.  I could also diagnose which students were able to identify the solfege on sight versus which students were hesitating to sing until the other students had already begun.

This could be a great tool for encouraging your reluctant singers or finding hidden stars in your music classroom!

Baby Music Class Lesson Plans

Song List

December 7, 2016

                                              

•   Greeting:  

Hello Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGiTL-C2peM  

Say Hello to Katie, Katie, Katie.

Say Hello to Katie, Say Hello.

•   Stretch: Way Up High Snow is Falling

Way up high up near the clouds (Baby hands above head)

Snowflakes fall down to the ground (Guide baby hands to toes)

Down to the ground. (Guide baby hands above head and back to toes)

•   Tickles: Babies Fingers https://storytimekatie.com/songs-rhymes/babies/

These are baby’s fingers (touch fingers)

These are baby’s toes (touch toes)

This is baby’s belly button (touch stomach)

Round and round it goes! (tickle)

•  Listen:  Nutcracker - March (Play Drum) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2PQ8LWXZD8

•   Other: Snowflakes Falling Down – Scarf Tickles

Snowflakes, snowflakes falling down.

See them falling to the ground.

See them landing here and there.

See them landing everywhere!

•   Action:  Here's A Hill - https://rockthelibrary.com/story-time/songs-rhymes-tickles/ 

Here’s a hill (tilt left arm so that it forms a hill)

And here’s a hill (tilt right arm so that it forms a hill)

All covered with snow (raise hands up, bring down in snow motion)

I’ll put on my coat, (put coat on)

And jump on my sled (hold the rope of a sled)

And ZOOM, down the hill I will go! (clap hands, slid hands down)

•   Instrument: Jingle Bells and Sing

•   Bounce:  Trot Trot to London

With baby in lap, bouce to beat as saying the chant.

Trot trot to London,

Trot trot to Dover.

Look out Katie,

You might fall over!

·      Goodbye:  Come My Friends - Lynn Kleiner - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC1N12EM6vw

Come my friends and gather round so we can sing goodbye

We’ll sing and dance another day.

So long, farewell goodbye.

Great Resource:

• https://storytimekatie.com/songs-rhymes/babies/

Article in Support of Arts Education - Helping Children's Social and Emotional Development

Great article containing research concerning how the arts (music, visual art, and dance) can help young children's social and emotional development.
https://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2015/12/arts-activities-help-childrens-social-and-emotional-development-review-resear

Grade 5 - Rhythm Identification and Number of Beats Unit

Lesson 1 -

• Warm Ups
• Staff Wars
• Rhythms and Note Values PreAsessment
• Mallets and Play Rhythms on the Xylophones  or Classroom Instruments - "This is a Quarter Note, we say Tah - Tah, Tah, Tah, Tah."  Repeat with other rhythms

Lesson 2 - 

• Warm Ups
• Staff Wars
• Quick Review Rhythms and Note Names
• Quintet Music Dice Game

Lesson 3 - 

• Warm Ups
• Staff Wars
• Rhythms
• Quiz, Quiz Trade - double circle with note cards.  Quiz a partner, trade cards and rotate to a new partner.
• Perform the notes on classroom instrument
• Poison Rhythm
• Exit:  I'm thinking of a note that.....what is the name?

Lesson 4 - 

• Question of the Day - Name the Note; How Many Beats
• Warm Ups
• Staff Wars
• Rhythms
• Discuss / Anchor Chart Terms
• Time Signature, Bar Lines, Measure, Double Bar Lines
• Team Discovery
• Provide copies of sheet music from several known songs - I used 4
• Cover the time signature
• As a team, students discover answers to teacher created questions such as:
• how many quarter notes?
• how many quarter rests?
• what is the missing time signature?
• how many bar lines.
• Discuss answers the next day

Lesson 5 - 

• Question of the Day - Name the Note.  How many beats?
• Warm Ups
• Staff Wars
• Rhythms and Note Names
• Review terms from lesson 5
• Student Choice - Select a student to pick a song from Lesson 4's Team Discovery
• As a class, review the questions for that song
• Perform the song / activity / game
• Add a 2 measure coda to the end - solicit student input on rhythms to use
• Rhythm Jeopardy - 
• Divide into teams
• Teacher draws a note
• Students earn points by answering correctly - verbally or write on a marker board to answer
• Exit Question: I'm thinking of a note or Buzz (give rhythm cards to a student, they show the card and call on a classmate to tell the name of the note).

Lesson 6 - TO BE COMPLETED SOON

• Question of the Day - Name the Note.  How many beats?
• Warm Ups
• Staff Wars
• Rhythms and Note Names
• Focus on Names and Beats - 
• Centers - Teacher Station, Match Rhythm and Number of Beats, Music Word Problems (2 Whole Notes were walking down the street with a quarter note.  A whole note got got eaten by a Music Monster, how many beats were left?  Draw a picture.  Write the answer), Match rhythm and the Note Name, Card with Rhythm Name on Front and drawing on back - show front and draw on marker board - turn over card to check if correct, math flash cards)
• 
  

Lesson 7 - TO BE COMPLETED SOON

• Question of the Day - Name the Note.  How many beats?
• Warm Ups
• Staff Wars
• Rhythms and Note Names
• Review Names and Beats - 
• Take the Post Assessment

Lesson 8 - TO BE COMPLETED SOON - Group Rhythm Composition

• Question of the Day - Name the note.  How many beats?
• Warm ups
• Staff Wars
• Rhythms and Note Names
• Review Names and Beats
• Review Musical Terms
• Create Group Music to go with Popular Song - What will the fox say?
• Perform with Popular Song as the background.
• Perform songs from Discovery Packet

Lesson 9 - TO BE COMPLETED SOON - Individual Rhythm Composition

Lesson 10 - TO BE COMPLETED SOON - Introduce New Rhythms - TaTayFeh and Syncopation

• Question of the Day - Name the note.  How many beats?
• Warm ups
• Staff Wars
• Rhythms and Note Names
• Review Names and Beats
• Perform a few Individual Student Compositions
• Sing songs from new rhythms

Bordun Rubric

Here is a bordun rubric we are using for our classroom:

Our Music Classroom

Double Sided Colored Velcro makes a wonderful (and thrifty! - only $25) place for students to sit and play.

New computer table and pillow storage underneath.

Grade-level instrument signs for quick teacher reference.  Labels for each instrument were created out of color coded paper.  Baskets and Location of Instrument have matching labels.

Kindergarten instrument storage at the front of the room for quick access.  A place for everything and everything in its place :-)

Safe spots are a "plus sign" this year.  A place for students to calm down or refocus when they need more time to think.

Riser Refashion!!!

This year, risers are set out for Grades 2-5 and up for Grades K - 1, but I couldn't bear the thought of looking at the plywood backing all year.  Enter black butcher paper and double sided velcro!  

Before

After

Close up of Double Sided Velcro Straps.