Participation Scale in the Elementary Music Room

Easy Elementary Music Centers

Here are some easy to put together stations that could be used in the Elementary Music Room classroom.  I teach in a K and 1 building and these were great for our students!

 

 Set out some instruments that students know and let them name the instrument and play them too!

Mallet Station - practice Mummy Mallets (rest position), Motorcycle Mallets (Play Position), Mouse Mallets (Play Gently), and Mallet Limbo (a game to practice playing gently).

Actors Toolbox / Musicians Toolbox In the Elementary Music Room

• Teaching in Small Groups - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQtk44XWZPM
• Large Group Circle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkwYPTr-3pI
• 
  

Music For April

Opening Day Songs
Take Me Out to the Ball Game

• Lyrics - http://viewpure.com/Tnh3Ag8yAfk?start=0&end=0
• Pepsi Commercial - http://viewpure.com/yEjVCNw5nRA?start=0&end=0
• http://viewpure.com/u8Vv7X48WYk?start=0&end=0

Music for March

Read Across America

• It's My Book - http://viewpure.com/rtD9ex0r1Ak?start=0&end=0
• In The Pages of a Book - http://viewpure.com/Gd03HQrB-RU?start=0&end=0

St. Patrick's Day / Rainbow

• Rainbow - Liz Huett - Movie Leap!
• ViewPure Movie Clip - http://viewpure.com/qLGUfzWWR5Y?start=0&end=0 
• ViewPure Music Only - http://viewpure.com/KhUOdRAWmtg?start=0&end=0

Mallets in the Music Room

This week at our school, we have been focusing on playing xylophones!

Our third, fourth, and fifth grades students helped to create a xylophone scale so that they can self assess their performance.  How did we create it?  We used a High Five Jigsaw Activity.  Students chose their groups by giving a high five to a student with whom they could work well.  Next the teacher invited a another pair of students to join another high-fives group (Thanks Mr. Zimmerman for the great idea!).  Next, groups were given one part of the scale to discuss (i.e. Look 3 / Sound 2, etc.).  Groups were given a few minutes to discuss.  Groups then shared out one criteria they discussed and we added it to the scale.  After all classes had added to the scale, it was rewritten and now it looks like the image below.

Here is what each Grade Level has been working on:

• Kindergarten and First Grade - Exploring Xylophones with Glissandos (Up and Down)
• Hickory Hickory Dock
• Wee Willie Winkie
• Cuckoo in the Clock (striking on numbers)
• Second Grade - Mallet Techniques, Chord Bordun, Alternating Bordun, and Level Bordun
• Hop Old Squirrel
• Third Grade - Mallet Techniques, Crossover Bordun
• Fourth Grade - Mallet Techniques, Moving Bordun
• Page's Train
• Chattanooga Choo Choo
• Engine Engine Number Nine - Mallet Exploration
• Fifth Grade - V-I accompaniments and vii-I Accompaniments; Soprano, Alto, and Bass Xylophone Identification/Description of Range

Mallet Techniques

• Mummy Mallets - Rest position
• Motorcycle Mallets - Play position
• Hands Together / Alternating (Mallet Madness by Artie Almeida
• Beanbag Challenge - How long can you keep a beanbag on your wrist while playing?

Xylophone Rubric

Modified Four Corners Assessment - Soprano, Alto, Bass Xylophones - Grade 5

• Students move to the card that matches.... 
• visual - an instrument or picture of an instrument.
• aural
• description
• the lowest instrument
• the highest instrument
• the longest instrument
• the smallest instrument

Procedures In The Music Classroom

Many of us are going back to school this week and the beginning of the year is a fabulous time to teach procedures for your classroom.  Investing time in procedures at the beginning usually results in a classroom that flows smoothly and allows more time for music making rather than discipline issues.

This year, I for the primary grades, we are going to try starting by walking into the classroom and walking around the circle while singing.  Then we will sit down at a dash (not an assigned seat).  I find that the younger students really struggle with remembering their place and I want to spend time making music first.  Then we will learn staff spots (assigned spots in lines on the floor) and end class back at the circle with a game.

In our classroom, we use transition songs to get us from one place to the other.  Many of the students now know the songs so well, I only need to hum or play the melody for them and they will move to the correct location for our next musical activity.  If you are curious about our music room procedures, a few are listed below.  I made these for my long term sub when I was on maternity leave.

Staff Spots

Circle Spots

Silent Signals