Music, level: Elementary

Activity Time: 10 minutes
Concepts Taught: Halloween song

This is a bilingual song for Halloween.

This song can be sing at the same time that
kids play musical chairs.

Also can be sing during the Halloween festival
in your school

Cuando llega el mes de octubre
corro al huerto de mi casa
y busco con alegrias
3 o 4 calabazas

Las preparo
las arreglo
les saco todas las semillas
les hago unos ojos grandes
y una boca que da risa

mucho, mucho me divierto
con todas mis calabazas
y a todos mis amiguitos
los invito a jugar a mi casa

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Music, level: all

Materials Required: Sounds from home, lots of space and patience
Activity Time: As long as you can stand to make it

This activity grew out of my sixth-graders’ need to watch “Stomp” for a second time. My cooperating teacher and I decided this might be an opportunity for the students to express themselves and create a team performance at the same time. We started off with the video as an introduction to the activity. Then, a review in writing rhythms and reading notation was in order. I had asked the kids to bring in Found Sounds from home – be sure to emphasize the necessity of parental permission for any special items. Definition for Found Sounds – anything other than traditional musical instruments that makes a sound. My students brought in egg beaters, wooden and plastic spoons, cans filled with popcorn seeds, silverware, tupperware, clipboards, and pencils. I also took in a set of Boomwhackers (elementary teachers will know what those are). The students’ reponsibility is to create a performance in a small team. This will then be performed in class. I gave the students about a total of 90 minutes to work. I did not require any written notation by the students, but this may be included for upper grades. We videotaped the performances in class. The students took the tapes back to their classrooms for the teachers and other students to watch (in our district, beginning band students attend lessons instead of general music class). This activity has been a big hit with the kids, and their teachers as well. I would love to hear any ideas you may have to enhance this for older students, or for toning it down for the younger kids.

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Music, level: Elementary

Materials Required: None
Activity Time: 2 minutes
Concepts Taught: Social Responsibility

Sung to the tune of “It’s a Small World”

It is time to clean up and move along
To the next adventure, so don’t take long.
We must all do our part
To ensure a clean start
It is time to clean the room.

It is time to clean the room.
It is time to clean the room.
It is time to clean the room.
It is time to clean.

They have 3 times through the song to have everything clean and in their seats.
They love this song!

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Music, level: Elementary

Materials Required: 8″ X 11″ flash cards with these notes on them: whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note
Activity Time: 30 – 40 minutes
Concepts Taught: Note names and values (in 4/4, 3/4, 2/4 time)

I wrote the following song to sing with the class. The tune is to the song, “The Wheels on the Bus”. Have selected students come to the front to hold the cards up as their verse is sung:
A whole note looks like a hole in the ground,
A hole in the ground, a hole in the ground,
A whole note looks like a hole in the ground
And it is worth 4 beats.

A half note looks like a little “d”. . . .
And it is worth 2 beats.

A quarter note looks like a filled-in “d”. . .
And it is worth 1 beat.

An eighth note looks like a “d” with a flag. . .
And it is worth 1/2 a beat.

After learning the song, the students play a modified version of the “7-up” game: All students put heads down and thumbs up. The students with the flashcards then choose one student by GENTLY tapping their thumb. ( I usually play the “Jeopardy” theme on the piano while they’re doing this.) The teacher calls, “Heads up! Stand up if you were tapped.” Instead of guessing the name of the person that selected them, the student must say, “I think whole note worth 4 beats picked me.” If he guesses correctly, he gets the card and comes to the front of the room while the other student sits back down. If he guesses incorrectly, he must sit down. When students get stuck, the teacher can prompt them by saying, “Remember the song. What does the note look like?”
You can also add:

2 eighth notes are holding hands. . .
And they are worth one beat.

A sixteenth note has got 2 flags. . .
And it is worth a quarter of a beat. (sung very fast!)

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Music, level: Elementary

Activity Time: 15-20 min

Grade Level: Grade One
Materials:
? Transparency for “Peas Porridge Hot” and Picture of Quarter Rest
? CD with song Pease Porridge Hot
? Poster board with quarter rest on it
? Two green and two red cards: green with “no rest” or rest symbol canceled out and red with a quarter rest on it
? Masking tape
? Stickers
Musical Skills Developed:
singing with a group, reading a quarter rest, recognizing a quarter rest in a clapped measure.

Concepts Taught:
A beat may have no sound. There is a symbol for the silent beat.

Objectives:
The student will indicate the silent beats (rests) with an outward motion of the arms. The student will be able to indicate a measure clapped out with a quarter rest, and a measure clapped out without a quarter rest.

Lesson Outline:
Opening:
1. Play “Peas Porridge Hot” off the CD.
2. Teach song by rote.
Body:
1. Show quarter rest on a poster and transparency and explain what it is.
2. Echo Clap “Peas Porridge Hot”(ta,ti-ti,etc.) 2 measures at a time.
3. Chant and clap “Peas Porridge Hot.”
4. Everybody sing with the CD.
Closing:
Evaluation and Reinforcement Game: Improvisation of Steal the Bacon
The class is divided into four teams each team forms a line behind the masking tape found on the floor. The lines are distinguished by color. The line should be formed with the first person in each line facing the first person on another team. Between each set of teams are two cards, one with a rest symbol(red-symbolizing stop) and one with a cancelled out rest symbol(green- symbolizing that the measure has no rest). The teacher will clap a measure of “Peas Porridge Hot.” When the measure is completed the first student at the beginning of each line will race to grab the appropriate card, – if the measure had a rest they will get the card with the rest symbol if it doesn’t they will get the card without. Each correct card will be awarded a point for that team. The team with the most points wins. All students will be rewarded with a sticker for their participation.

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Music, level: Elementary

Materials Required: A selection of percussion instruments
Activity Time: Variable
Concepts Taught: To encourage the children to listen and take care.

1.Ask the children to sit in a circle.
2.Pile the instruments up, in the middle of the circle.
Each child takes a turn at creeping into the middle and trying to retrieve an instrument without making the slightest noise.
The other children are ready and waiting to hear any sound at all.
If the child is successful they can keep the instrument and play it at the end of the activity.
If they are not successful they must put the instrument back in to the pile.
At the end, Sing a familiar song and the children can accompany on their instruments.

Music, level: Elementary

Materials Required: Overhead, or song handouts
Activity Time: 10 to 15 min.
Concepts Taught: Beats, Rhythm, Solfege, Pitch Numbers

For kindergarten (3rd week), after mastering ta, ti-ti, and showing the divisions of ONE – TWO, and ONE-AND-TWO-AND.
1st grade to help new students, and, all ESOL students who do not know the alphabet at any grade level (group or center activity, best if taught to all ESOL grade levels at the same time, allowing those who master to stop attending).

The Alphabet is a MAJOR curriculum objective in kindergarten, as well it should be.  With “Music You Can Read” the student gets a head start by learning the rhythm before adding the 26 letters.

1. Pitch Drill Do-So, or 1-5 – see, Pitch Drills
2. Show beat divisions see, Rhythm Drills
3. Count the beats, “this song is counted in two’s, 1,2, ready, GO.”  (teacher/student (ADD)-points)
“Are there any patterns? Where?”  (highlight with marker), “Let’s do it again and see.”
4. Read pitches in rhythm.  NUMBERS FIRST! (teacher/student-points)
“Are there any patterns? Where?”  (highlight with marker), “Let’s do it again and see.”
“Do you see the pitches we sang in the pitch drill?  Where are they?”
5. Sing pitches, NUMBERS FIRST!  (teacher/student-points)
“Does ending on ‘2′ or ‘Re’ sound like a good stopping pitch?” (leading tone, GR.3/4/5/6)
6. Add text, slowly giving time for each student to draw the letter in the air as they sing.  (teacher steps to board models this as they sing.)

This is reviewed in the same order during the next lesson,  then only formats that need to reinforce for mastery.

Music, level: Elementary

Activity Time: 10 minutes or less
Concepts Taught: To dismiss assemblies in an orderly fashion

Hi! My name is Mr. Teacher and  an elementary music teacher. I have

recently written a songbook entitled “RISE AND SHINE” The songbook is

filled with songs to help dismiss school assemblies in an orderly

fashion. Each song has a fun and catchy chorus. After each chorus,

the lyrcis sung ask a certain grade level to stand and be dismissed.

The children love singing these fun songs and I know your students

will, too! My songbook has been selling around cities in OKLAHOMA and

the schools have commented that the their assemblies have dismissed

with wonderful success. If you are interested in purchasing “RISE AND

SHINE”.com and I will give you all the ordering information. THANK

YOU.