Monday, September 30, 2013

5th Grade Boomwhacker Photos and Videos

Below are videos from the 5th grade boomwhacker unit. During this unit we focus on this year's goal of communication and problem solving. Students first had to work in groups to figure out a "mystery piece," (found in this post) then they created and performed a mystery piece of their own for the rest of the class to guess.










Student notated piece of "Jingle Bells"




Sunday, September 29, 2013

Grade 2/3 Frog Calls

Below are some recordings we made in 2nd and 3rd grade music the past couple weeks. First we learned about frogs and frog calls. Then we created our own frog calls (I found this idea online but do not remember where. If anyone knows feel free to comment!):


Leopard frog: rub a balloon w/a wet finger (This one was left out from some recordings since it didn't sound "real" enough)
Cricket frog: click two marbles together
Chorus frog: run a stick over guiro instruments
Green frog: snap a rubber band over plastic box opening

Next we learned about Haiku poems and students practiced speaking and clapping a haiku poem I had written about frogs, showing the normal 5-7-5 syllable lines:
"The sun has risen.
Chirps and croaks are in the air.
I listen and smile."

Finally, instead of clapping the syllables, students improvised on barred instruments, such as the xylophone, while saying the haiku poem out loud. They could only play one note per syllable. This was combined with the frog call recording to create the final product you hear below. The last recording (class 2G/N) is only of the frog call, which is interesting to listen to as well.

Enjoy!
Sandi Moon







Thursday, September 12, 2013

Week 3 Links

Here are some links, by grade, of what we did in music class this week. I'm sure your children would love to teach the songs to you or share the videos we watched! :-)

Grades K/1: BEARS
Black bear info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaRGgipzehU
Grizzly bear info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7h_DriTS_4
We're Going on a Bear Hunt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzIcu6tbEko
Grumpy Grizzly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay6-47FEAR8
Gummy Bear Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jpqO-3UU_U

Grades 2/3: FROGS
Frogs info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMFxQsaT274

Frog in the Millpond song from Silver Burdett Making Music Gd 2:



Grade 4: Ukuleles
Langley Ukulele Ensemble playing "I Feel Fine" by the Beatles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk-hpv__cgo
Langley Ukulele Ensemble playing "Flight of the Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYHYnF1js0Y


Grade 5: Boomwhackers
One Minute Boomwhacker Introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Haf9IzInpM
Call Me Maybe on Boomwhackers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qxPie5_cEU
Lady Gaga's Pokerface by 5th grade students: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd2UQoJ_9-0

Students worked in groups to play and figure out what their mystery piece was (Found on this post), then play it for the class and have them guess. Can you figure out what these mystery pieces are?







I had a blast this week! More fun still to come! :-)

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Camp Song Lyrics! Sept. 2013

Here are the lyrics to the camp songs we did in music the first two weeks! (I learned these songs working at a summer camp and did not write them. They are popular campfire songs.)



Go Bananas!
Bananas unite!
Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas!
Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas!
B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
Other Verses:
-Pick Bananas
-Smash Bananas
-Eat Bananas
-Go Bananas

There Was A Great Big Moose
There was a great big moose!
He liked to drink a lot of juice.
There was a great big moose!
He liked to drink a lot of juice.
Singin' way oh way oh
Way oh way oh way oh way oh
Way oh way oh
Way oh way oh way oh way oh

The moose's name was Fred.
He liked to drink his juice in bed.
The moose's name was Fred.
He liked to drink his juice in bed.
Singin' way oh way oh
Way oh way oh way oh way oh
Way oh way oh

Way oh way oh way oh way oh

He drank his juice with care,
but he spilled some in his hair.
He drank his juice with care,
but he spilled some in his hair.
Singin' way oh way oh
Way oh way oh way oh way oh
Way oh way oh
Way oh way oh way oh way oh

Now he's a sticky moose
Because he's all covered in juice!
Singin' way oh way oh
Way oh way oh way oh way oh
Way oh way oh
Way oh way oh way oh way oh

The Pirate Song
When I was one I sucked my thumb
the day I went to sea.
I climbed aboard the pirate ship
and the captain said to me,
"We're going:
This way, that way
forward, backward,
over the Irish sea.
A 7-up to fill me up and that's the life for me!
Dah, dah, dah, dah!
Dah, dah, dah, dah!"

2- Tied my shoe
3- Skinned my knee
4- Shut the door
5- Did a jive
6- Picked up sticks
7- Went to 7-11
8- Was running late
9- Feeling fine

10- DID IT AGAIN!

Wishy Washy Washer Woman
Waaaay down in the valley where nobody goes
there's a wishy washy washer woman washing her clothes
She goes "Oo! Ah! Oo! Ah!"

And that's how the washer woman washes her clothes.

Wadlyacha agootchie gootchie gootchie
Wadlyacha agootchie gootchie gootchie

And that's how the washer woman washes her clothes!

The Bear Song
The other day (group repeats), I met a bear (group repeats),A great big bear (group repeats), in tennis shoes (group repeats).?The other day, I met a bear, A great big bear in tennis shoes.

2. He said to me
“Why don’t you run?
Because you're out,
of hotdog buns!"

3. And so I ran
Away from there
But right behind
Me was that bear

4. Ahead of me
There was a tree
A great big tree
Oh glory be!

5. The nearest branch
Was 10 feet up
I’d have to jump
And trust my luck

6. And so I jumped
Into the air
But I missed that branch
Oh way up there

7. Now don’t you fret
Now don’t you frown
Cause I caught that branch
On the way back down

8. The moral of
This story is
Don’t talk to bears
In tennis shoes

9. The end the end
The end the end
The end the end







Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Music Classroom!


African Drums- Posters found here



The green "line up" line



View of the whole classroom


Colorful solfege signs- Found here


Get 100 practice points to become a "band rockstar"!


"Sharp" and "flat" pencils


The tile circle for circle games and fun times


The story rug


Bulletin board outside the classroom


Start of School

We are off to a great start at Dothan Brook School! This is my first year teaching and I am so grateful to be at such a wonderful school. The staff is extremely supportive, and the students are creative, smart, and definitely CSR Otters (caring, safe, and responsible)!
I hope to post lots of fun things we are doing in music class and links to songs, activities, etc., so check back frequently!
Have a great year!