Chicken on the Fence Post Grade 3

April is jazz appreciation month so 3rd graders learned about jazz history and a song that involves improvising (making music up on the spot). The song is called "Chicken on the Fence Post" and teaches students the quick 16th note rhythm of "beat-e-t-a".

I got the lesson idea and notation from the wonderful blog: bethsmusicnotesplus.com.

Chicken on the Fence Post with instruments. Students improvise on the words "fence post yeah!".

The next week students learned the game to "Chicken on the Fence Post". There are two circles moving in opposite directions and two foxes on the outside of the circle. When the song is over two sets of students raise their hands to let the foxes in (I squeezed two sets of hands before the song began), and the foxes must race through the maze to the middle to get the chicken stuffed animal. The game idea was found here.

This week students learned a clapping and cup routine to a chant called "Funky Chicken". The routine had its challenges, but was very rewarding to put all together. Plus we got to do silly funky chicken dances! I got the lesson idea here.

Sarasponda Orff and Rhythm Sticks Grade 5

The past two weeks in music 5th graders learned the Dutch folk song "Sarasponda". This song is made of nonsense words that are meant to imitate the sounds of a spinning wheel.

Students first rotated through a set of instruments including the Orff barred instruments, maracas, finger cymbals, and tambourines. We used this wonderful arrangement from bethsnotesplus.com. She is one of my favorite bloggers and always has beautifully clear notations and helpful lesson ideas. You can find her arrangement of Sarasponda here.

5B Sarasponda on Orff

5T Sarasponda on Orff

During week 2 students learned a rhythm stick routine to Sarasponda. I got the fun (and somewhat challenging!) routine from this video. I believe the linked video is of music education majors during an elementary education course.

5B Sarasponda Stick Routine

Two girls share their learned stick routine (sorry for the background noise).

These students got creative and two sets of partners crossed over each other during the routine.

Orff with 5th grade

5th graders learned a "Winter Snowflakes" piece on the Orff barred instruments this January (Lesson found here, thanks O For Tuna Orff!). The form of the piece was ABA, with A being the "Winter Snowflakes" song and part B being one student improvising. Students rotated for each "part A" around the rug so they got to play the barred instruments, finger cymbals, and improvising glockenspiel.

3rd grade "Mister Troll" activity

This week 3rd graders learned the song "Mister Troll" from One, Two, Three, Echo Me. Half the class plays various parts on instruments, and half the class waits for "Mister Troll" to say a color. If the students waiting are wearing that color they get to cross the troll's bridge. Once everyone has crossed the bridge the two groups switch and now those that were playing the instruments get to try and cross the troll's bridge.

Rotation stations for grades 2/3

This week in music class grade 2 and 3 are doing rotation stations. Grade 2 has a boomwhackers theme and grade 3 has a mallets/barred instruments theme. Students work in small groups of 2-3 students and rotate from station to station, with about 5 minutes at each of the 7 stations.
Here are some pictures from this week:

Making rhythms and clapping them out!

Guessing what the "Mystery Piece" is that he played on his bell set.

Clapping rhythms they composed.

Picking three note names and improvising with them on the barred instruments. Improvising means to make music up on the spot.

Using stick notation to create rhythms, then clapping them out.

Using the boomwhackers to play the "mystery piece" and then guess what the name of it is (Ideas and multiple pages used from here)

Using the boomwhackers to figure out the correct notes to play a song such as "Hot Cross Buns" and coloring in what color boomwhackers are in what order.

Using colored cards to compose a piece for the boomwhackers (found here)

Improvising with 3 notes on the xylophone.

September fun in music!

Below is a summary of what each grade has been doing the past month, with a few tidbits from lessons.
Kindergarten has been learning about echoes, sounds they can make, and using the 4 voices: Speaking, singing, whispering, and yelling. This week they will learn about loud and soft.
"Play what I play after me" is a song where students hear a rhythm on a drum and then must play it on their egg shaker if their egg color is called. (song from SoundShapes Playbook)

"I Bought me a Cat" is an American folk song. Students were assigned an animal to listen for in the song. They played their animal's instrument when it was their turn in the song.

Slide found here

Grade 1 has been learning about the 4 voices: Speaking, singing, whispering, and yelling. They have also been learning more in depth about loud and soft and have been using the Italian musical terms: Forte (loud) and piano (soft).
"This is my speaking voice" chant is lead by a student for the class to echo, that goes through all 4 voices (From One, Two, Three, Echo Me).

"Good King Leopold" uses a student as the king. The class ask if they may cross his kingdom. Then the king says they may ask again but in a different voice. (The yelling voices are a bit too strong in this video, and I teach students that our "yelling" voices are not really yelling since that can hurt our voices, but the kids got excited!) Once the king says "Yes!" students must jump up and run in place (across his kingdom) until the king gestures them to sit down (Idea from One, Two, Three, Echo Me).

Grade 2 has been working on a boomwhacker unit and has been using a new and exciting curriculum called "Boomwhacker Beatz". 2nd graders will play boomwhackers in the Winter Concert on December 4th.
"Wait to eat the doughnut" activity from "Boomwhacker Beatz".

"Baa baa black sheep for the boomwhackers":

Source: NHCS Blog

Grade 3 has been working on the barred instruments such as the xylophone and glockenspiel. 3rd graders will play the barred instruments in the Winter Concert on December 4th.
"Which way is up?" This piece helps students remember which way is "up" on the barred instruments, and which way is "down". (From Mallet Madness Strikes Again)

"The Grand Old Duke of York" practices playing a chord, going up and down the barred instruments, and rolling on one note. (From Mallet Madness)

"Beetle Bop" uses a book along with the barred instruments. After each page is sung to the class students say "Beetle beetle Bop" while playing a descending 5-note scale on their instruments. (From Mallet Madness Strikes Again)

Grade 4 is off to a wonderful start on the ukuleles. They have already learned 3 chords! Chord C, C7, and F.
"I Can Play the Ukulele" is the first song students learned on the ukulele. It uses the C chord. Students not only were able to learn this chord and use it in the song, but they are all holding the ukulele correctly which takes a lot as a beginner!

"Troubadour" uses two chords: C and C7.

Grade 5 started off the year by learning the "Cup Song". The past two weeks they started their "Composer Spotlight" studies with the famous German composer Ludwig Van Beethoven. Beethoven was deaf for the last 10 years of his life, which is when many of his famous compositions were written. The next composer is French composer Camille-Saint-Saens who wrote the beloved children's work: Carnival of the Animals. He also wrote the October-appropriate Danse Macabre.

A popular video from the class called "Beethoven's Wig". This video adds words to Beethoven's 5th symphony.  

Lion King: Arts Enrichment K-4

Credit- Raymondsanti

Students in grades K-4 began the Lion King unit this Monday during Arts Enrichment time. Arts Enrichment is an extra music/art time a week taught by the Art teacher Mrs. Divis and the music teacher Ms. Moon.

Photo Credit

The Lion King on Broadway Trailer

For the next two Mondays students will be learning a fun dance to "The Circle of Life" and making African necklaces. Students will wear the necklaces while showcasing "The Circle of Life" dance at an upcoming school assembly.

Photo by: Swiss.frog

After those two weeks students will explore The Lion King theme more through various art projects and music activities. Some of the music activity videos are shown below:

Hakuna Matata:

The Lion Sleeps Tonight Music Video

Lion Sleeps Tonight- Just Dance 2 Video

 I made two different arrangements of Lion Sleeps Tonight (and found the ukulele online) for grades 2-4, to align with what instruments they are learning in general music class. Grade 2 will learn the song on boomwhackers, grade 3 on the barred instruments, and grade 4 on the ukulele. I will also give a brief description of some common African instruments and add appropriate percussion parts (likely only one or two per grade of the percussion parts listed below).

Below is a video from a 2nd grade class of students playing the boomwhacker part and some African instruments.

Here is a 3rd grade class practicing the mallet accompaniment to "Lions Sleeps Tonight".

Although the Lion King takes place in Kenya, the theme of the unit opens up the wonderful opportunity to explore musical activities from all parts of Africa. Obwisana is a folk song from Ghana. Students will play a rock passing game while singing the song. 

The words of the song mean "The rock has crushed my hand, grandma." I found this description in a book I have: 

"A child singing this song is repeatedly receiving a message of security and comfort, even in the context of a phrase and game which tells of injury. The injured child can take comfort in the fact that he or she can turn to "Nana" for sympathy and assistance- the ever-present circle of relatives supports Ghanaian children and adults during times of misfortune and celebration both."

Che Che Koolay is also a folk song from Ghana. The words have been said by some to be nonsense words. But the movements to the song lean toward this translation: 

Hands on your head

Hands on your shoulders

Hands on your waist

Hands on your knees

Hands on your ankles

Hands on your ankles

Hands on your ankles, hey! 

Notation found here

Students will learn a dance similar to the popular American song, "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" to Che Che Koolay.

Somebody that I Used to Know on Orff Instruments

4th and 5th graders learned an arrangement to the popular song by Gotye, "Somebody that I Used to Know" on the Orff instruments and ukuleles (from here).

Mallet Madness Videos

Below are three videos from our Mallet Madness adventures!

1st grade follows the leader! Stepping is hands alternating, jumping is hands together, and wavy arms is a glissando (going up and down the instrument).

I read the book "Rumble in the Jungle" and after every short poem students play and say, "Rumble, Rumble, Rumble in the Jungle!" They learn about dynamics and how to crescendo.

This kindergarten class plays hands together on "JUMP FROG JUMP!" to the cumulative book, "Jump, Frog, Jump".

Mallet Madness this month for K-3

Grades K-3 will experience "Mallet Madness" this month in music class! Mallet Madness is made up of 2 giant lines of both barred instruments and drums that students rotate through while singing a fun chant. This way students get to experience all of the instruments used. They will learn how to hold the mallets, improvise, follow a line of music, and make musical accompaniment to story books.

K-1 will also learn songs using smaller bell sets that have notes numbered 1-8 for easier playing. They will learn some of the beloved songs that every kid should know, such as hot cross buns!