Happy break! Are you PRACTICING?!?!?! Enjoy. :)
Best Christmas Light Shows
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Winter Break
Well, break time is almost here and is well deserved for all. I have enjoyed the last few weeks, incorporating lots of winter activities into much class. My Honors Choir took a field trip to some local nursing homes in Greeley to sing and spread some cheer. They also performed at the middle school concert and were very successful.
Here's what we've been up to:
Kindergarten- we took a story book called "10 Shiny Snowflakes" and added instruments and movements to go with it. We read the story "The Jingle Bell Ball" and "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear?" We watched the classic story "Peter and the Wolf" and learned more about instrument sounds. We learned to sing "The Snowman Song", which has fun movements to go along with it. Ask your student to perform this song for you!
1st/2nd grade- we've learned many fun winter songs, including "We Will Jingle", "Mittens and Gloves", "Snowman Jump", and "Hip Hop Reindeer." We played mallet instruments with "Snowman Jump" and had fun with some winter rhythms. We created our own question and answer winter rhythms, as well. We added instruments to the story "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Bell." We did some carol tune puzzles and some other fun SMARTboard activities.
3rd/4th grade- we learned a bit about the dreidl game played durin Hanukkah. We learned a song called "Dreidl Spin" which we sang and played on recorders. We have also been working on assessing our recorder playing on the Recorder Karate song "Gently Sleep." We have been singing other winter songs, and our favorite is "Winter Again", which we also learned to play on hand bells, boomwhackers, and mallet instruments. We also took some winter rhythms and created our own mini-compositions which we wrote on the music staff and learned to play on recorders. Encourage your student to practice his/her recorder over break!!!
5th grade- we learned several winter songs, including "Winter Again" and "Over the River." We learned to play "Winter Again" on handbells, recorders, and mallet instruments. We created ostinato patterns and movements to go with "Over the River", and we also learned a folk dance to go with the song! We learned to play a song called "Joyous Prelude" on recorders, which is based on Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." We made ostinato patterns to go with the canon song "I Love the Mountains" and performed them in groups. We have continued to work on sign language for the song "Win", as well. Encourage your student to practice his/her recorder over break!!!
Are you going to PRACTICE over break? Are you going to sing, dance, and play instruments? Enjoy.
Here's what we've been up to:
Kindergarten- we took a story book called "10 Shiny Snowflakes" and added instruments and movements to go with it. We read the story "The Jingle Bell Ball" and "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear?" We watched the classic story "Peter and the Wolf" and learned more about instrument sounds. We learned to sing "The Snowman Song", which has fun movements to go along with it. Ask your student to perform this song for you!
1st/2nd grade- we've learned many fun winter songs, including "We Will Jingle", "Mittens and Gloves", "Snowman Jump", and "Hip Hop Reindeer." We played mallet instruments with "Snowman Jump" and had fun with some winter rhythms. We created our own question and answer winter rhythms, as well. We added instruments to the story "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Bell." We did some carol tune puzzles and some other fun SMARTboard activities.
3rd/4th grade- we learned a bit about the dreidl game played durin Hanukkah. We learned a song called "Dreidl Spin" which we sang and played on recorders. We have also been working on assessing our recorder playing on the Recorder Karate song "Gently Sleep." We have been singing other winter songs, and our favorite is "Winter Again", which we also learned to play on hand bells, boomwhackers, and mallet instruments. We also took some winter rhythms and created our own mini-compositions which we wrote on the music staff and learned to play on recorders. Encourage your student to practice his/her recorder over break!!!
5th grade- we learned several winter songs, including "Winter Again" and "Over the River." We learned to play "Winter Again" on handbells, recorders, and mallet instruments. We created ostinato patterns and movements to go with "Over the River", and we also learned a folk dance to go with the song! We learned to play a song called "Joyous Prelude" on recorders, which is based on Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." We made ostinato patterns to go with the canon song "I Love the Mountains" and performed them in groups. We have continued to work on sign language for the song "Win", as well. Encourage your student to practice his/her recorder over break!!!
Are you going to PRACTICE over break? Are you going to sing, dance, and play instruments? Enjoy.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Thanksgiving!
It's Thanksgiving break! Are you practicing?!?!?!
I had a WONDERFUL time at the Orff National Conference for music teachers in St. Louis this past weekend. I will be coming back to school full of inspiration and new ideas that I cannot wait to try.
So, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, you should PRACTICE!
Listen to music, sing, dance, play, enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!
I had a WONDERFUL time at the Orff National Conference for music teachers in St. Louis this past weekend. I will be coming back to school full of inspiration and new ideas that I cannot wait to try.
So, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, you should PRACTICE!
Listen to music, sing, dance, play, enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 2, 2012
This week (10/29-11/2)
Happy end of the trimester!
A word about grades....
All specials teachers have made a change this year with our grading scale. In the past, we used a numbering system similar to the classroom teachers, 1-4. This year, the specials teachers have decided to make a change to benefit students and families in terms of understanding the grades. We will be using an ESU grading scale. E=Excellent (above expectations.) S=Satisfactory (meets expectations.) U=Unsatisfactory (below expectations.) This should make grades easier to understand for all.
This week in...
Kindergarten- we continued to learn about walking and jogging sounds in music. We reviewed high and low sounds, and we wrapped up the week with a quiz about some of the major concepts covered so far this year: high and low, identifying simple musical patterns, and walking versus jogging music.
1st/2nd grade- students performed a chant from the story Shake Dem Halloween Bones in groups using the expressive characteristics of music (loud and soft, fast and slow, high and low, and also some emotions- e.g. happy, sad, mad.) These were fun to watch! We also played a game with a pumpkin beanbag called "The Pumpkin Picker."
3rd/4th grade- we began to examine our recorder playing and graded ourselves in the 4 categories of tone, rhythm, fingerings/posture, and tonguing. Students used the song "Hot Cross Buns" (the white belt song on Recorder Karate) to gauge their current level of playing. We also had some fun playing a football passing game.
5th grade- we learned about Beethoven and wrote reactions to some of his compositions on our music logs. We also completed another Mad Minutes, which focuses on reading the notes B, A, G, and E on the staff. We reviewed our sign language for the song "Win" (see the link at the bottom of the page under 'Other useful links') and worked on some new recorder songs.
HAPPY PRACTICING!
A word about grades....
All specials teachers have made a change this year with our grading scale. In the past, we used a numbering system similar to the classroom teachers, 1-4. This year, the specials teachers have decided to make a change to benefit students and families in terms of understanding the grades. We will be using an ESU grading scale. E=Excellent (above expectations.) S=Satisfactory (meets expectations.) U=Unsatisfactory (below expectations.) This should make grades easier to understand for all.
This week in...
Kindergarten- we continued to learn about walking and jogging sounds in music. We reviewed high and low sounds, and we wrapped up the week with a quiz about some of the major concepts covered so far this year: high and low, identifying simple musical patterns, and walking versus jogging music.
1st/2nd grade- students performed a chant from the story Shake Dem Halloween Bones in groups using the expressive characteristics of music (loud and soft, fast and slow, high and low, and also some emotions- e.g. happy, sad, mad.) These were fun to watch! We also played a game with a pumpkin beanbag called "The Pumpkin Picker."
3rd/4th grade- we began to examine our recorder playing and graded ourselves in the 4 categories of tone, rhythm, fingerings/posture, and tonguing. Students used the song "Hot Cross Buns" (the white belt song on Recorder Karate) to gauge their current level of playing. We also had some fun playing a football passing game.
5th grade- we learned about Beethoven and wrote reactions to some of his compositions on our music logs. We also completed another Mad Minutes, which focuses on reading the notes B, A, G, and E on the staff. We reviewed our sign language for the song "Win" (see the link at the bottom of the page under 'Other useful links') and worked on some new recorder songs.
Here's a photo of my pup Wilson and I enjoying the Halloween parade at school!
HAPPY PRACTICING!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
This week (10/22-10/26)
This week in...
Kindergarten- we are learning about walking and jogging to sounds in music. We heard the piece "Slavonic Dance" and got to walk and jog along with the different sections. We also played rhythm sticks to walking and jogging rhythms and played a game with the story "Little Red Riding Hood." We learned to sing the song "I'm a Little Ghost" and did some other Halloween activities. We learned the chant "Five Little Pumpkins" and made our voices match pathways of ghosts on the SMARTboard. We even created our own vocal pathway with ghosts on a piece of paper using pencils and crayons and practiced singing them as a class.
1st/2nd grade- we have been learning about steady beat versus rhythm in music. We did several activities to continue to practice the difference between those two things, and we took a quiz about steady beat and rhythm on the erasable white boards. We sang "Apples Red" and practiced clicking the steady beat and rhythm on rhythm sticks. We sang the song "I'm a Little Ghost" and "Pick a Pumpkin" for Halloween. We passed a pumpkin bean bag around the circle to the steady beat in preparation for a beanbag passing game that we will play next week in class. We also had some fun with the classic song "Monster Mash."
3rd/4th grade- we learned to sing two songs: "I Bought Me a Bat" (a spooky rendition of "I Bought Me a Cat" that we learned earlier this year!) and "Autumn Vibe." We also continued to develop our note reading skills with Mad Minutes and played a football passing game. We played a longer piece on recorders called "B A Dancing Zombies", which focuses on the notes B and A. We also played a Halloween quiz game in groups.
5th grade- we played the mallet instruments with the chant I taught last week, "Double, Double." We learned a tremolo, an ostinato, and the melody pattern. We assigned different members of the class to play different parts and turned it into a performance.
There will be a spooky sing along tomorrow morning in the auditorium at 10am! All are welcome to attend.
Kindergarten- we are learning about walking and jogging to sounds in music. We heard the piece "Slavonic Dance" and got to walk and jog along with the different sections. We also played rhythm sticks to walking and jogging rhythms and played a game with the story "Little Red Riding Hood." We learned to sing the song "I'm a Little Ghost" and did some other Halloween activities. We learned the chant "Five Little Pumpkins" and made our voices match pathways of ghosts on the SMARTboard. We even created our own vocal pathway with ghosts on a piece of paper using pencils and crayons and practiced singing them as a class.
1st/2nd grade- we have been learning about steady beat versus rhythm in music. We did several activities to continue to practice the difference between those two things, and we took a quiz about steady beat and rhythm on the erasable white boards. We sang "Apples Red" and practiced clicking the steady beat and rhythm on rhythm sticks. We sang the song "I'm a Little Ghost" and "Pick a Pumpkin" for Halloween. We passed a pumpkin bean bag around the circle to the steady beat in preparation for a beanbag passing game that we will play next week in class. We also had some fun with the classic song "Monster Mash."
3rd/4th grade- we learned to sing two songs: "I Bought Me a Bat" (a spooky rendition of "I Bought Me a Cat" that we learned earlier this year!) and "Autumn Vibe." We also continued to develop our note reading skills with Mad Minutes and played a football passing game. We played a longer piece on recorders called "B A Dancing Zombies", which focuses on the notes B and A. We also played a Halloween quiz game in groups.
5th grade- we played the mallet instruments with the chant I taught last week, "Double, Double." We learned a tremolo, an ostinato, and the melody pattern. We assigned different members of the class to play different parts and turned it into a performance.
There will be a spooky sing along tomorrow morning in the auditorium at 10am! All are welcome to attend.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
This week (10/8-10/11)
This week in...
Kindergarten- students listened to different musical selections and had to determine if each had mostly high or mostly low sounds. If they heard mostly high sounds, they circled the picture of the mountain. If they heard mostly low sounds, they circled the picture of the submarine. We also listened to and acted out the story of "Thorn Rosa."
1st/2nd grade- we played the mallet instruments with the song "Apples Red." We enjoyed playing all the same note at the same time, and playing a bordun pattern to go with the song.
3rd/4th grade- we played the note B and A on recorders to the rhythm of the poem "Warm hands, warm." We also improvised our own melodies on mallet instruments to the rhythm of "Warm hands, warm." Several students shared their improvisations as solos.
5th grade- we review a chant we learned called "Let's Play a Game." We learned that the chant is actually a song. We figured out how to play the melody on the mallet instruments. We also took another listen to the song "Win" by Brian McKnight, which we will be starting to learn sign language for next week.
Kindergarten- students listened to different musical selections and had to determine if each had mostly high or mostly low sounds. If they heard mostly high sounds, they circled the picture of the mountain. If they heard mostly low sounds, they circled the picture of the submarine. We also listened to and acted out the story of "Thorn Rosa."
1st/2nd grade- we played the mallet instruments with the song "Apples Red." We enjoyed playing all the same note at the same time, and playing a bordun pattern to go with the song.
3rd/4th grade- we played the note B and A on recorders to the rhythm of the poem "Warm hands, warm." We also improvised our own melodies on mallet instruments to the rhythm of "Warm hands, warm." Several students shared their improvisations as solos.
5th grade- we review a chant we learned called "Let's Play a Game." We learned that the chant is actually a song. We figured out how to play the melody on the mallet instruments. We also took another listen to the song "Win" by Brian McKnight, which we will be starting to learn sign language for next week.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
This week (10/1-10/5)
This week in...
Kindergarten- we have been learning all about high and low sounds in music. We stretched up high like a star when we heard high sounds, and scooted down low like a star fish when we heard low sounds. We played a listening game with high and low in which we lined up behind either a picture of a mountain (high) or a submarine (low) depending on what we heard in each musical example.
1st/2nd grade- we learned a dance to go with the song "Shoofly." This was a beginning folk dance and we will learn more difficult versions of this dance soon! We kept the "fly" theme going and listened to "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." I then sang the students a story very similar to that called There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves. Students took a quiz with their music buddy on the erasable white boards. Questions focused on whether each musical example had a steady beat or no steady beat.
3rd/4th grade- we continued to be introduced to recorders- see post from last week. Some classes also got to do short call and response compositions with their music buddy. These were also performed for the class.
5th grade- we reviewed B and A on recorders. We also learned about the life and music of Mozart as we filled out our music logs. We learned the following poem:
Deedle deedle dumpling my son John
Went to bed with his stockings on
One shoe off and one shoe on
Deedle deedle dumpling my son John
We learned a body percussion (stomps, pats, claps, and snaps) to accompany this poem. We also made 4 beat word chains and played them on our recorders. This became a fun performance in ABA form. We also listened to the song "Win" by Brian McKnight, which we will be learning to sign in sign class this year. Here is a link to the video:
"Win" video
Happy weekend!
Kindergarten- we have been learning all about high and low sounds in music. We stretched up high like a star when we heard high sounds, and scooted down low like a star fish when we heard low sounds. We played a listening game with high and low in which we lined up behind either a picture of a mountain (high) or a submarine (low) depending on what we heard in each musical example.
1st/2nd grade- we learned a dance to go with the song "Shoofly." This was a beginning folk dance and we will learn more difficult versions of this dance soon! We kept the "fly" theme going and listened to "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." I then sang the students a story very similar to that called There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves. Students took a quiz with their music buddy on the erasable white boards. Questions focused on whether each musical example had a steady beat or no steady beat.
3rd/4th grade- we continued to be introduced to recorders- see post from last week. Some classes also got to do short call and response compositions with their music buddy. These were also performed for the class.
5th grade- we reviewed B and A on recorders. We also learned about the life and music of Mozart as we filled out our music logs. We learned the following poem:
Deedle deedle dumpling my son John
Went to bed with his stockings on
One shoe off and one shoe on
Deedle deedle dumpling my son John
We learned a body percussion (stomps, pats, claps, and snaps) to accompany this poem. We also made 4 beat word chains and played them on our recorders. This became a fun performance in ABA form. We also listened to the song "Win" by Brian McKnight, which we will be learning to sign in sign class this year. Here is a link to the video:
"Win" video
Happy weekend!
Friday, September 28, 2012
This week (9/24-9/28)
This week in...
Kindergarten- we made animal sounds (mooing and buzzing) and learned that the beginning of the song "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" sounds same as the beginning of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." We kept the steady beat in many ways up high and down low, and we moved like stars and starfish during high and low sounding music.
1st/2nd grade- we learned how to draw in so and mi on erasable music staff white boards. We listened to high and low music, and made guesses about which instrument between two choices would be higher. We moved around the room to show our musical opposites (high and low, forte and piano, allegro and lento) with our music buddies. We also read and sang along with the story book called "Pete the Cat."
3rd/4th grade- We learned to play the poem "Warm hands, warm" on drums. We would play regular drum strokes for most of the words, and thumb or down strokes for the stressed words in the poem. We repeated our Mad Minutes with the notes B, A, and G and began our work with recorders. We learned about how to correctly sit and use air when we play, and we learned to play the note "B." We played the rhythm of the poem "Thomas A. Tattamus" on recorders and had conversations with our music buddy using only the word "too." This was very silly and fun! Here's the tongue twister we used:
Thomas A. Tattamus took two T's
to tie two tups to two small trees.
To frighten the terrible Thomas A. Tattamus
tell me how many T's there are in that!
5th grade- We played the rhymed we learned last week on drums. ("Let's play a game. Clap and say your name. Everyone will copy you and sound just the same.") Last week, each of us came up with a way to clap and say our name that was unique and the class would copy it. This week, we came up with a way to play on the drum while saying our name. We learned a body percussion pattern to go with this rhyme that included clapping, patting our legs, and stomping. We performed this pattern in canon (2 groups, 1 starts first and the other starts a little later). We also learned to play this rhyme on drums and we later performed it in canon. We began our work on recorders this week as well. We used the same tongue twister as the 3rd and 4th graders (see above!) to learn to correctly use our tongue to start new notes.
Kindergarten- we made animal sounds (mooing and buzzing) and learned that the beginning of the song "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" sounds same as the beginning of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." We kept the steady beat in many ways up high and down low, and we moved like stars and starfish during high and low sounding music.
1st/2nd grade- we learned how to draw in so and mi on erasable music staff white boards. We listened to high and low music, and made guesses about which instrument between two choices would be higher. We moved around the room to show our musical opposites (high and low, forte and piano, allegro and lento) with our music buddies. We also read and sang along with the story book called "Pete the Cat."
3rd/4th grade- We learned to play the poem "Warm hands, warm" on drums. We would play regular drum strokes for most of the words, and thumb or down strokes for the stressed words in the poem. We repeated our Mad Minutes with the notes B, A, and G and began our work with recorders. We learned about how to correctly sit and use air when we play, and we learned to play the note "B." We played the rhythm of the poem "Thomas A. Tattamus" on recorders and had conversations with our music buddy using only the word "too." This was very silly and fun! Here's the tongue twister we used:
Thomas A. Tattamus took two T's
to tie two tups to two small trees.
To frighten the terrible Thomas A. Tattamus
tell me how many T's there are in that!
5th grade- We played the rhymed we learned last week on drums. ("Let's play a game. Clap and say your name. Everyone will copy you and sound just the same.") Last week, each of us came up with a way to clap and say our name that was unique and the class would copy it. This week, we came up with a way to play on the drum while saying our name. We learned a body percussion pattern to go with this rhyme that included clapping, patting our legs, and stomping. We performed this pattern in canon (2 groups, 1 starts first and the other starts a little later). We also learned to play this rhyme on drums and we later performed it in canon. We began our work on recorders this week as well. We used the same tongue twister as the 3rd and 4th graders (see above!) to learn to correctly use our tongue to start new notes.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
This week (9/10-9/14)
What a great first sing along on Friday! I loved it!
This week in...
Kindergarten- we are learning about loud and soft sounds. We discussed the soft ways we use our voice (whispering) and the loud ways we use our voice (calling.) We moved to lots of loud and soft music- tapping or doing something small for soft music, and stomping or doing something big for loud music. We practiced playing drums to the steady beat both loudly and softly. We played a listening game- students lined up behind a picture of a lion if they heard loud sounds and a picture of a mouse if they heard soft sounds.
1st/2nd grade- we are learning about dynamics! Dynamics is the "fancy music word" that means the volume of the music. We learned about loud (forte) sounds, and soft (piano) sounds. We identified pictures that showed forte and piano sounds, and we practiced using our 4 voices- singing, speaking, whispering, and calling. We learned the fun game "Grizzly Bear", which utilizes a medium, soft, and loud singing voice. We played rhythm sticks loudly and softly and heard many examples of loud and soft music. We also explored moving around the room in soft and loud ways, e.g. tiptoeing and stomping.
3rd/4th grade- we worked on mirroring with a partner- facing each other and copying movements exactly. We also worked on shadowing- one person stands behind the other and acts as their shadow. We also did this as a class and in groups of 4 when each person got to be the leader. We learned about call and response form with the song "Way Down Yonder in the Brickyard." Some students volunteered to sing duets for the class with a friend. We began exploring hand drums, tubano drums, a djembe drums with call and response form. I created a 4-beat call, and students improvised their own 4 beat responses.
5th grade- we had another go at our Mad Minutes with the notes B, A, and G on the music staff. We played a fun stick passing game with a song we learned last week called "Zigs and Zags." We began our study of famous composers by discussing the life and some well-known pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750.) We will be completing a year-long project called "Music logs" this year. Every time we learn about a new composer, we will keep track of which pieces we listen to and our reactions to them. This will help us remember all the unique musical styles that we will hear! We also began to learn a new folk dance called the "Galopede."
This week in...
Kindergarten- we are learning about loud and soft sounds. We discussed the soft ways we use our voice (whispering) and the loud ways we use our voice (calling.) We moved to lots of loud and soft music- tapping or doing something small for soft music, and stomping or doing something big for loud music. We practiced playing drums to the steady beat both loudly and softly. We played a listening game- students lined up behind a picture of a lion if they heard loud sounds and a picture of a mouse if they heard soft sounds.
1st/2nd grade- we are learning about dynamics! Dynamics is the "fancy music word" that means the volume of the music. We learned about loud (forte) sounds, and soft (piano) sounds. We identified pictures that showed forte and piano sounds, and we practiced using our 4 voices- singing, speaking, whispering, and calling. We learned the fun game "Grizzly Bear", which utilizes a medium, soft, and loud singing voice. We played rhythm sticks loudly and softly and heard many examples of loud and soft music. We also explored moving around the room in soft and loud ways, e.g. tiptoeing and stomping.
3rd/4th grade- we worked on mirroring with a partner- facing each other and copying movements exactly. We also worked on shadowing- one person stands behind the other and acts as their shadow. We also did this as a class and in groups of 4 when each person got to be the leader. We learned about call and response form with the song "Way Down Yonder in the Brickyard." Some students volunteered to sing duets for the class with a friend. We began exploring hand drums, tubano drums, a djembe drums with call and response form. I created a 4-beat call, and students improvised their own 4 beat responses.
5th grade- we had another go at our Mad Minutes with the notes B, A, and G on the music staff. We played a fun stick passing game with a song we learned last week called "Zigs and Zags." We began our study of famous composers by discussing the life and some well-known pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750.) We will be completing a year-long project called "Music logs" this year. Every time we learn about a new composer, we will keep track of which pieces we listen to and our reactions to them. This will help us remember all the unique musical styles that we will hear! We also began to learn a new folk dance called the "Galopede."
Monday, September 10, 2012
New school year!
Hello everyone!
I'm so sorry to have not posted sooner in this new school year. As we all know, the beginning of the year is a hectic time. Please take a moment to enter your email address into the white bar at the top of the blog page and hit "submit." You will then receive an email every time I write a new post on this blog along with a link to the blog page- super convenient! This makes it easy to know when to check up on my blog. I will also add new videos and pictures throughout the year, so don't forget to scroll down to check those out.
I attribute my lateness with this post to my sincerest attempt to make the most of including what I learned during my summer training course into my teaching this year. The course I took culminated with a Level I certification in the Orff Schulwerk approach. Orff Schulwerk is a way to teach and learn music. It is based on things children like to do: sing, chant rhymes, clap, dance, and keep a beat on anything near at hand. These instincts are directed into learning music by hearing and making music first, then reading and writing it later. This is the same way we all learned our language. I have been having so much fun incorporating this approach into every lesson so far this year. I even attended a workshop this past Saturday, the 8th, to brush up and get more new materials. That was one of 5 such workshops I will attend through this school year.
So far this year....
Kindergarten- we have been focusing on a few key points: the 4 ways to use our voice (whispering, speaking, singing, calling), being a good audience member, finding the singing voice, and learning about moving through self-space (staying in your spot) and general space (around the room.) We've learned the songs "Hello, Everybody", "Rover", "This is My Space", and "Counting Song". We've also worked with several rhymes and have learned basic technique for playing hand drums. We learned about the new words "conductor" and "solo."
1st/2nd grade- we began the year by coming up with a gesture (a unique body movement) to go with our name. We played a game with the song "Rig a Jig Jig" in which we paired up with multiple different partners in class. We learned a circle game/song called "Wake Me, Shake Me."We came up with lots of ways to move to the steady beat, including body movements (tapping the floor, patting your elbow) and even playing the steady beat on mallet instruments (this is called a bordun pattern.) We had our first experience playing mallet instruments with the song "Stars Shining." We experience playing with two hands together and one hand at a time while we counted the numbers of the stars in the song. We also got to figure out how to play our favorite food answer on the mallet instruments from the song "Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner." We have begun our discussion of musical opposites, beginning with loud and soft (piano and forte are the music words.) We learned the new words "bordun", "xylophone", "metallophone", "glockenspiel", "piano", and "forte."
3rd/4th grade- we began the year with the rhyme "Acka Backa" and played a game involving moving around the room and meeting classmates. We learned a song and game called "Wind Up the Apple Tree" that got us moving right away and taught us about AB form in music. We also immediately dove into reading notes on the staff, starting with the notes B, A, and G with an activity called Mad Minutes. Students have one minute to correctly identify the names of as many B's, A's, and G's on the paper as possible, out of a possible 30. We learned to sing the song "I've Been Wishing" which we then figured out how to play on the mallet instruments- the students had to find the notes by ear until they could play the melody! We learned a cumulative song called "I Bought Me a Cat" (see video here). We have also learned a traditional folk dance called the "Galopede" which involves a series of movements with a partner facing across from you. The kids had fun with this! We learned the new words "bordun", "ostinato", and "form."
5th grade- we began the year by examining our names. Names are such an easy way to begin the study of rhythm. We each had to find a unique way to say our name and the class would echo. We then had to try to fit our name into one pat, clap pattern. Students were divided into groups of 4 and created their own "name compostions." Students would choose one name to be the ostinato (a musical pattern that repeats over and over.) For example: Da-vid, Da-vid, Da-vid, Da-vid. They then had to choose the order in which to share the 4 names of their group members. For example: Da-vid, Syd-ney, Jack, Al-ex. Students then could decide whether their composition would start with the ostinato pattern or with the 4 name pattern, or both simultaneously. We performed these for the class and transferred the speech to percussion instruments. Students learned a song in a minor (sad sounding) key called "Who Has Seen the Wind?" Students learned a bordun pattern to accompany the song, figured out how to play the melody by ear on the mallet instruments, and also improvised their own new melodies. We also immediately dove into reading notes on the staff, starting with the notes B, A, and G with an activity called Mad Minutes. Students have one minute to correctly identify the names of as many B's, A's, and G's on the paper as possible, out of a possible 30. We have also learned one traditional folk dance called "Lucky Seven." It begins in one big circle but involves some tricky movements that took us several tries to master! We learned the new words "soprano", "alto", and "bass."
Please continue to read my blog throughout the year- it's here for you! Feel free to leave comments and ask your kids to further illuminate/explain/demonstrate some of the activities I summarize in these posts. :) Thanks!
I'm so sorry to have not posted sooner in this new school year. As we all know, the beginning of the year is a hectic time. Please take a moment to enter your email address into the white bar at the top of the blog page and hit "submit." You will then receive an email every time I write a new post on this blog along with a link to the blog page- super convenient! This makes it easy to know when to check up on my blog. I will also add new videos and pictures throughout the year, so don't forget to scroll down to check those out.
I attribute my lateness with this post to my sincerest attempt to make the most of including what I learned during my summer training course into my teaching this year. The course I took culminated with a Level I certification in the Orff Schulwerk approach. Orff Schulwerk is a way to teach and learn music. It is based on things children like to do: sing, chant rhymes, clap, dance, and keep a beat on anything near at hand. These instincts are directed into learning music by hearing and making music first, then reading and writing it later. This is the same way we all learned our language. I have been having so much fun incorporating this approach into every lesson so far this year. I even attended a workshop this past Saturday, the 8th, to brush up and get more new materials. That was one of 5 such workshops I will attend through this school year.
So far this year....
Kindergarten- we have been focusing on a few key points: the 4 ways to use our voice (whispering, speaking, singing, calling), being a good audience member, finding the singing voice, and learning about moving through self-space (staying in your spot) and general space (around the room.) We've learned the songs "Hello, Everybody", "Rover", "This is My Space", and "Counting Song". We've also worked with several rhymes and have learned basic technique for playing hand drums. We learned about the new words "conductor" and "solo."
1st/2nd grade- we began the year by coming up with a gesture (a unique body movement) to go with our name. We played a game with the song "Rig a Jig Jig" in which we paired up with multiple different partners in class. We learned a circle game/song called "Wake Me, Shake Me."We came up with lots of ways to move to the steady beat, including body movements (tapping the floor, patting your elbow) and even playing the steady beat on mallet instruments (this is called a bordun pattern.) We had our first experience playing mallet instruments with the song "Stars Shining." We experience playing with two hands together and one hand at a time while we counted the numbers of the stars in the song. We also got to figure out how to play our favorite food answer on the mallet instruments from the song "Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner." We have begun our discussion of musical opposites, beginning with loud and soft (piano and forte are the music words.) We learned the new words "bordun", "xylophone", "metallophone", "glockenspiel", "piano", and "forte."
3rd/4th grade- we began the year with the rhyme "Acka Backa" and played a game involving moving around the room and meeting classmates. We learned a song and game called "Wind Up the Apple Tree" that got us moving right away and taught us about AB form in music. We also immediately dove into reading notes on the staff, starting with the notes B, A, and G with an activity called Mad Minutes. Students have one minute to correctly identify the names of as many B's, A's, and G's on the paper as possible, out of a possible 30. We learned to sing the song "I've Been Wishing" which we then figured out how to play on the mallet instruments- the students had to find the notes by ear until they could play the melody! We learned a cumulative song called "I Bought Me a Cat" (see video here). We have also learned a traditional folk dance called the "Galopede" which involves a series of movements with a partner facing across from you. The kids had fun with this! We learned the new words "bordun", "ostinato", and "form."
5th grade- we began the year by examining our names. Names are such an easy way to begin the study of rhythm. We each had to find a unique way to say our name and the class would echo. We then had to try to fit our name into one pat, clap pattern. Students were divided into groups of 4 and created their own "name compostions." Students would choose one name to be the ostinato (a musical pattern that repeats over and over.) For example: Da-vid, Da-vid, Da-vid, Da-vid. They then had to choose the order in which to share the 4 names of their group members. For example: Da-vid, Syd-ney, Jack, Al-ex. Students then could decide whether their composition would start with the ostinato pattern or with the 4 name pattern, or both simultaneously. We performed these for the class and transferred the speech to percussion instruments. Students learned a song in a minor (sad sounding) key called "Who Has Seen the Wind?" Students learned a bordun pattern to accompany the song, figured out how to play the melody by ear on the mallet instruments, and also improvised their own new melodies. We also immediately dove into reading notes on the staff, starting with the notes B, A, and G with an activity called Mad Minutes. Students have one minute to correctly identify the names of as many B's, A's, and G's on the paper as possible, out of a possible 30. We have also learned one traditional folk dance called "Lucky Seven." It begins in one big circle but involves some tricky movements that took us several tries to master! We learned the new words "soprano", "alto", and "bass."
Please continue to read my blog throughout the year- it's here for you! Feel free to leave comments and ask your kids to further illuminate/explain/demonstrate some of the activities I summarize in these posts. :) Thanks!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Summer's almost gone!
Hello, again!
I hope everyone is having a great summer, as I am. I have been busy visiting family in MN, and taking care of lots of things back in Greeley. I've spent some time updating the blog with the following:
I hope everyone is having a great summer, as I am. I have been busy visiting family in MN, and taking care of lots of things back in Greeley. I've spent some time updating the blog with the following:
- some new videos- see "True Colors" video below
- links- see "Other Useful Links" below
- a new playlist- see the blue box below and click play to hear some songs!
- a Spanish translator (this translates all words on the blog into Spanish for families who prefer to read en español!)
- new recorder music (on the 'Recorder Music' tab)
Please explore and enjoy these exciting new features! Happy practicing!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Summer time!
Hello, everyone! It has certainly been too long since my last post. For the past two weeks, I have been taking an intense summer course offered at UNC. On Friday I will complete the course and I will be Level I certified in what is called the Orff Schulwerk. What is Orff Schulwerk, you may ask?
Orff is a way to teach and learn music. It is designed for all children, and includes a unique mix of singing, body percussion, dancing, playing instruments, and improvisation. I am so very excited for this upcoming school year to have the opportunity to implement the ideas and approaches I have been learning about. Students: get ready for some amazing music classes this year. Parents: be prepared to watch your children develop into more creative and thoughtful musicians.
Also, have you been practicing your recorder? Visit the recorder page NOW and enjoy some summer music making.
Other ideas for including music in your summer break:
Orff is a way to teach and learn music. It is designed for all children, and includes a unique mix of singing, body percussion, dancing, playing instruments, and improvisation. I am so very excited for this upcoming school year to have the opportunity to implement the ideas and approaches I have been learning about. Students: get ready for some amazing music classes this year. Parents: be prepared to watch your children develop into more creative and thoughtful musicians.
Also, have you been practicing your recorder? Visit the recorder page NOW and enjoy some summer music making.
Other ideas for including music in your summer break:
- listen to the radio (or CDs, or Pandora, etc.)
- sing songs you remember from music class
- play your recorder alone or with a friend- try making up your own song!
- dance to any music you hear
- instead of talking to a friend, try singing back and forth to each other
- attend a concert (lots of outdoor concerts can be fun in the summer!)
- make an instrument at home- try cardboard boxes, aluminum cans, or experiment with pots and pans in the kitchen!
Happy practicing!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Concert Thoughts
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
SPRING CONCERT!!!
Our Kindergarten and 1st/2nd grade concerts are one week from today! I can't wait to share some great music with you all.
Kindergarten students must be at their classroom at 5:15pm. The concert begins at 5:45pm.
1st/2nd grade students must be at their classroom at 6:30pm. The concert begins at 7:00pm.
Our 3rd/4th grade and 5th grade concert are 8 days away! These are shaping up to be fantastic performances.
3rd/4th grade students must be at their classroom at 5:15pm. The concert begins at 5:45pm.
5th grade students must be at their classroom at 6:30pm. The concert begins at 7:00pm.
All students must be on time and dress nicely- please no jeans, athletic wear, or sneakers if at all possible. Thank you for your continued support of music at University Schools and I look forward to seeing you all next week!
Kindergarten students must be at their classroom at 5:15pm. The concert begins at 5:45pm.
1st/2nd grade students must be at their classroom at 6:30pm. The concert begins at 7:00pm.
Our 3rd/4th grade and 5th grade concert are 8 days away! These are shaping up to be fantastic performances.
3rd/4th grade students must be at their classroom at 5:15pm. The concert begins at 5:45pm.
5th grade students must be at their classroom at 6:30pm. The concert begins at 7:00pm.
All students must be on time and dress nicely- please no jeans, athletic wear, or sneakers if at all possible. Thank you for your continued support of music at University Schools and I look forward to seeing you all next week!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
This week (4/23-4/27)
This week in....
Kindergarten- we played percussion instruments with shape pictures- our introduction to reading music! We also continued to prepare for our upcoming spring concert!!!
1st/2nd grade- we learned our last new concert song "One-Two, One-Two-Three" and continued to perfect other songs for our spring concert.
3rd/4th grade- we worked hard on the song "Get Up, Get Up, Get Up!" for our spring concert. We also ran through several of our other songs and worked on smoothing out the details.
5th grade- students were assessed on their ability to identify woodwind and brass instruments (we have been studying them in the last couple of weeks.) We also played instrument bingo as a fun way to wrap up that unit. We worked hard on concert music and played "When the Saints Go Marching In" on recorders.
Very much looking forward to the spring concerts soon! May 9th and May 10th!
Kindergarten- we played percussion instruments with shape pictures- our introduction to reading music! We also continued to prepare for our upcoming spring concert!!!
1st/2nd grade- we learned our last new concert song "One-Two, One-Two-Three" and continued to perfect other songs for our spring concert.
3rd/4th grade- we worked hard on the song "Get Up, Get Up, Get Up!" for our spring concert. We also ran through several of our other songs and worked on smoothing out the details.
5th grade- students were assessed on their ability to identify woodwind and brass instruments (we have been studying them in the last couple of weeks.) We also played instrument bingo as a fun way to wrap up that unit. We worked hard on concert music and played "When the Saints Go Marching In" on recorders.
Very much looking forward to the spring concerts soon! May 9th and May 10th!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
This week (4/9-4/13)
This week in....
Kindergarten- we are continuing to work hard on learning our music for the spring concert. We began learning a new song called "Marching Rhythm." We played rhythm sticks and drums along with the different sections of the song. We also began singing some of our concert songs on the stairs in my room, which are similar to the risers we will be performing on in the auditorium.
1st/2nd grade- we continued learning the song "Ere the Waters of the Deep" for our spring concert. We worked hard on the song "Everybody Has Music Inside" and discussed concert etiquette. Students sang some concert songs on the stairs in my room, which are similar to the auditorium risers. We are also continuing to work on singing songs with sign language.
3rd/4th grade- we are continuing to perfect our new F# fingering on recorders with the song "Twinkle, Twinkle." Students assessed themselves in the four categories of recorder playing for that song. We also continued to work on "Get Up, Get Up, Get Up!" and "True Colors" in preparation for the spring concert. We reviewed note reading with a Mad Minutes activity, as well.
5th grade- we worked hard on music for our spring concert early this week. We focused on energy and style for "Start Your Day With a Song." We worked on memorizing a very wordy song called "Nifty Fifty." Students also learned about the brass family of instruments (last week was the woodwind family) and began learning how to identify the 5 main brass instruments by sound only.
Sing along tomorrow morning!
Kindergarten- we are continuing to work hard on learning our music for the spring concert. We began learning a new song called "Marching Rhythm." We played rhythm sticks and drums along with the different sections of the song. We also began singing some of our concert songs on the stairs in my room, which are similar to the risers we will be performing on in the auditorium.
1st/2nd grade- we continued learning the song "Ere the Waters of the Deep" for our spring concert. We worked hard on the song "Everybody Has Music Inside" and discussed concert etiquette. Students sang some concert songs on the stairs in my room, which are similar to the auditorium risers. We are also continuing to work on singing songs with sign language.
3rd/4th grade- we are continuing to perfect our new F# fingering on recorders with the song "Twinkle, Twinkle." Students assessed themselves in the four categories of recorder playing for that song. We also continued to work on "Get Up, Get Up, Get Up!" and "True Colors" in preparation for the spring concert. We reviewed note reading with a Mad Minutes activity, as well.
5th grade- we worked hard on music for our spring concert early this week. We focused on energy and style for "Start Your Day With a Song." We worked on memorizing a very wordy song called "Nifty Fifty." Students also learned about the brass family of instruments (last week was the woodwind family) and began learning how to identify the 5 main brass instruments by sound only.
Sing along tomorrow morning!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
This week (3/26-3/30)
This week in.......(is anyone reading?!?!?)
Kindergarten- we took a quiz about hearing the difference between marches and lullabies. We began learning a new song for our spring concert called "Purple Cow", which is a silly song to the tune of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." We continued to work on "Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go" and learned about vocal warmups.
1st/2nd grade- we worked on one of our concert songs with sign language, "You Are My Sunshine." Earlier this year, we learned the song "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." Later, we read the story There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell. This week, we read the story There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea and we later paired percussion instruments with it. We began learning another concert song, "Everybody Has Music Inside."Lastly, we spent some time learning about the percussion family of instruments, including honing our ability to identify the different types of percussion by sound only!
3rd/4th grade- we did some more work with our recorders and assessed our progress on the song "Old MacDonald." We learned a new note, F#, and learned to play "Twinkle, Twinkle." We began learning a new song for our spring concert called "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O."
5th grade- Again, this week was difficult because of TCAP testing, but we still managed to get some things accomplished. We have started working on the song "Blackbird" in preparation for our spring concert. We started learning another concert song, "Nifty Fifty", which names all 50 states. We also learned to play two new notes on recorders that we used to play the song "When the Saints Go Marching In."
There will be a sing along coming up on April 13! Happy weekend.
Kindergarten- we took a quiz about hearing the difference between marches and lullabies. We began learning a new song for our spring concert called "Purple Cow", which is a silly song to the tune of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." We continued to work on "Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go" and learned about vocal warmups.
1st/2nd grade- we worked on one of our concert songs with sign language, "You Are My Sunshine." Earlier this year, we learned the song "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." Later, we read the story There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell. This week, we read the story There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea and we later paired percussion instruments with it. We began learning another concert song, "Everybody Has Music Inside."Lastly, we spent some time learning about the percussion family of instruments, including honing our ability to identify the different types of percussion by sound only!
3rd/4th grade- we did some more work with our recorders and assessed our progress on the song "Old MacDonald." We learned a new note, F#, and learned to play "Twinkle, Twinkle." We began learning a new song for our spring concert called "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O."
5th grade- Again, this week was difficult because of TCAP testing, but we still managed to get some things accomplished. We have started working on the song "Blackbird" in preparation for our spring concert. We started learning another concert song, "Nifty Fifty", which names all 50 states. We also learned to play two new notes on recorders that we used to play the song "When the Saints Go Marching In."
There will be a sing along coming up on April 13! Happy weekend.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
This week (3/19-3/23)
Welcome back after spring break!
This week in...
Kindergarten- we began discussing our upcoming spring concert (Wednesday May 9th!) and are getting excited about it! We started to learn one of our new concert songs, "The Whole World." We listened and moved to a story called "The Magical, Musical Bridge." We also learned to hear the difference between lullabies and marches through a variety of examples.
1st/2nd grade- we have started to prepare for our spring concert (Wednesday May 9th!) by learning one of our concert songs, "With My Own Two Hands." We reviewed our foot motions that go with music, including walking, jogging, skipping, and galloping. We used these foot motions with several pieces of music, and gained practice identifying sectional form. We learned a fun song called "The Opposite Rap" and moved in many ways to show the steady beat.
3rd/4th grade- we took some time to review what we know on recorders, including the songs "It's Raining" and "Old MacDonald." Each student was assessed on the first measure of "Old MacDonald", and each student also assessed themselves on the entire song in our four categories of recorder playing. We also began to learn one of our spring concert songs, (Thursday May 10th!) "Lean on Me."
5th grade- Sadly I missed seeing half of 5th grade classes quite a bit this week because of the TCAP testing. For the classes that I did see, we reviewed some songs on recorders, did some note-reading with Mad Minutes, and listened to one of the songs we will be performing in our spring concert, (Thursday May 10th!) "Blackbird."
This week in...
Kindergarten- we began discussing our upcoming spring concert (Wednesday May 9th!) and are getting excited about it! We started to learn one of our new concert songs, "The Whole World." We listened and moved to a story called "The Magical, Musical Bridge." We also learned to hear the difference between lullabies and marches through a variety of examples.
1st/2nd grade- we have started to prepare for our spring concert (Wednesday May 9th!) by learning one of our concert songs, "With My Own Two Hands." We reviewed our foot motions that go with music, including walking, jogging, skipping, and galloping. We used these foot motions with several pieces of music, and gained practice identifying sectional form. We learned a fun song called "The Opposite Rap" and moved in many ways to show the steady beat.
3rd/4th grade- we took some time to review what we know on recorders, including the songs "It's Raining" and "Old MacDonald." Each student was assessed on the first measure of "Old MacDonald", and each student also assessed themselves on the entire song in our four categories of recorder playing. We also began to learn one of our spring concert songs, (Thursday May 10th!) "Lean on Me."
5th grade- Sadly I missed seeing half of 5th grade classes quite a bit this week because of the TCAP testing. For the classes that I did see, we reviewed some songs on recorders, did some note-reading with Mad Minutes, and listened to one of the songs we will be performing in our spring concert, (Thursday May 10th!) "Blackbird."
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Greeley Tribune article
We made the front page of the paper! On Friday, a reporter came to cover the sing along events I began last school year. Click here to read the article! It's great to get some positive exposure for our school.
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20120304/NEWS/703049987
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20120304/NEWS/703049987
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
This week (2/27-3/2)
This week in....
Kindergarten- we are marching to "March of the Toys" in 3 groups to correspond with the A, B, and C sections of the piece. We are continuing to perfect our skills of performing our 4 foot motions with music- walking, jogging, skipping, and galloping. Students also began learning about rhythm versus steady beat, which means patting along with the words of a song.
1st/2nd grade- we reviewed songs like "Tingalayo" and "You Are My Sunshine" and continued working on the sign language to go with them. We reviewed our fun group dance, "The Pawpaw Patch" and also performed for the class with music buddies to show the movements we came up with to go with the song "La raspa." Students played Rhythm Tic Tac Toe and read rhythms on flashcards.
3rd/4th grade- we continued to work on the song "Old MacDonald" and students graded their own progress in 4 categories- tone, rhythm, fingerings/posture, and tonguing. We learned the game "Closet Key", which involves singing, recorders, and secretly passing a key around the circle. We continued to work on singing and signing the song "True Colors" while striving for matching pitch.
5th grade- we continued to work on songs on recorders, including "Old MacDonald." We learned to sing a partner song, which pairs "When the Saints Go Marching In" with "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" with the class divided into 2 groups. We also learned about the composer from the Romantic era Franz Liszt, a virtuoso pianist and performer.
There will be a sing along this Friday at 2:45pm in the auditorium. Feel welcome to stop in and sing with us!
Kindergarten- we are marching to "March of the Toys" in 3 groups to correspond with the A, B, and C sections of the piece. We are continuing to perfect our skills of performing our 4 foot motions with music- walking, jogging, skipping, and galloping. Students also began learning about rhythm versus steady beat, which means patting along with the words of a song.
1st/2nd grade- we reviewed songs like "Tingalayo" and "You Are My Sunshine" and continued working on the sign language to go with them. We reviewed our fun group dance, "The Pawpaw Patch" and also performed for the class with music buddies to show the movements we came up with to go with the song "La raspa." Students played Rhythm Tic Tac Toe and read rhythms on flashcards.
3rd/4th grade- we continued to work on the song "Old MacDonald" and students graded their own progress in 4 categories- tone, rhythm, fingerings/posture, and tonguing. We learned the game "Closet Key", which involves singing, recorders, and secretly passing a key around the circle. We continued to work on singing and signing the song "True Colors" while striving for matching pitch.
5th grade- we continued to work on songs on recorders, including "Old MacDonald." We learned to sing a partner song, which pairs "When the Saints Go Marching In" with "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" with the class divided into 2 groups. We also learned about the composer from the Romantic era Franz Liszt, a virtuoso pianist and performer.
There will be a sing along this Friday at 2:45pm in the auditorium. Feel welcome to stop in and sing with us!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
This week (2/13/2/17)
This was quite a busy week at school! Getting ready to finish the trimester is always a busy time. A little bit about report cards for all to read:
Music students are graded on the same 1-4 scale used in the rest of the elementary school. I grade each student in four areas: singing, playing instruments, class work, and participation/attitude. The singing grade is based a bit on participation in terms of singing, but mostly based on the student's ability to match pitch. The instrument grade applies to all times we use instruments in class, including percussion instruments, mallet instruments, and recorders for grades 3, 4, and 5. The class work grade is usually based on all the paper assignments we do in class, and the amount of class work increases for higher grade levels. Finally, the participation/attitude grade is a culmination of what I have seen in terms of those two things from each student throughout the trimester. A 1 is this area means a student is always following directions and has a positive attitude. A 2 means a student is consistently doing those things. A 3 means a student is sometimes doing those things, and 4 means a student is seldom following directions and/or has a poor attitude consistently. If questions arise when report cards come out you may always contact me.
Informational letters regarding the spring concert have just been sent out, as well, so be sure to mark the date on your calendar. The performance will be May 9th for K, 1, and 2, and May 10th for 3, 4, and 5. I'm so looking forward to this event!
Now, to break down what we did this week:
Kindergarten- we did activities for Valentine's day! We played a game with "Messenger Song" in which students sit in a circle, sing the song, and pass around an envelope to the steady beat. At the end of the song, the child holding the envelope closes their eyes, reaches in, and pull out a name of someone in their class. The person who is called gets to go and choose a percussion instrument and play the steady beat with the song for the rest of the game. This continues until there is only one person left in the circle and all students have instruments.
1st/2nd grade- we learned some songs that are appropriate for Valentine's day, including the classic "You Are My Sunshine." We played metal instruments that ring during the long notes of the song. We also review our game "Bow, Wow, Wow" and learned to write the pitch 're' on our erasable white boards.
3rd/4th grade- we learned a Valentine song that involves movements with a partner. We also learned an ostinato (a repeating musical pattern) to accompany the song and played it on hand bells and boomwhackers. We reviewed our new song "True Colors" that we are learning to sing and sign. Look forward to hearing this one at the concert!
5th grade- students reviewed the song "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" by singing (some students even did solos) and playing recorders for the sections that are made up of notes we know how to play. We also continue to hone note reading skills with Mad Minutes.
Have a great long weekend, everyone!
Music students are graded on the same 1-4 scale used in the rest of the elementary school. I grade each student in four areas: singing, playing instruments, class work, and participation/attitude. The singing grade is based a bit on participation in terms of singing, but mostly based on the student's ability to match pitch. The instrument grade applies to all times we use instruments in class, including percussion instruments, mallet instruments, and recorders for grades 3, 4, and 5. The class work grade is usually based on all the paper assignments we do in class, and the amount of class work increases for higher grade levels. Finally, the participation/attitude grade is a culmination of what I have seen in terms of those two things from each student throughout the trimester. A 1 is this area means a student is always following directions and has a positive attitude. A 2 means a student is consistently doing those things. A 3 means a student is sometimes doing those things, and 4 means a student is seldom following directions and/or has a poor attitude consistently. If questions arise when report cards come out you may always contact me.
Informational letters regarding the spring concert have just been sent out, as well, so be sure to mark the date on your calendar. The performance will be May 9th for K, 1, and 2, and May 10th for 3, 4, and 5. I'm so looking forward to this event!
Now, to break down what we did this week:
Kindergarten- we did activities for Valentine's day! We played a game with "Messenger Song" in which students sit in a circle, sing the song, and pass around an envelope to the steady beat. At the end of the song, the child holding the envelope closes their eyes, reaches in, and pull out a name of someone in their class. The person who is called gets to go and choose a percussion instrument and play the steady beat with the song for the rest of the game. This continues until there is only one person left in the circle and all students have instruments.
1st/2nd grade- we learned some songs that are appropriate for Valentine's day, including the classic "You Are My Sunshine." We played metal instruments that ring during the long notes of the song. We also review our game "Bow, Wow, Wow" and learned to write the pitch 're' on our erasable white boards.
3rd/4th grade- we learned a Valentine song that involves movements with a partner. We also learned an ostinato (a repeating musical pattern) to accompany the song and played it on hand bells and boomwhackers. We reviewed our new song "True Colors" that we are learning to sing and sign. Look forward to hearing this one at the concert!
5th grade- students reviewed the song "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" by singing (some students even did solos) and playing recorders for the sections that are made up of notes we know how to play. We also continue to hone note reading skills with Mad Minutes.
Have a great long weekend, everyone!
Friday, February 10, 2012
This week (2/6-2/10)
This week in...
Kindergarten- students continued to learn about and move to music with walking, jogging, and galloping sounds. We began to learn a new song which we will perform in our spring concert called "Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go." We also listened to a musical story called "Abu Ali Counts His Donkeys."
1st/2nd grade- students played Rhythm Tic Tac Toe and began learning to song "Tingalayo", which will be performed at our spring concert. We also learned the song "Bow, Wow, Wow" and performed movements to go along with the song with many different partners.
3rd/4th grade- students moved to the song "Down the Road", which was a lot of fun. The song has two contrasting sections. During the A section of the song, we did a step-touch pattern. During the B section, students go to pick (from a list we made together) one way to move and one adverb (such as skip sleepily) and perform in with a partner.
5th grade- students learned about the composer Chopin and performed their response compositions on tubano drums. We also discussed choir- what is it, where did it come from, what does a good choir do, etc. Students watched a virtual choir video put together by composer Eric Whitacre.
It's almost the end of trimester 2! Time flies. Lots of this next week will be spent completing grades! Happy weekend to all.
Kindergarten- students continued to learn about and move to music with walking, jogging, and galloping sounds. We began to learn a new song which we will perform in our spring concert called "Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go." We also listened to a musical story called "Abu Ali Counts His Donkeys."
1st/2nd grade- students played Rhythm Tic Tac Toe and began learning to song "Tingalayo", which will be performed at our spring concert. We also learned the song "Bow, Wow, Wow" and performed movements to go along with the song with many different partners.
3rd/4th grade- students moved to the song "Down the Road", which was a lot of fun. The song has two contrasting sections. During the A section of the song, we did a step-touch pattern. During the B section, students go to pick (from a list we made together) one way to move and one adverb (such as skip sleepily) and perform in with a partner.
5th grade- students learned about the composer Chopin and performed their response compositions on tubano drums. We also discussed choir- what is it, where did it come from, what does a good choir do, etc. Students watched a virtual choir video put together by composer Eric Whitacre.
It's almost the end of trimester 2! Time flies. Lots of this next week will be spent completing grades! Happy weekend to all.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
This week (1/23-1/27)
This week in...
Kindergarten- we played the steady beat AND learned to play the melody of the song "Star Light, Star Bright" on mallet instruments. This was a difficult but fun challenge! We also took a listening quiz about music moving upward and downward, as well as identifying walking and jogging music.
1st/2nd grade- students took a quiz that assessed their ability to hear pitch and rhythm patterns similar to those we have been studying in class. We also learned to play the melody of the song "Tinker, Tailor" on mallet instruments.
3rd/4th grade- we learned about major scales and played a C major scale on mallet instruments. We also played the song "Do Re Mi" on mallet instruments and sang. We continued to practice playing songs on recorders and note reading skills, and also began to learn the song "True Colors."
5th grade- students learned a new note, D, on recorders and began to learn the song "Old MacDonald." We also began learning to sing "Start Your Day With a Song", an upbeat, swing style tune. We continued to improve our ability to identify notes on the staff by spelling out words using music note cards and we also did some music Mad Minutes.
Kindergarten- we played the steady beat AND learned to play the melody of the song "Star Light, Star Bright" on mallet instruments. This was a difficult but fun challenge! We also took a listening quiz about music moving upward and downward, as well as identifying walking and jogging music.
1st/2nd grade- students took a quiz that assessed their ability to hear pitch and rhythm patterns similar to those we have been studying in class. We also learned to play the melody of the song "Tinker, Tailor" on mallet instruments.
3rd/4th grade- we learned about major scales and played a C major scale on mallet instruments. We also played the song "Do Re Mi" on mallet instruments and sang. We continued to practice playing songs on recorders and note reading skills, and also began to learn the song "True Colors."
5th grade- students learned a new note, D, on recorders and began to learn the song "Old MacDonald." We also began learning to sing "Start Your Day With a Song", an upbeat, swing style tune. We continued to improve our ability to identify notes on the staff by spelling out words using music note cards and we also did some music Mad Minutes.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
This week (1/17-1/20)
This week in...
Kindergarten- students continued to learn about foot motions to match music, including walking, jogging, and galloping. They learned the song "Star Light, Star Bright" and helped me draw a picture on the board to match the melodic shape of the song. We also played some listening games with music moving upward and downward.
1st/2nd grade- students echo sang patterns using so, mi, and do. Students learned the song "Mother, Mother" and worked with their music buddies to create a 4-beat pattern (using so, mi, and do) to perform for the class. Students also decoded patterns that I sang to them using the syllable "oo" and showed me if I was singing so, mi, or do.
3rd/4th grade- we continued to work on the songs "Do Re Mi" from The Sound of Music and "Trail to Mexico", both of which include 2 parts going on at the same time. Students assessed their progress on playing recorders with the song "It's Raining." We also learned about music stepping, skipping, or leaping from note to note and about how long different notes and rests last.
5th grade- we had a drum circle! Students reviewed known rhythms and learned a brand new rhythm: eighth note triplets, which is three sounds equally distributed on one beat. This is one of the rhythms used in the beginning of the song "Wavin' Flag." We learned to play that rhythm on drums and did some call and response improvisation. We also reviewed the Spanish sections of "Wavin' Flag."
There will be a sing along tomorrow morning at 10am in the auditorium. Hope to see you there!
Kindergarten- students continued to learn about foot motions to match music, including walking, jogging, and galloping. They learned the song "Star Light, Star Bright" and helped me draw a picture on the board to match the melodic shape of the song. We also played some listening games with music moving upward and downward.
1st/2nd grade- students echo sang patterns using so, mi, and do. Students learned the song "Mother, Mother" and worked with their music buddies to create a 4-beat pattern (using so, mi, and do) to perform for the class. Students also decoded patterns that I sang to them using the syllable "oo" and showed me if I was singing so, mi, or do.
3rd/4th grade- we continued to work on the songs "Do Re Mi" from The Sound of Music and "Trail to Mexico", both of which include 2 parts going on at the same time. Students assessed their progress on playing recorders with the song "It's Raining." We also learned about music stepping, skipping, or leaping from note to note and about how long different notes and rests last.
5th grade- we had a drum circle! Students reviewed known rhythms and learned a brand new rhythm: eighth note triplets, which is three sounds equally distributed on one beat. This is one of the rhythms used in the beginning of the song "Wavin' Flag." We learned to play that rhythm on drums and did some call and response improvisation. We also reviewed the Spanish sections of "Wavin' Flag."
There will be a sing along tomorrow morning at 10am in the auditorium. Hope to see you there!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
This week (1/3-1/6)
Welcome back after break!
This week in....
Kindergarten- we greeted each other after the break with a "Hello" echoing song. We learned "Car Song", "Little Blue Truck", and listened to a story called "Wiggle and Waggle." This helped to learn about music moving upward and downward. We also reviewed the term tempo, meaning to speed of the music.
1st/2nd grade- we learned the song "Tinker, Tailor", learned to put the notes of the song on the music staff, and learned a game to go with the song. Students learned the pitch "do" from the scale in the context of the song "Little Sally Walker." We learned to draw new notes on music white boards.
3rd/4th grade- we continued to read notes with Mad Minutes and learned "It's Raining" on recorders. We learned about home tone with the song "Trail to Mexico" and learned the song "Do Re Mi" from The Sound of Music.
5th grade- we reviewed and learned songs on recorders, including a latin tune called "The Time Traveler's Trombone." We learned about the composer Franz Schubert and wrote reactions to two of his pieces as well as Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" on our music logs.
This week in....
Kindergarten- we greeted each other after the break with a "Hello" echoing song. We learned "Car Song", "Little Blue Truck", and listened to a story called "Wiggle and Waggle." This helped to learn about music moving upward and downward. We also reviewed the term tempo, meaning to speed of the music.
1st/2nd grade- we learned the song "Tinker, Tailor", learned to put the notes of the song on the music staff, and learned a game to go with the song. Students learned the pitch "do" from the scale in the context of the song "Little Sally Walker." We learned to draw new notes on music white boards.
3rd/4th grade- we continued to read notes with Mad Minutes and learned "It's Raining" on recorders. We learned about home tone with the song "Trail to Mexico" and learned the song "Do Re Mi" from The Sound of Music.
5th grade- we reviewed and learned songs on recorders, including a latin tune called "The Time Traveler's Trombone." We learned about the composer Franz Schubert and wrote reactions to two of his pieces as well as Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" on our music logs.
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