This week in...
Kindergarten- my classes were in slightly different places. Some us learned to play "The Snowman Song" on xylophones. Ask your student to sing this song for you with the motions- so cute! We also read the story "Jingle Bell Ball" and heard some new instrument sounds. We sang "We Will Jingle" and "Mittens and Gloves."
1st/2nd grade- we read the story "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell." We also did a lot of fun activities with the SMARTboard- each student got to come up to the board at least twice to participate in the lesson. Students had to hear high and low, do math with music notes, and match a picture to a melody. We also watched "Peter and the Wolf", a story that has specific instruments playing to match each character.
3rd/4th grade- we added a new note (E) to our Mad Minutes, in which students have one minute to identify the letter names of as many notes as possible out of 30 on their paper. We also learned about Hanukkah and the musical traditions associated with the holiday. We sang "I Have a Little Dreidel" and learned about the dreidel game.
5th grade- this week was busy as we finished a project. We discussed the major elements of music and performing (harmony, melody, rhythm, mood, style, etc.) We have been watching the film Sister Act 2. This week students compared two performances of the song "Joyful, Joyful" that happen at the end of the film. Students wrote about the similarities and differences of the two performances on a venn diagram and also wrote about which they preferred and why.
I hope you all have a wonderful break! I'm headed off to San Diego for a friend's wedding and then to Hawaii for a week! Parents of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders: please encourage your child to practice his/her recorder at least twice. They may go to the "Recorder Music" page on this blog to find music to work on. Thank you!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
This week (12/5-12/9)
This week in...
Kindergarten- students learned the winter song "Mittens and Gloves" and played along with the song on jingle bells. We also learned movements to match the song. Students learned "The Snowman Song" and some movements to go with it as well.
1st/2nd grade- students learned the song "Mittens and Gloves" as well as "Hip Hop Reindeer." We sang/read "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell" and compared it to "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." I introduced the half Spanish, half English version of "Wavin' Flag" to students that I will be teaching after break.
3rd/4th grade- we reviewed the song "Winter Again", "Celebramos Juntos", and "Wavin' Flag" (half in Spanish.) We also learned "Fantasy on an Old French Carol" on recorders using the notes B, A, and G.
5th grade- students learned "Fantasy on an Old French Carol" on recorders and reviewed Recorder Karate songs. We finished learned the song "A Hawaiian Christmas" (in honor of my upcoming winter holiday to Hawaii!) We watched the last part of Sister Act 2, in which the choir performs "Joyful, Joyful." We learned that the "Joyful, Joyful" melody is adapted from "Ode to Joy", which is a melody in Beethoven's 9th Symphony. This created a nice segue for us to learn about Beethoven and hear a couple of his other pieces and write about them on our music logs.
I also had the pleasure of taking my Honors Choir (5th, 6th, and 7th graders) on a field trip Wednesday to 3 local nursing homes. The students sang beautifully and interacted so well with the senior citizens. It was such a fun day! Pictures coming soon.
Sing along tomorrow at 10am! Hope to see you there.
Kindergarten- students learned the winter song "Mittens and Gloves" and played along with the song on jingle bells. We also learned movements to match the song. Students learned "The Snowman Song" and some movements to go with it as well.
1st/2nd grade- students learned the song "Mittens and Gloves" as well as "Hip Hop Reindeer." We sang/read "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell" and compared it to "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." I introduced the half Spanish, half English version of "Wavin' Flag" to students that I will be teaching after break.
3rd/4th grade- we reviewed the song "Winter Again", "Celebramos Juntos", and "Wavin' Flag" (half in Spanish.) We also learned "Fantasy on an Old French Carol" on recorders using the notes B, A, and G.
5th grade- students learned "Fantasy on an Old French Carol" on recorders and reviewed Recorder Karate songs. We finished learned the song "A Hawaiian Christmas" (in honor of my upcoming winter holiday to Hawaii!) We watched the last part of Sister Act 2, in which the choir performs "Joyful, Joyful." We learned that the "Joyful, Joyful" melody is adapted from "Ode to Joy", which is a melody in Beethoven's 9th Symphony. This created a nice segue for us to learn about Beethoven and hear a couple of his other pieces and write about them on our music logs.
I also had the pleasure of taking my Honors Choir (5th, 6th, and 7th graders) on a field trip Wednesday to 3 local nursing homes. The students sang beautifully and interacted so well with the senior citizens. It was such a fun day! Pictures coming soon.
Sing along tomorrow at 10am! Hope to see you there.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
This week (11/28-12/2)
This week in...
Kindergarten- students were assessed on their ability to hear fast versus slow in music. Students circled a picture of a tortoise if they heard slow and a hare if they heard fast. (We read "The Tortoise and the Hare" before break.) We read "The Story of Empaminondas" to learn about music becoming faster or slower. We also played Simon Says with the mallet instruments and played the instruments along with the chant "Jack and Jill."
1st/2nd grade- we played the "Acka Backa" game and did an activity with so, mi, and la in which students had to identfy which of 3 melodies they heard. Students learned two holiday songs- "Celebramos Juntos" (part in Spanish!) and "We Will Jingle." We also played the steady beat and rhythm of the song "Rain, Rain, Go Away" on mallet instruments.
3rd/4th grade- we learned two holiday songs- "Celebramos Juntos" (part in Spanish!) and "Winter Again." Students worked on their ability to match pitch while singing. We also played part of the melody of "Winter Again" on mallet instruments.
5th grade- we played syncopation on mallet instruments to go with the song "Funga Alafia." Students took a quiz on syncopation in which they had to identify which of a set of four rhythms they were hearing. Students reviewed songs on recorders, learned a new note on recorders, and learned the fun song "A Hawaiian Christmas." We also continued to watch the film Sister Act 2.
Students, reminder: If you wish to be entered into the drawing for Recorder Karate tests, you must complete the test(s) by Friday, December 9th. The drawing will take place on Monday, December 12th and the winners will get a special prize!
Kindergarten- students were assessed on their ability to hear fast versus slow in music. Students circled a picture of a tortoise if they heard slow and a hare if they heard fast. (We read "The Tortoise and the Hare" before break.) We read "The Story of Empaminondas" to learn about music becoming faster or slower. We also played Simon Says with the mallet instruments and played the instruments along with the chant "Jack and Jill."
1st/2nd grade- we played the "Acka Backa" game and did an activity with so, mi, and la in which students had to identfy which of 3 melodies they heard. Students learned two holiday songs- "Celebramos Juntos" (part in Spanish!) and "We Will Jingle." We also played the steady beat and rhythm of the song "Rain, Rain, Go Away" on mallet instruments.
3rd/4th grade- we learned two holiday songs- "Celebramos Juntos" (part in Spanish!) and "Winter Again." Students worked on their ability to match pitch while singing. We also played part of the melody of "Winter Again" on mallet instruments.
5th grade- we played syncopation on mallet instruments to go with the song "Funga Alafia." Students took a quiz on syncopation in which they had to identify which of a set of four rhythms they were hearing. Students reviewed songs on recorders, learned a new note on recorders, and learned the fun song "A Hawaiian Christmas." We also continued to watch the film Sister Act 2.
Students, reminder: If you wish to be entered into the drawing for Recorder Karate tests, you must complete the test(s) by Friday, December 9th. The drawing will take place on Monday, December 12th and the winners will get a special prize!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Happy break!
I hope that everyone has an enjoyable week off! Parents of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students: encourage your child to practice his/her recorder once or twice over break using the 'Recorder Music' page on the blog. As for me, I will be enjoying music by playing my clarinet for my family back in Minnesota. Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 14, 2011
This week (11/14-11/18)
This week in...
Kindergarten- we will be learning about slow, medium, and fast speeds in music through listening, singing and playing instruments. Students will learn 3 songs about trains to work on hearing fast and slow speeds: "Engine, Engine, Number Nine", "Git on Board", and "Little Red Caboose."
1st/2nd grade- we will be creating the sound of a rain storm with body percussion and with instruments since we have been working hard on the song "Rain, Rain, Go Away." We will learn to write the pitch "la" on the music staff erasable white boards, and we will learn a new song/game called "Acka Backa."
3rd/4th grade- students will be assessed on their ability to hear equal versus unequal sounds in music. We will continue developing our note reading skills through doing Mad Minutes as well as playing songs on recorders. We are also working on learning the song "Wavin' Flag" in Spanish!
5th grade- students will continue to learn about syncopation (unexpected rhythms that include stress on a normally unstressed beat) through singing and playing instruments. Students are also having fun dancing with the song "Mango Walk." Students will learn "Merrily We Roll Along" on recorders and continue to watch the film Sister Act 2.
Let's have a great week and enjoy your week off next week! Happy Thanksgiving!
Kindergarten- we will be learning about slow, medium, and fast speeds in music through listening, singing and playing instruments. Students will learn 3 songs about trains to work on hearing fast and slow speeds: "Engine, Engine, Number Nine", "Git on Board", and "Little Red Caboose."
1st/2nd grade- we will be creating the sound of a rain storm with body percussion and with instruments since we have been working hard on the song "Rain, Rain, Go Away." We will learn to write the pitch "la" on the music staff erasable white boards, and we will learn a new song/game called "Acka Backa."
3rd/4th grade- students will be assessed on their ability to hear equal versus unequal sounds in music. We will continue developing our note reading skills through doing Mad Minutes as well as playing songs on recorders. We are also working on learning the song "Wavin' Flag" in Spanish!
5th grade- students will continue to learn about syncopation (unexpected rhythms that include stress on a normally unstressed beat) through singing and playing instruments. Students are also having fun dancing with the song "Mango Walk." Students will learn "Merrily We Roll Along" on recorders and continue to watch the film Sister Act 2.
Let's have a great week and enjoy your week off next week! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
This week (10/31-11/4)
Monday was Halloween and I loved seeing all the great costumes at the parade! This week is also the end of trimester 1 and grades will be given out soon.
This week in......
Kindergarten- my 4 classes are in slightly different places. In two of them, we finished up Halloween songs, and we also learned about loud and soft in music by listening to different examples and talking about loud/soft movements. In the other two classes, we learned further about loud and soft and took a quiz to see how well we could identify loud versus soft.
1st/2nd grade- again, my classes are in slightly different places. Some classes worked on matching pitch with the song "I'm a Little Ghost." We also learned more about rhythm- reading rhythms, how to draw notes, and composing rhythms- with the song "Rain, Rain, Go Away." We played the composed rhythms on rhythm sticks.
3rd/4th grade- students continued to identify notes B, A, and G on the music staff and play songs on recorders. Students performed a self-assessment which required them to evaluate their recorder playing in four categories- tone, rhythm, fingerings/posture, and tonguing. We also learned about equal and unequal sounds in music by examining two songs: "Charlie" and "Bate, Bate."
5th grade- students began watching the film "Sister Act 2", which will help us learn about the development of choirs. We also played songs, new and old, on recorders and continued to work on identifying B, A, and G on the staff.
Have a great, extra long weekend!
This week in......
Kindergarten- my 4 classes are in slightly different places. In two of them, we finished up Halloween songs, and we also learned about loud and soft in music by listening to different examples and talking about loud/soft movements. In the other two classes, we learned further about loud and soft and took a quiz to see how well we could identify loud versus soft.
1st/2nd grade- again, my classes are in slightly different places. Some classes worked on matching pitch with the song "I'm a Little Ghost." We also learned more about rhythm- reading rhythms, how to draw notes, and composing rhythms- with the song "Rain, Rain, Go Away." We played the composed rhythms on rhythm sticks.
3rd/4th grade- students continued to identify notes B, A, and G on the music staff and play songs on recorders. Students performed a self-assessment which required them to evaluate their recorder playing in four categories- tone, rhythm, fingerings/posture, and tonguing. We also learned about equal and unequal sounds in music by examining two songs: "Charlie" and "Bate, Bate."
5th grade- students began watching the film "Sister Act 2", which will help us learn about the development of choirs. We also played songs, new and old, on recorders and continued to work on identifying B, A, and G on the staff.
Have a great, extra long weekend!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
This week (10/24-10/28)
This week in....
Kindergarten- students sang and acted out "I'm a Little Ghost." We listened to several songs and decided whether walking or jogging fit best with each. We sang and danced to the "Hokey Pokey", learned a Halloween poem, and moved to show music getting louder and softer.
1st/2nd grade- students were assessed on their knowledge of the musical opposites. We also followed a listening map to go with the spooky piece "In the Hall of the Mountain King." Students sang "Pick a Pumpkin" while patting the strong and weak beats.
3rd/4th grade- students played "Hot Cross Buns" on recorders and learned to play "Gently Sleep." Students worked on matching pitch with singing part of the song "Hey Jack!" We continued to learn to read notes on the staff with Mad Minutes and practiced singing and doing sign language with the song "Sing."
5th grade- students played "Gently Sleep" and other songs on recorders. We also began learning "Wavin' Flag" in Spanish and began watching part of the film "Sister Act 2."
Sing along tomorrow at 2:45pm!
Happy Halloween!
Kindergarten- students sang and acted out "I'm a Little Ghost." We listened to several songs and decided whether walking or jogging fit best with each. We sang and danced to the "Hokey Pokey", learned a Halloween poem, and moved to show music getting louder and softer.
1st/2nd grade- students were assessed on their knowledge of the musical opposites. We also followed a listening map to go with the spooky piece "In the Hall of the Mountain King." Students sang "Pick a Pumpkin" while patting the strong and weak beats.
3rd/4th grade- students played "Hot Cross Buns" on recorders and learned to play "Gently Sleep." Students worked on matching pitch with singing part of the song "Hey Jack!" We continued to learn to read notes on the staff with Mad Minutes and practiced singing and doing sign language with the song "Sing."
5th grade- students played "Gently Sleep" and other songs on recorders. We also began learning "Wavin' Flag" in Spanish and began watching part of the film "Sister Act 2."
Sing along tomorrow at 2:45pm!
Happy Halloween!
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