Recently, kindergarteners played a fun movement game called "Hey Betty Martin." After learning to sing the song in their best singing voices, students picked a color from the bucket one at a time. The color they got correlated to the movement they should perform as they led others around the outside of the circle. Whoever the leader landed closest to when the song ended became the next leader! This was a great game for practicing many different skills, including singing, listening, movement, turn-taking, and leadership.
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Fall went by so quickly! We have been very busy in music class this season. Here's a little update about what we have been working on! Students in 4th and 5th grades have been playing games and doing activities to help them review note names and values. They also learned about Medieval and Renaissance music while studying a few composers from those time periods. In October, they learned about Antonio Vivaldi and listened to his concerto "The Four Seasons." Students enjoyed listening to each piece and making connections to the season it portrayed. Around Halloween time, 4th and 5th graders composed their own spooky rhythms in different time signatures. Students in 3rd grade have been learning to sing, sign, and notate the notes Do, Re, Mi, Sol, and La. They have also been practicing reading rhythms using whole notes, whole rests, half notes, and half rests. In October, students learned about the difference between music in a major key (which sounds happy) and music in a minor key (which sounds spooky or sad.) Second grade students have been learning how to sing, sign, and notate the notes Sol, Mi, and La. They have also been reviewing the rhythms that they know - quarter note ("Ta"), quarter rest ("Sh"), and eighth notes ("Ti-Ti"). In October, students practiced showing Forte (loud) and Piano (quiet). In 1st grade, students have been dancing, singing, and playing instruments to practice keeping the steady beat and showing same and different. They have been learning about quarter notes ("Ta"), quarter rests ("Shh"), and eighth notes ("Ti-Ti"). In October, students practiced hearing, showing, and playing up/down and high/low. Kindergartners have been learning about music by taking imaginary trips to the farm. Each week they "met" a new animal which introduced a new instrument. Each student got a turn to play the new instrument of the week, including tambourine, cowbell, maracas, and woodblock. Kindergartners have also been practicing using their singing versus speaking voice, showing the steady beat, and listening to high/low, short/long, fast/show, and same/different.
Third grade students at both schools are studying China for the first few months of school. This week, we watched a video of traditional Chinese ribbon dancing and listened to a Chinese song. We discussed and defined a phrase: a small section of music which is often ended by a pause or breath. Several students related this to a sentence in a book. After identifying the phrases in our Chinese song, the students moved to the phrases using scarves (we didn't have real ribbons, so we made do with what we had!). They had to listen carefully to whether the melody went up or down and when phrases began and ended. The last part of the activity was to add finger cymbals, wood blocks, and crash cymbals to this song. The students had a lot of fun dancing, and it was great to see all their creative movement ideas!
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