Lesson #9: Musical Game & Creating a Song

December 21st: Musical Memory Challenge

To begin this lesson, I reminded the students of the music map that we looked at last time for the Overture in "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart. I showed the music map again on the projector with the help of three volunteer students. Then each student received a ziploc bag that contained the same music map--just cut into pieces that were phrases or sections in the music. They were to piece the music map back together by remembering what shapes/symbols represented which musical phrases (without having the music map on the projector for reference). This was kind of like a musical puzzle! I was impressed that about 75% of the class completed this within five minutes, some with no difficulty at all! The students then got to listen to the song one more time, following along with the music map on their desk--switching around any phrases that were out of place. 

Creating a Class Rap:

For our second (and final) activity, we created a class rap. I told the students that our rap could be about anything they have learned this semester in school (both musical and non-musical things). Students made several suggestions, most of which were some of the musical activities we had done together. Then the students worked together to come up with sentences that fit within 8-measure phrases. Here is the rap that the class created! 

Hey, we are the Fox Hollow Sixth grade class,

I don’t wanna cut the grass, I wanna see stained glass.

We listened to the troll song, tho it wasn’t very long,

It was a really weird song, but it sounded like King Kong.

Joseph was in jail, eatin’ bread that’s stale,

But that just makes us wonder why Joseph didn’t bail.

There was a baby travelin' down a river,

Pharoah’s wife went walkin’ and saw him thither.

There was a Greek who was a freak and his hair was on fleek,

This is our rap, and it sounds pretty sweet!

The lyrics from the second, third, and fourth section are related to some of our musical lessons we have had--listening to "Peer Gynt and the Mountain King," and watching clips from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" as well as "The Prince of Egypt." The class also has been learning about stained glass in art class and Greek people in another. The class would have loved to have written more if there had been more time!

We performed the rap with a backtrack that I had found. We used the sistrums to keep the beat while we rapped.

Listen to the rap backtrack

Wrap-up:

And that was the end of our class! This was sadly my last time teaching in the ARTS Bridge program. I have loved this opportunity and I will miss teaching these wonderful sixth graders! I was surprised to receive a goodbye-card from the class. I wish them the best!

Music Standards Met:

6.M.CR.3

6.M.P.5

6.M.R.1

6.M.R.6

6.M.CR.4

Lesson #8: Music Map!

December 19th: Creating and Following a Music Map

Today we began class by singing the Hebrew song we learned last class period--"Ha'Sukkah Mah Yafah." After reviewing the song, I asked the class to put a finger in the air and pretend to draw along with the flow of the music while we sang the song several more times. Then I directed all the students to draw an "X" on their papers. This "X" marked where the beginning of the song would be. As we sang it this time, the students drew on their papers how they thought the music flowed. The students' drawings were all different, but most of the lines were similar in that the beginning of the song started lower, then rose to a peak, and then fell back down. We then put this aside for a couple of minutes.

I pulled up on my projector several pictures of random sheet music--a piano piece and a song for the recorder (the students have been learning to play the recorder with their regular music teacher). I explained this kind of music notation is familiar to us. Oral tradition is another way to record and pass on music (like how the Ancient Egyptians would have done before music was notated). Then I showed a picture of a music map. This is kind of notation that is different in that it does not show the regular notes, staves, key signatures, and so on. The class had just barely drawn a mini version of a music map, but this one is much more complex! This music map is for the Overture in "The Marriage of Figaro," an opera by Mozart. 

With this map shown on the projector, I held a pointing stick to follow the music map while we listened to the piece. For the second listening of the song, the students joined in following the map with their finger in the air. The kids were so quiet and focused! Then we split the song/music map into three chunks and had three students come up and follow along during their assigned chunk. The students were really enthusiastic about this and several students participated at the front of the classroom. 

Afterwards I asked the class what might some advantages be from using a music map instead of regular notation. About ten hands went up--all the students had good comments! We talked about expressive qualities: tempo, dynamics, style. We talked about the melody as well as form. The class caught some small little details and were excited to share them! A couple students even mentioned what instruments were playing when I asked about specific sections. This was a really fun lesson that the kids and I enjoyed!

Music Standards Met:

6.M.R.1

6.M.R.2

6.M.R.6

6.M.P.8

6.M.P.5

6.M.CR.3

Lesson #7: Hebrew Song

December 16th: Singing with the Sistrums

For the beginning of this lesson, I chose a couple poems that the students had created in our last lesson. I wrote them on my handy dandy white board, and we read them as a class in rhythm. This time our sistrums were ready to go, so we added in some percussion accompaniment. We performed the poems in a 2-part and then a 3-part round.

Then I taught the students a Hebrew song called "Ha'Sukkah Mah Yafah." The song is quite simple--it has two phrases which are nearly identical (except for the last note in each phrase). I sang the song several times--having the students copy what I was doing with my hands (patting the beat on my knees, then on my shoulders, then on my head, and so forth). Then I wrote the words on my whiteboard and pointed at each word while I sang through the song a couple more times. I soon invited the students to join me in singing and they then learned the song pretty quickly. 

After learning the song, I asked the kids to come up with some rhythms we could perform on our sistrums while singing the song. We performed the song with two original ideas from students. Some students began improvising their own rhythms. We all had a fun time!

Standards Met: 

6.M.P.4

6.M.P.10

6.M.R.1

6.M.CO.3

Lesson #6: Zemer Atik Israeli Folk Dance

December 12th: Musical Traditions

Today I tried a new strategy to increase the student participation during our class discussion. I brought my white board to class which showed my lesson plan outlined in seven simple steps. I put it at the front of the classroom for everyone to see. Every student had a small piece of paper with a number on it. Each of the numbers corresponded with the numbers on my lesson plan where they would specifically be contributing to the class discussion. 

Lesson Plan:

1. Movie Clip

2. What is a tradition? Name some examples.

3. What might a musical tradition be? Name some examples from your family/culture.

4. Story time

5. Egyptian/Israeli musical traditions

6. Our turn to learn!

7. Finish sistrums

Step #s 1-3:

First we watched the opening clip from "The Fiddler on the Roof." I told all the #2 students to listen for what Tevye had to say about traditions. Tevye explains that traditions keep us in balance, they help us know our standing to God, and sometimes we don't even know where our traditions came from! The #2 students talked about what traditions are and what family traditions they have. Most of them mentioned Christmas traditions, but one student pointed out that traditions can also be things that we do everyday, regardless of what holiday season it is. The #3 students then named some musical traditions we have: Christmas caroling, lullabyes, singing "Happy Birthday," listening to music in the car, and so forth. 

Fiddler on the Roof-- "Tradition"

Step #4:

I then shared a story my grandma had told me of when she and my grandpa spent time serving at an Indian reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. A group of visiting youth came to do a service project at the Indian reservation and then held a dance that evening for all the youth (including the Indians) to attend. Many of the Indian youth did attend, but they did not dance. They stood on the sidelines and laughed while the other youth did their typical kid of dance--standing in a circles and jumping up and down to the beat. The Indian youth were accustomed to dancing that including moving from side to side. Jumping up and down just looked ridiculous to them! 

Step #5:

After telling this story, I explained how different cultures have different kinds of musical traditions that other cultures are not as familiar with. Neither is wrong, they are just different. I then asked the #5 students to describe some typical musical traditions at funerals and also wedding receptions. Then I related this to how at Egyptian funerals they do a dance with music to send off the deceased soul to the upperworld. This is an important, symbolic part of Egyptian funerals. Next I reminded the students of when we watched the clip from "The Prince of Egypt" a couple weeks ago. The slaves in that movie were Hebrews, which is also a name for Israelites. Israelites had a tradition of doing a dance at a couple's wedding--where all the wedding guests stood in a big circle around the married couple and danced as a way to praise God and to wish the couple a happy marriage. 

Step #6:

Then the class migrated to another room where we learned such an Israeli folk dance called Zemer Atik. After learning the steps, we performed the dance with the music. The dance includes some rhythmic feet movement, some clapping, walking in and out of the circle, and snapping the fingers. The dance has an A and a B section.The students and I had a lot of fun!

Here's a YouTube link to the song we used to dance to:

Zemer Atik

Step #7:

After learning the dance, the students had the opportunity to finish their Egyptian instruments--the sistrums! The students each received a bag of ten buttons that they could choose from and string onto their sistrum. Pictures are below!

Music Standards Met:

6.M.CR.2

6.M.CO.2

6.M.CO.3

6.M.P.7

6.M.P.10

Lesson #5: Egyptian Rhymes & Creating Sistrums

December 8th: Rhyme with Diction

For this lesson all of the students gathered in the back of the classroom and I read them a little rhyme on my white board. 

1 2 3

Daddy caught a flea

Flea died Daddy cried

1 2 3

After the students were familiar with the rhythm of the rhyme, I said the rhyme for the class again. The first time I used no diction at all (I mumbled!...which was a lot of what the class was already doing) and the second time I had great diction. The kids pointed out that they could understand what the words that second time. We talked about what diction is and how to have good diction--it is not necessarily talking louder, but it is using consonants in order to be clearly understood. The class said the rhyme several times, focusing on having clear diction. While we read the poem we also added some clapping and patting on the knees. Then I changed up the rhyme.

1 2 3

Pharaoh bought a cat

Cat dad Pharaoh cried

1 2 3

Again, the students repeated the poem. Each of the students then created their own words to fit into the rhythm of the poem. The students were asked to at least put in one Egyptian person, object, or idea. The class will perform some of these poems in our next lesson together! Here are two poems written by two students!

Creating an Ancient Egyptian Instrument:

Back in November we talked as a class about ancient Egyptian instruments. One of those instruments we looked at was what is called a sistrum--a kind of a percussion instrument. Today the class was able to begin making their very own sistrum (since sistrums aren't made or played regularly anymore). Our sistrums are slightly different (due to being homemade), but the kids will be able to use their sistrums in some songs we will learn later on! Today the students began by painting their instruments!

Music Standards Met: 

6.M.CR.2

6.M.P.10

6.M.P.4

Completed Sistrums: