General Music (Whitson)

Teacher‚s Name: Dr. Tena Whiston
School: Beattie Elementary School
Lesson Plan for: Elementary Vocal Classroom
Grade: 4

Fourth Grade Plan
Concepts

Rondo, Partner Songs, Improvisation

National Standards: 1,3,4,5,9

Listening: "Viennese Musical Clock" from Hary Janos Suite #6 By Zoltan Kodaly

Have the music playing while the students enter the room. Find the meter (4). Start the music again and play a game of Fudge. [To play Fudge the teacher finds a place to keep the beat in groups of two or four. The students just watch until the teacher says “Fudge”. Then the teacher moves to a new pattern of four while the students start the old pattern. The game continues with the students always one pattern behind the teacher. My students like to take turns being the leader as well as being the follower.]

The student should begin to realize that there is a repeated melody in this piece.

Assessment: Are the students able to copy your pattern of four beats with 80% accuracy? If yes, make the patterns more difficult by increasing the levels of body percussion. If no, choose one pattern as an A section and then alternate ˆ A, something different, A, something different.

Review: Have four rhythms displayed on the board in a meter of four.

#5, 4 Read and clap through each of the patterns twice. Then ask the students to clap their favorite pattern four times while you or selected students keep a steady pulse on the drums. Next choose their second favorite rhythm to clap and then their third favorite rhythm. Set it up in Rondo form (ABACA) for the final clapping performance. (You could transfer to instruments of the students choice here as well and then perform.)

Assessment: Have the four students being assessed that day share their rhythmic Rondo patterns with the class.

*Did they perform with a steady beat,
*Use the appropriate form,
*Clap the rhythmic patterns correctly?

Warm-ups: Fireworks sounds (ooh ˆ aah!), puppy whines, and lip trills.
Set these patterns up in a Rondo form: ABACA (your choice or the students choice as to which pattern is A, B, or C)

Assessment: Are the students using a good singing posture with a free sound?

#1, 9

Sing: Skip to My Lou, Bow Belinda, Paw, Paw Patch, and Sandy Land with an autoharp or guitar. (Key of F ˆ chords are F and C7). Have the students decide which song should be the A section, the B Section, and the C section. Sing in Rondo form (ABACA). You could extend the form here to ABACADA if you would like. My students also enjoy singing these songs as partner songs since their chord structure is the same ˆ an easy step into harmony.

Assessment: As a class, could we sing each song using a steady tempo and good singing technique? Did we create a Rondo form?

Orff Activity/Singing Game:

New: “Listen” from Strike it Rich by Jeff Kriske and Randy DeLelles.

#1, 3

This song is perfect to reinforce the Rondo concept. (ABACADA). Teach the refrain then chant the B,C,and D, sections which refer to the different pitched Orff instruments. I adapt their process by;

1. Transposing the piece to the key of F;
2. Transferring the triangle part to tone clusters on the Orff instruments;
3. Adding 8 beats for improvisation on the specific instruments for each chanted section. We improvise as a group first. When they are comfortable with the concept, I will ask for volunteers to share their creations.
*If you do not have Orff instruments create some words which describe the instruments that you have in your room so you can sing, chant, and then play.

Assessment: Were the students using correct mallet technique?
Were the students creating a melody which lasted for eight beats and ended on “Do”

Closure: Today we experienced the form RONDO through movement, body percussion, singing and playing instruments. The form is: ABACA.
Extensions: Play the singing games which accompany the songs in Rondo form.

Listen to: Fur Elise, A Little Night Music, or “Tanz” from Carmina Burana

Create additional rhythmic rondo creations using different rhythm patterns.