#6 MUSIC MOODS

State Standards and Objectives

• Standard 3 Objective 1d: Create together a new song. As a class choose the subject, compose the verse. Consider solo/chorus for the structure. Decide what volume, timbres, and tempo to use.
• Standard 3 Objective 1f: Compare and contrast creating different timbres in music with creating varied “colors” in other things.

Learning Objectives

• The students will identify the different ways I play Farmer in the Dell.
• They will apply the use of different sounds to their opera.
• They will create the 5 basic sentences for their opera story line.

Lesson

           

            Today Jane Nelson came to observe my lesson, and I invited her to play an opening game with the class. She played a rhyming game called, “When I was one.” The children LOVED it! They were all engaged and having a good time. I was really grateful to see how Jane did the opener activity because it gave me a better of idea how powerful a fun game like that can be.

            Then the children shared things they had written in their Brain Vomit notebooks with a partner, and I instructed them to divide two pages of their notebook into four equal sections. I then told them I would be playing a song in different ways, and I wanted them to color or write how the music made them feel. I then played six variations of The Farmer in the Dell: 1) soft and sweet, 2) big and loud, 3) slow and high, 4) quick and simple, 5) minor key, and 6) Alberti base. We then discussed how the volume, tempo, and mood of the song effects how you feel and what you think. We then discussed what type of tune would go with parts of their story: Tornado, Snow, Zombies, and Dinosaurs.

            We then went to the carpet and continued discussing ideas for their story. Once again, almost everyone participated and they gave a lot of good ideas. However, I did not know how to consolidate their ideas and start bringing things together.

            Jane ended the lesson by playing a little of “When I was one” game which ended the lesson on a positive note.

            The music exploration part of the lesson went really well. I was impressed by how well the students participated and how well they seemed to capture what I was teaching. The biggest problem I am having right now is transitioning from the brainstorming stage to actually writing the opera. Luckily, I have a wonderful mentor who gave me some suggestions.

• I have been writing the children’s ideas on a big pad of paper that sits on my lap. Jane suggested that the children need to be able to see all of their ideas. For the next lesson I am going to make up a poster with the main ideas they have had and hang it up on the board.
• I need to walk around the room when I am instructing instead of staying in the front of the room.
• When the children give ideas, instead of saying “I like that,” I should say things like “That was a good idea,” or “What you said gave me a good picture of what the opera will be like.” As I give more specific feedback, the children will feel more comfortable sharing their ideas.
• I should turn the piano to the side so that I can see all of the children.
• If I start loosing their attention I can use a simple song like “sing with me” to bring them back.
• She also gave me some wonderful ideas for my next lesson to help the opera to progress. I am so grateful for Jane! She is wonderful!

#5 DINOS EVERYWHERE

State Standards and Objectives

• Science Standard 2 Objective 1a: Identify characteristics of living things (i.e., growth, movement, reproduction)
• Standard 3 Objective 1d: Create together a new song. As a class choose the subject, compose the verse. Consider solo/chorus for the structure. Decide what volume, timbres, and tempo to use.

Learning Objectives

•  Students will understand that Libretto is the text of an opera.
• Students will identify and use different aspects of their singing voices.
• Students will create original tunes for their small lines of libretto.
• Students will create small lines of libretto that include the topic of living and non-living things.

Lesson

            We started the lesson by playing “Oh we are going walking, walking, walking. Oh we are going walking all around the room.” The kids walked around the room until we changed the lyrics to “Oh we are going walking back to our chairs.” The kids enjoyed the game and it got them engaged.

            We then reviewed the Living Things Song while doing the actions together. Then I helped the children identify their singing voices. We whispered, spoke, and sang. I had them sing loudly, softly, high, and low. I then taught them how to have good singing posture and we discussed how our bodies are instruments and how they work. The class practiced singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with both good and bad singing posture.

            Then we went to the carpet and discussed ideas for their opera. For their story, the children wanted a group of college students to get to an island of Dinosaurs, so today we discussed how they would get to the island. After some discussion, the children voted on a plane crash. Today was much better than last week because almost everyone participated, and there was a good feeling of unity.

            Finally, I taught them that Libretto is the text or script of an opera, and the children wrote one line of libretto for their opera:

“There were Dinos everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. There were Dinos everywhere, tall and small.”

The children decided to sing it to the tune of “Once there was a Snowman.” We recorded them singing it together and then went back to our seats. To end the lesson, I told all of the children to pull out their Brain Vomit notebooks and write one idea for a song they had.

            Overall, I think the lesson went really well. Most of the children were engaged and they worked really well together in collaborating their ideas. One thing that I think helped the discussion be better was that I made an effort during the beginning activities to call on the quieter students to help with small things. That seemed to help them feel involved from the very start. If I did it again, I would play the recording back to them so that they could hear their song.  

           

Funny Moment

“Oh I have an idea!” Santi exclaimed, frantically waving his hand in the air. “What if a ship of pirates come and they help fight off the Zombies?”

Davis kindly looked at him and said, “but you know, we already have a lot of characters. Maybe that would be too many.”

“Ya you are right, “Santi said nodding his head. “Just kidding Miss Beard! We shouldn’t have pirates.”

Opera Ideas

• Sentence 1: A group of college students studying biology are going on a school trip, when their plane crashes on an island inhabited by Dinosaurs.
•  College students studying biology
• They are in a plane crash
• They land on an island inhabited by Dinosaurs
• oA student sits on what they think is a rock, but it is actually a Dinosaur!
• Island’s name is Billy Bob Joe
• Three dogs or baby Dinosaurs are their friends who help them.
• They are in the Jurassic Period.
•  Astroids

#4- DINOSAURS

State Standards and Objectives Covered

Reading Literature standard 1:

“Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.”

Learning Objectives

• Students will identify their singing voices.
• Students will create a basic 5 sentence story line for their opera.
• Students will become more familiar with Dinosaurs (one of the main topics of their opera).

Lesson

            We started by playing “Oh here we all together” and having them quickly sit in their chairs. The children all loved it!

Kaylee singing the living thing song

            Then we talked more about living and non-living things. After introducing the fact that living things eat and drink, I taught them The Living Things Song. I wrote these lyrics to the tune of “Once There was a Snowman.”

1.     Once I was a living thing, living thing, living thing. Once I was a living thing small small small. (Action: shrink down to the ground)

2.     Soon I started growing, growing, growing. Soon I started growing, tall, tall, tall. (Action: slowly grow taller)

3.     I learned that I could move around, move around, move around. I learned that I could move around, all the way around. (Action: Spin around)

4.     Living things breathe in and out, in and out, in and out. Living things breathe in and out, so that they can live. (Action: Move your hands towards your body and then away)

5.     Living things reproduce, reproduce, reproduce, Living things reproduce or have a family. (Action: rocking a baby)

6.     And we all like to eat, like to eat, like to eat. And we all like to eat, yum, yum, yum! (Action: act like you are eating).

After learning the song, we read a story about a group of children who traveled in a time machine to the time of the Dinosaurs. I chose this book because the children had talked about setting their opera on a land of Dinosaurs, and I hoped this would give them some ideas. After reading the book we continued discussing ideas for their opera. I had hoped to solidify the 5 main sentences, but we ended up only coming up with one: “College students go to an island of Dinosaurs.”

Overall, this lesson was not very effective. The beginning game and Living Things Song went fine, but looking back, it may not have been what the children needed. I had originally planned on helping them identify and improve their singing voices; however, I forgot and I think we took too much time reading the story about Dinosaurs. The story was fine but it probably was not the most effective use of time.

I also tried to have the children vote for the ideas they liked. This worked well, but Mr. Knight suggested afterwards that if someone suggests a really good idea that will work well with the story, I should accept it even if there isn’t a majority vote. 

I learned a lot from this lesson. I especially realized how important it is to help every child be involved. It is easy to feel like the lesson is going well when you have 6 or 7 kids who are really involved; however, I need to be more aware of the other 15 children who are not saying anything.

#3- TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

Learning Objectives

• Students will identify living and non-living things in the story “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
• Students will take turns singing parts of twinkle twinkle little star to become more confident in their solo and group singing.
• Students will begin to narrow down their options for the setting and main plot for their opera.

Lesson

            I started the lesson with a fun opener game. We sang, “Oh here we are together, together, together. Oh here we are together all sitting on our chair.” When we sang the word “chair,” the children had to be sitting on their chair with both hands holding onto the sides of the chair.

            We then reviewed the characteristics of living things (movement, growth, and their ability to breath). I then introduced the idea that living things reproduce. We briefly discussed how plants reproduce through seeds.

            I really wanted the children to have a place where they could write down any ideas they had for the opera, so I then introduced to them “brain-vomit” notebooks. I instructed them to write whatever ideas they might have, whether they be good or bad, in the back of their writing journal. They all loved the idea and many immediately began writing some of their ideas.

            Then we all went to the carpet and I read/sang the book “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” After reading it and identifying the living and non-living things, we took turns singing parts of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. If I pointed at the class, they would sing, but if I pointed to myself, only I would sing. Then I asked for volunteers to sing alone. There were about 10 kids who had the opportunity to sing by themselves and they did really well.

            Then they went back to their desks and we discussed their ideas for their opera. After our brainstorming, the children had come up with the following elements for their story:

Characters

•  Amelia
• Amanda
• Chase
• Animals
• People
• Dinosaurs
• Elsa
• Billy Bob Joe

Story

•  College students somehow get lost on an island of Dinosaurs.
• A tornado comes and spits out Zombies.
• Zombie invasion.
• Snow Storm—Elsa (from frozen).

Overall the lesson went really well. The children were engaged in all of the activities, they liked the games, and they really enjoyed the story. I was also really impressed by the children who sang by themselves. One thing that I really need to improve is to help all of the students participate. There are some students who are really creative and they speak out; however, many of the other students rarely share their opinions. I might try instigating a rule that before a person can comment a second time, they have to wait until five other people have commented.