Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Flipchart Download: Welcome Back Class


For several years, I have used this unit with my 4th and 5th graders to review the musical elements, notation, and get them ready for the school year. I have recently uploaded the flipchart to Promethean Planet, but you could totally teach this lesson even if you did not have an interactive white board. (I taught this unit for a couple years before we ever had this technology!) A few of the slides are pictured below. To see a preview of all the slides, follow this link.


This unit will last about 3-4 weeks. (I see my students once a week for 50 minutes.) The rhythm of the poem is adapted from Keetman's "Rhythmische Ubung" Patchen #5.

Here is an overview of the unit:

Lesson 1:

Perform body percussion; Review rhythmic notation; Perform poem in a 2-part round with body percussion.


Lesson 2: 

Transfer rhythms to hand drums; Perform in a round; with and without words; Introduce melody.


Lesson 3:

Review melody; Sing solfege with hand signs; Review staff and label pitches; Transfer to Orff instruments.


Lesson 4: 

Review melody. Add student improvisations; Perform in rondo form.

I ask the students to improvise with a simple sentence: "We are Cedar Grove." (ta ta titi ta).


I hope you enjoy this unit. Share your adaptation and let us know how you personalized it for your school!

1 comment:

  1. I like it! Think I am going to do it with my fourth and fifth graders. :) Thanks for sharing!

    II think I will have the kids add rhythm instruments using things that get them excited about this school year (Friday extra recess! titi, titi, titi, shhh). I will have them write out the rhythms and hang them in our rhythm bank!

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