Sandra ODowd Lesson plan: Mountain Dance - Grade Level: 3

1. Our group focus is literacy. Over the course of the unit, we will complete an author
study we can present on literacy night by reading and interacting with multiple texts by
John Locker. Our focus will also have strong cross-curricular ties in music and science
areas, as we will be creating soundscapes and movement activities referring to and
enriching the texts, and we will learn about the environment and landforms from the
content of Lockers books. My contribution is the book, Mountain Dance. Publisher,
Hartcourt, 2001: ISBN 978-0-15-202622-6. I chose this book because we have lovely
mountain views the students can find in their own environment, and it couldnt work any
more perfectly for our intended focus for incorporating science and musical learning
opportunities in our literacy author study. Theres lots of descriptions of landforms with
wonderful illustrations to enhance the readers understanding, and great musical words to
work with when creating our soundscape like roaring, hissing, and flowing just to
name a few.
2. In this example of music integration, the students will examine how sound and visuals
can help to convey meaning and enhance the mood and message of a text by creating a
soundscape with simple movement activities to accompany our chosen book.
Materials needed:
1. Book, Mountain Dance
2. Dry erase board and markers
3. Doc cam to project the text larger
4. Photocopies of the text for the activity
5. Pencils for the students
6. Colored Scarves
7. Labeled Instrument library: xylophones, glockenspiels, wood blocks, claves,
clatterpillar, handle castanets, rhythm sticks, sand blocks, afuche, guiro, triangles,
suspended cymbal, tambourine, wind chimes, rain sticks, hand drums, timpani, small
frame drums, ocean drum, bongos, slide whistle, animal sounds puppets, thunder tube,
wind tube, wind chimes, assorted mallets for barred instruments and percussions.
Process for teaching: Timeline, approximately 3-4 days, 20 minutes each day
Day #1
Read story to class on the carpet.
Discuss the story and illustrations with the class, asking for observations and/or
reflections on what they may have learned.
Discuss how in addition to illustrations, sound can also help to convey meaning
and set a mood for a text.
Sound Hunt: I do/we do, you do: Using one of the photocopies of the text
projected on the document cam, demonstrate identifying words and phases from
the text that convey a sound in their meaning. Demonstrate identifying the
word/phrase and deciding which instrument to use to make that sound, how softly
or loudly to convey the meaning using our musical instruments available. Write
notes on the photocopy. Do the second page but, with guidance, let the students

make the choices of which words/phrases to pick and which instrument to emulate
it.
With help of student volunteers play first 1-2 pages of music/movement
accompaniment while reading.
Day #2
Group students in groups of 2-3, depending on class size. Each group will be
given one page of text from the book.
Students will be given ~5-10 minutes to work together and decide which
words/phrases they will match to which musical instrument/sounds to create a
soundscape for their page of text. Instrument library available (to include colored
scarves) should be labeled with instrument name and a brief description of the
types of sounds that instrument might be good for (i.e. wood scrapes, jingle
sounds, etc.). Safety expectations with instruments will be conveyed.
Graphic Organizer/Formative Assessment: On photocopy template, student will
underline the words/phrases they selected to highlight with sound or movement
and draw a line from them to a place on the page where they will write the name
of the instrument/scarf, with notes on volume and tempo, they will use to
soundscape that word/phrase. They will refer to this today but will also turn this
in to be used for tomorrows activity and our literacy night show.
Students will present their groups soundscape page to the class and by briefly
discuss why they decided the sound they came up with matches the words/phrases
they found in the text describing that type of mountain. Discuss the processes
they worked through collaboratively to come to their choices.
Day #3
Handouts from the groups activity the day prior need to have been consolidated so
that we know exactly which instruments will play, how often and when.
Ask for student volunteers by instrument type (so we can play the book
soundscape all at once rather than in small groups one page at a time, since
multiple groups might have elected to use the same instrument there may be only
one of). Students will play their instruments soundscape role, as defined by the
groups instructions created the day before.
Practice soundscape page-by-page, projecting the text photocopies with our cues
written on them as we go. Review text and cues we created for each instrument
type, clarifying volume and tempo recommendations.
Once everyone appears comfortable with their cues, read the text all the way
through with sound and movement integration
Optional day 4 practice if needed to prepare for literacy night presentation. Day
#4 activities would closely mirror day #3 activities, depending on student needs.
Closure discuss how our group activities came together into a cohesive
collaborative product that helps to create a mood and convey meaning in our
texts. Ask if theres any other places in our daily lives we hear music being added
to a message to help convey a mood and meaning? Discuss our text and other
texts we know by this author, making observations about patterns we might have
recognized and science we may have learned. Discuss whether wed recommend
someone read books by this author and why or why not.

4. Goals, objectives, standards, 21st century skills:

Goals and Objectives: Our groups goals and objectives of our author study include the following:
The student will be able to understand a text read aloud using diverse media, such as illustrations
and music integration.
The students will be able to explain how information gained from illustrations and the words of a
text can help us to understand that text, and how illustrations, musical integration and movement
activities can help to convey meaning and mood.
The student will be able to read and comprehend literature, including poetry and informational
texts.
The student will be able to explain the function of verbs and adjectives and their functions in
particular sentences when identifying words and phrases to create soundscape and movement
accompaniment.
The student will be able to cooperate in a group activity where they will create and improvise
short musical phrases and patters.
The students will be able to use the texts to learn about and analyze how Earths materials can be
formed, broken down or combined.
The students will be able to combine simple locomotor movements with music.
The students will be able to create and perform a soundscape and movement activity
accompaniment to texts by John Locker to enrich their understanding of the text, to convey a
mood and to demonstrate this collaboration at our literacy night activity.
Our goals and objectives are intended to align directly with a number of CDE Colorado Content Standards
in reading, writing and communicating, music, science and health and physical education. The actual state
standards aligned with our objectives addressed in this unit are as follows:
CDE Colorado State Standards addressed within our groups unit all curriculum areas:
Content Area: Reading, Writing, and Communicating
Standard 1. Oral Expression and Listening
2. Successful group activities need the cooperation of everyone.
b. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse
media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. (CCSS: SL 3.2)
c. Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
(CCSS: SL 3.3)
Standard: 2. Reading for all purposes.
1. Strategies are needed to make meaning of various types of literary genres
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
i. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the
basis for the answers. (CCSS: RL.3.1)
c. Use Integration of Knowledge and Ideas to:
i. Explain how specific aspects of a texts illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words of the
story (e.g. create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting). (CCSS: RL.3.7)
d. Use Range of Reading and Complexity of Text to:
i. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas and poetry, at the high
end of grades 2-3-complexity band independently and proficiently. (CCSS: RL.3.10)
2. Comprehension strategies are necessary when reading information or persuasive texts.
c. Use integration of knowledge and ideas to:
i. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in the text to
demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). (CCSS:RI.3.7
Standard: 3. Writing and Composition
3. Correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation and spelling are used when writing.

a. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking. (CCSS: L.3.1)
i. Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in
particular sentences. (CCSS: L.3.1a)
Content Area: Music
Standard: 2. Creation of Music
1. Create short musical phrases and patterns
a. Improvise four measures within a musical selection (DOK 2-3)
Standard: 4. Aesthetic Valuation of Music.
1. Identify personal preferences for specific music.
b. Demonstrate how music communicates meaning of text, feelings, personal preferences, etc. (DOK 1-3)
2. Respond to and make informed judgments about music through participation, performance, and the
creative process.
c. Describe how specific musical elements communicate particular ideas or moods in music (DOK 1-3)
Content Area: Science
Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science
1. Earths materials can be broken down and/or combined into different materials such as rocks, minerals,
rock cycle, formation of soil, and sand some of which are usable resources for human activity
a. Investigate and identify two or more ways that Earths materials can be broken down and/or combined in
different ways such as minerals into rocks, rock cycle, formation of soil, and sand (DOK 1-2)
b. Use evidence to develop a scientific explanation about one or more processes that break down and/or
combine Earth materials (DOK 1-3)
c. Utilize a variety of media sources to collect and analyze data around Earths materials and the processes
by which they are formed (DOK 1-2)
Content Area: Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
Standard: 1. Movement Competence and Understanding in Physical Education
1. Demonstrate a variety of motor patterns in simple combinations while participating in activities, games,
and sports
b. Combine locomotor movements in time to music (DOK 1-3)
The 21st century skills: This unit absolutely helps to support the Four Cs of 21st century education. The
lessons help to support the skill of Communication. The students must listen and attend to the story to
understand the information being conveyed, and they must communicate effectively within their groups in
order to accomplish the objectives. The activities help to support creativity and innovation because
theres lots of opportunity for brainstorming activities (creating soundscapes, deciding which
instruments/movements to use and why) and opportunities to work in this creative capacity collaboratively
with others is also supported since these brainstorming and idea evaluation activities will take place in
groups. Working in groups and coming together to create a cohesive soundscape/movement activity that
respects individual contribution is absolutely helping to support the 21st century skill of collaboration.
Critical thinking and problem solving skills are also supported with our activities as the students will
exercise these 21st century muscles when they evaluate the options available to them in their instrument
libraries and when deciding on their movement activities to decide what they believe is important to
highlight and how they believe they can most effectively do that given what resources they have available.
5. Accommodations:
ELL and below-grade-level readers:
Read aloud of text to augment understanding
Opportunity to see text projected to augment understanding
Illustrations to augment understanding
Short text passages

 Teacher will be available during group times to support if needed

Working in small groups that can help support if needed
Physical handicap:
Instrument selection will be such that a student with a handicap preventing them from playing an
instrument will be given access to alternative options that are easily useable.
All efforts will be made to not include such instruments as an option for that class if possible.
GT
Gifted students may have the opportunity to play more than one part in our soundscapes if
practicable
Students may volunteer to read during the soundscape presentation in class or on literacy night
possibly
ADHD:
Activities are engaging and interactive
Periods where a student is asked to sit are relatively limited and broken-up with transitions
6.

Was this experience a success? Describe how you will evaluate the outcome and assess the
learning.
This experience was a success because the students were able to add music into their reading in a way that
reinforced the words and ideas that were used in the stories. Evaluation and assessment is done
throughout each lesson by observation and outcomes. While the students are creating their sound settings
or movements the teacher is circling the room listening in on conversation as well as participating in
conversation with the students using guiding questions in order to check for understanding. The teacher
will be making informal evaluations on the creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking
that is happening within the groups. When the groups get the opportunity to perform their piece, they will
also have the opportunity to explain their thinking in choosing the movements and/or sounds/instruments
that they chose. This will provide the teacher an opportunity to see and hear their thinking as well and
determine if they have achieved the desired outcome.
7. How can you build on this experience, and extend the learning beyond the parent performance?
What else could they do that connects to this? Art projects? Further reading? Creative writing?
This experience can be extended in many ways. Once the students have added music and movement into
their literacy they will be excited to see how many other ways that they can use it. Of course art is one way
that students could take music or language and turn it into some form of art. They can also find books to
create their own sound settings to. Another idea is for creative writing, the students could listen to a piece
of music and then write a story or a poem that they think would go along with that music. These kinds of
activities allow the students to delve even deeper into each subject or topic and really think about the
meaning behind it. The students could create the invitations to the literacy night as an art project. They
could also use John Locker as a mentor author and write their own book or short story emulating his style.
This text could be illustrated and soundscaped just like our mentor text. Students could read additional
texts by this author if they liked the books weve read in the unit, helping to reinforce an appreciation and
fondness for reading.