Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Demographics
The school we chose for is Lacey Springs Elementary School. It is located within Harrisonburg
City which has a population of around 44,000 people. Of those, 84.5 is White, 6.3 is African
American, and the rest other races. 85% of those living here, were born in the U.S and of that,
84% were born is this state. 49% of the population are families, with there being an average of 3
per household. Unemployment rate is 3.5%. Median household income is 35,587 dollars.
At the school, there are 244 students enrolled. The student to teacher ratio is 13 to 1.
86.5% of students are White. Lacey Springs has a drastically different ethnic distribution
compared to other schools located in the area.
This areas median income is above eligibility threshold for reduced price lunch.Average income
is around 44,000.
I would use this data to see what types of lessons I should do in my classroom. Even talking to
my practicum teacher, she takes these demographics into account as well. Other harrisonburg
city schools are so diverse in their population, and here is not. So I would maybe try and
introduce more diverse songs. But then I would also try and research some songs that these
students might find familiar and here in their own homes. Their christmas musical is coming up
and they are singing lots of familiar christmas tunes, but there are also other holiday songs from
different cultures as well.
This unit will be placed at the beginning of the school year. This unit fits in with our entire years
curriculum, because the melodic and rhythmic themes that they learn in this unit, will provide
them with a strong foundation for learning more complicated concepts throughout the rest of the
year.
Experience Sketches
Theme: Around the world in 4 weeks
1.
Mata Rile
a. We chose this song to start off our Around the World theme. This song
introduces quarter notes and eighth notes to students. We will do activities
starting off with fast versus slow moving notes.
American Folk Song:
a. With this piece, students will identify eighth notes and quarter notes. We will also
introduce quarter rests
Food from around the world!
a. Introduce a fun way to teach students how to identify different rhythm patterns.
Tsuki
a. Japanese folk song the students will play on orff instruments. We will work
together to create an arrangement using the orff instruments, and pitched
percussion
2.
3.
4.
5.
Japanese song: The Orff arrangement is to a Japanese song. I would like to teach the
song and use the melodic charts as a type of notation to the song.
6. Movement sequence: Pick a song from a different culture that builds off of the
previous song melodically or rhythmically. Create a dance along with the song. An
English folk song called the keeper.
7.
Learning the song from movement sequence: I will teach the lyrics of the song and
have an Orff arrangement for it. Some people will be dancing, some singing , and others
playing the arrangement.
Rationale
Our unit plan theme is around the world. Our rationale for choosing this was based on our
demographics as well as an article by Abril and Kelly McHale. The demographics of the school
contributed as to why we chose to incorporate other cultures. The demographics of this school
are not as diverse as others within the same county and state.In Abril and McHales article, they
discussed having culture guided pedagogy. We thought it would be a good idea to introduce
these cultures, because they would not have had previous exposure to them. Of course we
would add songs from their current culture later on as well.
We want students to understand melodic, and rhythmic themes through songs from
around the world. Students will also demonstrate an understanding of different forms of songs.
Through the understandings of the forms students. These melodic themes will include intervals
of an octave or more.
Detailed Experiences
Sing song again and pat with the students to verify they know where the
8th notes are
Go over the words " Mata Rile Ron"
Ambos a Dos, Matarile rile rile
Teacher sings song and has students sing only the words where the 8th
notes are
Matarile rile rile
Go over the words for " Ambo A Dos"
Visualize the Ambo steps on a ladder
holds hand in center of body for first pitch, second pitch is lower,
so lower hand, and then back up etc
sing the song all together make sure students still are patting their legs for
the eight notes
Arrange students in inside circle, and outside circle.
Inside circle stays, outside circle moves on the beat.
Sing the song and do the dance movements
Assessment
Visually seeing when students pat out the 8th notes
Asking guided questions and assessing their responses
Extension ( if time, but if not, add to beginning of next lesson)
If we have enough time we will learn the game that goes with it
Arrange students in inside circle, and outside circle.
Inside circle stays, outside circle moves on the beat.
Sing the song and do the dance movements
making the dance moves harder
teaching the other verses of the song
find another song that has similar 8th notes and have students identify
where it is
Have students create their own movements to 8th notes
Have students compose a piece of their own with 8th notes
Adaptations
Size
Make the pictures better
Pacing
Wind down
Color
Add color to the iconic notation
Modality
Create alternative movements so they can be done stationary or
just sitting down
Food Rhythms:
Understanding Statements
Students will create different menus of rhythms using the food rhythms charts
Students will clap rhythms (including 16th notes) with rhythm accuracy
I can statements
I can keep a steady beat
I can say rhythms in a fun way using different food types
SOL Standards
5.4 The student will perform rhythms of increased complexity, including
syncopations.
5.6 2. composing a short original composition within specified guidelines; and
Materials
Construction Paper
Large Flash Cards
Procedures
1. Daily Warm Up of Singing
When students first arrive in class, before they sit in their spots hold
flashcards that have either quarter, half or dotted half and ask students to
identify how many beats there are.
Warm up (5 minutes)
Vocal sighs, stretching arms, putting hands on top of head to expand
lungs and give good breath support
Action Verb warm up
I will point to a flash card with an action verb and I will tap a tempo and
students must model the movement in time to what I'm tapping
side step, pat legs, high five the air
2. (Student will have been introduced to these food rhythms before)
Run through the rhythms with the students
Point to different food rhythm flash cards
Focus on only doing the rhythms with 16th notes
3. Food Rythm Olympics
Students will line up and in turn each will say the rhythm I point to
If correct, the student goes back to the end of the line, if incorrect, then
they sit on the side
4. Have small groups of students create their own words to a rhythm pattern I
give them Rhythm Menu
Walk around and assess to see if students need any guidance or help
After every group is completed, I will have students draw their creations
on construction paper
Tape up students rhythms around the classroom and have students go
around the world (classroom) and clap out (or play on unpitched
percussion) the rhythms that are hung up on the wall.
Guided Discussion
Lead a discussion with the students on how some words can fit in with the
rhythms, while others don't
Question
Does anyone know what syllables are?
How can we demonstrate how many syllables are in a
word?
Why do you think some words work and others dont?
Rationale behind this: Using the Wiggins Interdisciplinary method
of teaching to create an experience where students are learning
foundations of rhythm as well as enhancing their english skills
Assessment
Asking guided questions during the discussion
Student handing in their pictures of their creation of food rhythms
Extensions
Incorporating varying rhythms and well as rests. (such as dotted quarter, and
syncopated rhythms)
Accommodations
Pacing
Winding down and using just quarter and eighth notes
Size
Make the flashcards bigger
Students can stomp their feet to the rhythms to make the motion bigger
Color
Making different rhythms a different color
Modality
Students can either clap, or play on unpitched percussion, or say them
outloud
Tsuki
Understanding Statements: Music is made up of different types of patterns: melodic,
rhythmic, form etc. Students will differentiate between rhythmic and melodic patterns. Students
will demonstrate melodic, and rhythmic patterns on recorder.
National Standards
The student will sing a variety of songs alone and with others, including
singing three-pitch (sol, mi, la) songs, using echo and ensemble singing
The student will sing a repertoire of songs in tune with a clear tone quality.
The student will notate and perform melodies from the treble staff, using traditional notation
I can Statements
Materials: Recorder, The song: Tsuki, markers and construction paper, and melodic charts
Procedures
Intervals
Since
they should already know sol mi I will review this interval with them
Then
When
Teacher
will play the notes and then they will repeat after me
Solfege transition
I will have these two intervals up on the board with circle magnets
They will be separate from each other on either side of the board
Then I will point to one on the board and the class will sing the interval
Just on la
As I sing each phrase I will hold up a melodic chart of what the phrase looks like
When the rests come up I will put my finger to my lips like I am saying shh
Questions
Why
Notation
The students will tell me where all the leaps and steps are
Comparing and contrasting to the melodic charts and the actual notation
Recorder
time
We will try to play the song on recorder while looking at the music
After
the entire song is learned we will play it a few times through for
I will not do the background of the song until have I question them
on what they think the songs means and what its about.
We
Since
pronounced correctly
We
We will sing it once with the english lyrics to hear how this sounds.
Questions
After
What
Final Performance
will have half of the class singing the song and they other half playing on
recorder
Assessment
When
If
they can sing and play at least three times then they understand the
solfege
Questions
Why
What
Extensions
We
will discuss as a class what a symbol should be for this song to represent the
rhythm
would tell them that one has to be big and the other small
Guide
Asking
why they think it needs to be this way what rhythm does that
represent
Then
I
Then
I will have them place the rhythm symbols of the song in the correct order
Adaptations
Size
Pacing
Only
Color
Have
Modality
Orff Arrangement
Understanding Statement
Student will be able to play a Japanese folk on Orff instruments and
Recorder
Ostinato
Color
Bordun
Unpitched percussion
Student will demonstrate the ability to play in an ensemble setting
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the rhythm in this
arrangement
National Standards
The student will respond to music with movement
Perform choreographed and non-choreographed movements
Perform dances and games from various cultures, including
traditional folk dances.
Us body percussion
I can statement
I can articulate and notate a rhythm
I can play on various orff instruments