Experience Design: ​Bridges International Thanksgiving Feast

Designer(s): ​Jimmy McKenzie, Davina Miaw, Adam Miller, Rachel Napierskie, Brandon
Rhinehart, Erica Unroe

Summary/Overview:
Students will play ​“The Thankfulness Song”​ found in the show, Veggie Tales using ukuleles,
bucket drums, and Orff instruments (xylophones and metallophones). Afterwards, they will
create their own song in small ensembles containing a mix of ukuleles, bucket drums, and Orff
instruments using the same chords and notes found in “The Thankfulness Song”.

Rationale:
We are proposing this experience to connect and create music making experiences with the
international community at James Madison University. We will be using scaffolding in this
experience by learning “The Thankfulness Song”, which contains four basic chords, and then
using those chords and the theme of thankfulness as the parameters for the song they will
compose.

Standards:
Virginia Standards of Learning for Music
● EI.1 The student will echo, read, and notate music
● EI.8 The student will use music composition as a means of expression by
○ 1. composing a four-measure rhythmic or melodic variation;
● EI.15 The student will perform simple rhythmic and melodic examples in
call-and-response styles
National Core Music Anchor Standards
● Anchor Standard #2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
● Anchor Standard #6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

I Can Statements:
● I can play a CM, GM, Am, and FM chord on the ukulele
● I can create my own original line of music (lyrics)
● I can echo the original melody sung
● I can echo a melodic and rhythmic pattern

Materials and Visual Aids:

 ● Ukuleles
● Bucket Drums and sticks
● Orff instruments and mallets
● Google Slides with lyrics and chords to “The Thankfulness Song”

Detailed Process:
● Introduction (3 min) Rachel
○ Names, favorite Thanksgiving food, we’re part of MUED program
○ Rachel: Slide with overview and talk through it
● Show song: Watch video first, then perform the song for them (3 minutes) → total times
played is two
○ Uke: Brandon, Jimmy
○ Drums: Erica, Adam
○ Orff: Rachel, Davina
● Split into instrument groups (5 minutes)
○ Same instruments for teaching basics of instruments
○ ALL: HOW WE WANT TO TEACH
● Teach them their part of song (5 minutes)
● Perform song together x2 (5 minutes)
● Adam: Explain what we are doing in groups
○ Have an example of written song
○ Write our own song
○ Parameters: Use whatever chords we taught, something you are thankful for,
everyone must either be playing or playing and singing, have at least 5 things
you are thankful for
○ Everyone performs in their groups
● Split into groups of 4-6 people (have at least one of each instrument in their group) 20
min
○ All of us walking around to facilitate
● Perform songs (10-20 min)

Assessment:
● Students will be assessed when they perform “The Thankfulness Song” as a group, as
well as when they perform their original compositions for their small ensemble. If the
melody is being correctly sung and the correct rhythms and chords/notes are played,
students are demonstrating learning and growth. If students write their own short song
using the same chords as “The Thankfulness Song” and perform it, they are also
demonstrating that they have learned what we taught them.

Extensions:
 In this case we could have the students reform into new groups of instruments and try
writing a new song with different people, or we could have the students teach the rest of the
class the songs that they have just wrote similarly to what we did in the beginning but with the
students taking on the teacher role for their own individual song.

Adaptations:

● Size:
○ Size of groups they are working in (large vs. small)
○ Size of instruments (soprano vs. concert ukulele; large Orff instrument vs. small
Orff instrument)
● Color:
○ Color coding notes on xylophone to match the chords on slide
○ Color coding chords on slide to match stickers on the ukulele
● Pacing:
○ Splitting different instrument groups into two sections (slower and faster paced
one)
● Modality:
○ Moving to the song or raising their hands whenever they hear the tonic chord
○ Slides containing lyrics and chords as a visual aid

Winding:

● Back:
○ If students are having difficulty playing all the chords and notes in the piece, they
can choose a different instrument that they can play more easily. For example, if
figuring out fingerings and strumming on the ukulele is too difficult, students can
choose to play the bucket drum where they would just have to understand
rhythms. Another way to wind it back would be to have students just play the
tonic chord on the ukulele or the single tonic note on the Orff instrument
whenever they hear it.
● Forward:
○ If students are getting ahead about learning everything on their instrument and
need a bigger challenge, we can give them another instrument to start working
on. Giving them the opportunity to play two or even three instruments total
through this entire lesson. For example If they can do everything on the bucket
drums maybe try moving them to ukulele to give them a new set of challenges to
help them grow in the classroom.