super heroes

Lesson: Super Heroes

Super Heroes

 

 


Day 1

Teach “Canon” and sing as a two or three-part canon. (Music for Children I, #41 pg. 132 with adjusted rhythm to fit text)

super heroes

Day 2

As a class, have students brainstorm superheroes and create an eight-beat rhythm using superhero names. For example,

super heroes

Together, create body percussion to go with superhero rhythm, perform as a B section with the canon.

Day 3

In small groups the children choose two superhero’s from my stack of Super Hero Trading Cards and keep them secret from the other groups. You can make your own “superhero deck” with resources from the internet, purchase superhero playing cards on Amazon or old superhero trading cards on E-bay. The students create a list of adjectives that fit the superhero’s personality. (Courageous, fearless, epic, brave etc.) After creating the word list, they choose the hero they like best. Each group shares their list of adjectives and the other groups try to guess who it is. (This step may take two classes, depending on your students.)

Here is an example:

super heroes

Day 4

Students create a 32-beat rhythm about their superhero using at least two of the adjectives from their lists. They CAN NOT use the word VERY. The speech pattern should be in an elemental form and the last beat should be a quarter note or quarter rest.  Examples of elemental form are as follows:

a a b a
a a a b
a b c a
a b a a
a b a c
a b b a

Day 5

Create “Action Cards” that say CM (creative movement), BP (body percussion), UTP (untuned percussion) and BP (barred percussion). The groups randomly select an action card and transfer their 32-beat rhythm to the action listed on their card. Share the creations with the class.

Day 6

Review composition, the canon, and the body percussion and rhythm from class two. As a class, decide on a form for the final product. The children may choose to use all of the parts or not.

Start with an introduction, and end with a strong coda.

Jason Levy

Jason Levy currently teaches at Campus International School in Cleveland, Ohio where he has taught in the Cleveland Metropolitan City Schools for 17 years and received the Excellence in Teaching Award in November 2017.  He is a graduate of Heidelberg College, completed his master’s degree at The University of Akron, and received his Orff certification from Southern Methodist University.  In addition to teaching elementary/middle school general music and band Mr. Levy also is the director of the Cleveland All City Elementary Choir.  When he is not teaching Mr. Levy enjoys singing and traveling with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus.

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3 Comments

  1. Denise Edwards on March 14, 2019 at 2:38 pm

    I now teach elementary music in Jacksonville, Florida after having taught in Cleveland for 34 years. Our school’s theme this year is superheroes. I am Orff I,II certified and my books are never far away from me! Thanks for this!

  2. Lucy Warner on March 19, 2019 at 9:21 am

    Great lessons, Jason – Thank you! I plan to use your chants in some of my K-4 classes when we return from Spring Break . . . a perfect “match” with our music class books Zap! Boom! Pow! Superheroes of Music and Zap! Bam! Now! Superheroes of Music.

  3. Chelsea Thiel on October 19, 2022 at 9:44 am

    Hey Jason!

    Melissa and I are working together on a superhero performance this year. Thank you for this great rep and excellent lesson plan!

    You rock!
    Chelsea

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