The guided composition activity towards the end of the lesson allows students to spread their wings a bit. They could use the ice cream flavors I created or choose their own. Most of my students choose the latter. I call these activities guided because I give them a basic structure, but they also have opportunities to make decisions and be creative. I also give my students opportunities to decide on their final form. We have utilized many elements in this lesson, but ultimately they decide how to put it together.

This lesson will work even if you don’t have enough barred instruments for every student. You can have one instrument for every two students, and the lesson works just as well. Some of you are reading this saying, I don’t even have that many. Again, this lesson will still work. Hand drums, wood blocks, rhythm sticks, or any un-pitched percussion instruments will work as our primary focus is on rhythm. The pitched percussion instruments just add a different flavor.

I hope you enjoy creating with your students this spring and take some time for a frosty treat this summer.

– Angela

Ice Cream Please

Concepts:

• Hand Drum Technique  
• Canon  
• Rondo Form  
• Rhythmic Building Bricks  
• *Composition

Click here to make a copy of the Teaching Slide Deck

[Based off of Rhythmic Canon, Music for Children, Vol I. pg. 74 #7 by Margaret Murray ] 

• What is your favorite flavor of Ice Cream? 
• Present visual of the three rhythmic units 
• Teacher speaks the pattern 
• What order did I say these in?  1 -2 -3 – 3 – 1 
• Teacher speak the pattern, perform body percussion (clap) 
• Underline word Please & Me – let’s make those a different level of Body Percussion (pat or stomp)
• Teacher speak the pattern, perform body percussion (clap & pat) one phrase at a time- Students echo
• Repeat as needed until S are comfortable with the rhythm 
• Challenge students to do it without your help. Tell them you are going to try and trick them. Teacher performs part 2 of the canon.  Can students hold their own? 
• Divide the class in half. 
• Perform the pattern without speech only Body Percussion – Try in a 2-beat canon and 4-beat canon 
• How is it different? Which do the students like the best? 
• What would happen if you tried a 1 beat canon? (This is a challenge but fun to try.  Some groups can do it- others can not) 

• T discusses hand drum technique: 
  • Play drum with dominant hand  
  • Two main sounds – ‘down’ with thumb and ‘up’ with middle & ring fingers  
  • Be sure to ‘bounce’ off the drum  

• T tells S to use the ‘down’ stroke for the pats and the ‘up’ stroke for the claps -T Models
• S play rhythm on drum  
• When S are comfortable on drum – play rhythm in 2-beat canon  

ON ANOTHER DAY! 

• Introduce the ice cream map with rhythmic building bricks- insert the building bricks into the ice cream map
  • Example:  I want some Ice, Tin Roof Sundae, Ice; I want some Rocky Road 
    Yes indeed! 
• Rotate several students to come up and choose their flavors to place in the chart. 
• Have students clap and say the new pattern. 
• Have students transfer rhythms to hand drums or other un-pitched percussion instrument.

• Option:  Have all students go to Orff Barred instruments and set in a Pentatonic (example C pentatonic they would take off their B’s & F’s)
  • At the instruments, can students play the rhythm that was created on the Ice Cream Map on only the note C? Can they expand to the notes C,D,E? Can they expand to the whole pentaton? (C, D, E, G, A)
  • Encourage students to play rhythm on any notes they wish; but end the last word (deed) on a C (your home tone). 

• You could just work on this as a class or you might choose to work in small groups to create your own building brick ice cream. 
• Talk about Rondo Form (The A keeps coming back) Day one is the A section – the whole class or small group creations are the contrasting sections. 
• Create Ronod Form – Perform as a class.   

• Another Option: Have small groups create a guided composition. See the project sheet below. Guided Composition will take more time, but students enjoy the freedom to choose and create. 

Building Bricks in Duple Meter (these are the basics, to begin with) You could create your own or have your students create their own based on these rhythms.

*Chocolate can be said in different ways depending on your region. Feel free to replace*

Example of Project Sheet I use with students

Click here to download a pdf of Angela’s lesson plan.

The post Lesson: Ice Cream Please first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

Using Earth Song by Frank Ticheli, students are given elemental composition tools to craft unique movement accompaniments to a poignant and timely vocal piece with themes of peace and hope – just in time for Earth Day 2024!

Earth Song is a gorgeous vocal composition with origins in the work Sanctuary for wind ensemble. Diatonically living in F major and a strong form in 4/4 time, the lush and swelling 4-beat phrases elude traditional cadential harmony, and settle into an E phrygian resolution by the end. The atonality and undetermined harmonic destination create an incredible springboard for creative, unique movement compositions by students. The compositional process is prompted and guided by thinking maps designed to elicit biome characteristics from around the globe, pull out movement vocabulary for decision making, and utilizes visual organizers to aid in compositional brainstorming and refinement along the way.

Thinking maps and graphic organizers are a favorite way of mine to begin movement activities, because it naturally filters and focuses language prompts that evolve into the impetus of movement decisions.

From here, the class as a whole will split into small groups, each assigned to their own biome. They will transfer their biome and the movement words pulled out of the brainstorming session into a targeted organizer for their unique movement piece.

At this point, I expose them to the music we will be working with, Earth Song. I love to use the recording made by Virtual Choir HQ, featuring 167 singers hailing from 21 different professional choirs around the world.

I find it powerful to post the lyrics as we listen:

Sing, Be, Live, See.
This dark stormy hour,
The wind, it stirs.
The scorched earth
Cries out in vain:
O war and power,
You blind and blur,
The torn heart
Cries out in pain.
But music and singing
Have been my refuge,
And music and singing
Shall be my light.
A light of song
Shining Strong: Alleluia!
Through darkness, pain, and strife, I’ll
Sing, Be, Live, See…
Peace.

In a quick additional brainstorm, I ask them to describe the feelings, emotions, and impressions they get from listening to this piece. This will be crucial to leading them into creating movement pieces that “fit” with the recording of Earth Song that we will be using. For instance, if the Jungle group are planning on thrashing around like toucans and monkeys, this would help them adapt to interpretations that fit better with the mood of Earth Song.

Then, I post a collection of Movement Vocabulary words (using categories derived from Creative Dance by Anne Greene Gilbert) for them to use as they return to their groups’ Movement Plan.

With these guides and prompting vocabulary at their disposal, they are tasked with using the remaining fields of their plan to map out exactly how each word from their biome characteristics can translate into a movement representation. Plenty of time is given to experiment, test ideas, and refine.

As students develop three different gestures for their biome words, give them the additional task of creating transition movements to get from the end of one part and to the beginning of the next part.

• How would you travel to “reset” for the next part?
• How would you move to “stay in character” during the transition?
• How would you communicate without words to your group to move through each section and transition?

Now it is time to coach each composition to fit into the phrase lengths of Earth Song.

Start playing slow 4-beat phrases on a drum and ask the students to stretch and sustain each of the three sections of their movement piece across 4 beats, and then use the following 4 beats to transition or travel, and then begin the next section of their movement pieces over the next 4 beats, etc. The form will evolve into:

Plenty of time should be given for refinement and edit during the phase of the process.

“Finally, on a daily level, risk a slower pace in your own work with children, a pace that allows time to consider creative questions and their answers. Personal reflection and construction of knowledge takes more time than simply dictating knowledge.” – Peter Webster, “Thinking in Music Education, Encouraging the Inner Voice.”

Time must be allotted to allow students to feel, analyze, and constructively work through places that “feel weird” or “don’t fit” and to work toward the group consensus, and ultimately feel really good and confident executing their final version.

Now it is time to add Earth Song in. I like to let them just listen one more time, breathing with the 4 beat phrases, and following along on their group’s plan and with the roadmap. On a second pass through, we will practice grafting the movement onto the recording, and spend more time sharing out to the other groups.

As a final group version, I like to put the groups into canon, having one group begin, and introducing the following groups one at a time in offset intervals. The layers of movement and characteristic expression, unified by the breath of the 4 beat phrases is so dynamic and fascinating.

This activity can be incorporated into a larger collection of activities for a variety of performances. From humble building blocks of vocabulary, the results are a multidimensional expression of creativity, layered with a gorgeous choral piece singing for peace.

Project Details

Beginning with accessible and cross-disciplinary guides and organizers, this activity follows the concrete definable language associated with Earth’s biomes, and unlocks creative expressive movement in small group settings. The compositional process is guided but unbound, and the inspiration is rooted in emotional and deeply moving choral music.

4th graders will brainstorm, prioritize, and compose movement poetry and performance pieces, and be able to articulate their creative process. 

• Fourth Grade, Standard 1. Expression of Music: Demonstrate practice and refinement processes to develop independent musicianship
• Fourth Grade, Standard 2. Creation of Music: Compose, improvise, and arrange sounds and musical ideas to communicate purposeful intent.
• Fourth Grade, Standard 3. Theory of Music: Identify and demonstrate complex form, meter, and timbre elements – Form: Aurally identify a variety of forms including recurring themes, interludes, canons and theme/variations.
• Fourth Grade, Standard 4. Aesthetic Valuation of Music: Evaluate and respond to music using criteria to make informed musical decisions.

• Use as a part in a greater showcase with Earth/environment/science/SEL/collaborative/peace themes

• As a gateway into larger movement or creative composition activities
• As an accompaniment to a story or piece of literature

Think of this activity as a beginning, with endless process variables and directions you could take. Some of the variations could include but are by no means limited to:

Poetry

Thinking maps and graphic organizers are a readily accessible entry point and guide through this activity, but beginning with poetry is just as effective. Consider collecting haikus, cinquain, or tetractys poems that are short, focused, and unfold musically, and have the students identify movement words in their poems and take up the process from that point of inspiration. Or, have students compose their own earth-themed poetry and pull out the movement prompts from their own creations.

Music

Do you have an arrangement that would accompany this activity? Grafting creative movement onto student arrangements and compositions can be done following the outlined process, by breaking down the components of a movement piece and its transitions, and fitting them into the phrase lengths of any piece of music.

Visual Additions

Working with Light

• Putting the movers behind a shadow screen unleashes incredible visual dynamics to an activity like this, and would no doubt spark a rabbit hole of compositional ideas in your students.
• Projecting light down onto the performers, perhaps a different hue for each represented biome would add to the distinctness and qualities of each group’s impetus for compositionAdding Movement Props
  • Adding scarves, ribbons, stretchy bands, or lights like this (a special thanks to Dave Thaxton for the discovery of these bad boys) would be an engaging layer to add to each movement piece
  • placing groups on tiered levels in a performance would add fascinating depth to the visual presentation
  • Adding a projection of scenes of nature or even the Earth Song performance would elicit the theme and add an interesting accompaniment

Assessment

Evaluating the efficacy of this type of activity can be tricky, subjective, and unclear. In activities that are creative and compositional in nature, with unclear and open-ended outcomes, I like to utilize an area of evaluation that is incredibly valuable: assessment as learning, ie: assessment done by the student, as the activity is evolving. An idea introduced to me by the incredible Victoria Redfern-Cave at AOSA National Conference 2017, this is clearly and easily achieved by leading the students through self-created rubrics that define and track what success looks like in a compositional activity. This naturally helps eliminate moments where students are asking questions such as, “Is this what you want?” or “I don’t get it.”

Student-Created Rubrics as a a guide through an abstract activity, and checklist for success:

• Create categories that can be assessed by someone watching a performance of this activity. These should be categories where the students have received actual instruction, such as how each section of the movement is developed and composed, what transitions look like and how are they considered successful, and how we work with the members of our groups.
• Create levels of possibility and valuation that are age appropriate. I find this often boils down to “Did you do this thing? Check yes or no”
• Fill-in the blanks with descriptive language. 

An example of a rubric made in a whole-class discussion, identifying what effective participation looks like and defining success could look like this:

The post Earth Song first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

Did you miss Skin and Bones Part 1? Click here!

In part two of his post using the folk song “Skin and Bones”, Drue Bullington shares how to use this favorite folk song with upper elementary students to continue the fun through 6th grade!  

4th Grade 

Level I 

In 4th Grade we return to the beginning of “Skin and Bones” in a way. The first experiences with the song from the young musicians’ standpoint was to sing the “Song of the Wind.” In 4th grade, we change the way students experience the melody by asking them to play it on a glockenspiel.  

Ask students to sing the song of the wind first from the Body Scale: 

Connect both hands on the top of the head for mi, shoulders for re, both hands at the belly button for do and both hands on the tops of the thighs for la,. You might also choose to go right to note names at this point as well.  

Next transfer this to the pitch stack visually and have students read if from there; first the students will be echoing the teacher as they point, and then reading and pointing on their own in the context of the song.  

Then, add the challenge of the melodic contour, ask students to point in the air at each pitch with alternating hands as they read and sing the syllables. 

Next, transferring this visually onto an image of an instrument will help students successfully transition to playing the melody on actual instruments.  

Give students “Fake Mallets.” Pretend to throw a huge handful of mallets out over the class and have them “catch some fake mallets.” Then the teacher with actual mallets should play and sing the melody syllables on the projected (or even a chalkboard or marker board image) of this visual above. Have the students echo this pattern and play in the air with their “fake mallets.”

The next step is a student favorite, “The opposite game.” The teacher sings and plays the syllables, and the students have to sing back the letter “note name” that corresponds to that syllable. In this case, the teacher sings and plays, “mi, re, do, la,” and then the students sing and play back “B, A, G, E.” Next show the students the actually notation. Ask them to play the opposite game with the notation first with the syllables written for them.   

And then read the note names without the syllables written.    

When this is something students do with ease, they are ready to increase their challenge level to playing instruments! 

Level 2 

This melody sounds fantastic when played on alto glockenspiels and the color part at the end of the melody is played on a soprano glockenspiels. In a space in the room, consider setting up the glockenspiel area. Soprano metallophones will also work as they play in the same range as the alto glockenspiel. Consider this: to keep the sound from being too overwhelmed by the metallophones, have students playing those instruments use “stick ends” of mallets.” This will give you more instruments for playing without the reverberating blast of metallic sound. Students, when allowed to explore this option, usually prefer it more for its mysterious sound. Use the alto glocks and soprano metallophones for the “Song of the Wind,” melody, and the soprano glockenspiels for the color part at the end of the phrase— “play with the breath.” Add all of the singing of the song story, the instruments and actor roles back into the game from above. Switch roles with the same “eyes closed” approach as in earlier grades and the game becomes enriched musically and more vibrant in the sound landscape it now creates.  

Level 3 

Create groups of four students. Each person in this group will have one of these roles, 1. Melody player for “Song of the Wind” on the alto glock, 2. Color part player on a soprano glock, 3. Bone rattler (use few rhythm sticks in copier paper box lid) 4. Graveyard movement character (trees, black cats, mouse, owl, etc.). As the games are played this small group will rotate through each station several times, and the main characters of the game will still be chosen by “closed eyes, not talking” role switching. To help make this clear here is a visual of what is going on in the room.   

5th Grade 

Level I 

We begin in fifth grade with the same approach as was taken in 4th grade. We will be transferring the “Song of the Wind” one more time from barred instruments to soprano recorders. The approach is very similar, but this time we can begin with the notation as it was something very familiar to them by the end of their 4th grade experiences. If this is not the case, you’d have to circle back and bring them up to speed with the body scale, pitch stack syllable → note name transfer that is outlined above.  

Have the students echo sing this pattern while they are reading it.  

Next ask them to play the opposite game, teacher sings the syllables and students sing the note names. If this is weak, circle back and sing the note names for them and have them echo.  

Next, assuming there is some basic facility with recorder playing at this point, ask the students to play the rhythm of this melody all on a “B.” Teacher plays, students echo. Do this again for A, G and E.  

Next, the teacher plays the whole pattern and students echo. Often students will hear the “Hot Cross Buns” pattern in there. Many times they have ended up singing, “Hot Cross Buns, BURNED!” This is pretty easy to hear as the low la, gives it a minor tonal center. At any rate, when the students can play this, Add this element into the game. Since it is important that all the students have a lot of practice playing this pattern smoothly, this is the only special thing happening and the recorder players are all spread out around the room and the only time they aren’t playing this pattern is when they are in a special character role. They sing the words of the story and play the “song of the wind” melody on recorders. This really reinforces slow, easy breath for the recorder, and gives a lot of technique practice.   

Level 2 

Bringing the challenge level up, we ask the students to learn to play the melody on the recorder for the whole song. This is overwhelming if they are asked to “read the music” like they would have to were they in a band. Here we make it very simple. Since they know the “Song of the Wind” pattern so well, it is memorized. Now we simply ask them to sort out the notes for one phrase at a time in which the melody contour stays the same, but the rhythm changes. First we learn the melody contour.  

Once students can apply this to their body scale in echo format, they can play the opposite game.  

Once they can play the opposite game with barred instruments, they can play the same game with notation. 

Finally, once they can play the opposite game, (sing the note names after the teacher sings the syllables) they can read the notation without any help. 

Next transfer this to the recorder, the teacher can play it first and the students can echo it. (This will help the auditory learners in your classes who will want to hear it and then recreate the sound themselves which will then map the visual learning in their brain for them at the end of the process.) 

Next, the students can work out how to play the rhythm of each phrase based on the text and the actual notation.  

*Pit Fall Alert!* This next one is tricky! The students have promise to NEVER blow into their recorder on the “Boo!” or else your ears will never forgive you. Everyone must swear a solemn vow to remove their recorders and point to the “Cupboard Monster” area when they appear. If anyone plays the shrieking horrible sound that you can imagine will ensue, the consequence must be swift, severe and unwavering– most importantly it must be discussed ahead of time. No warnings are given!! This can result in irreparable hearing damage! If this occurs, a missed recess to read about how hearing damage works could be a consequence, or being banned from ever playing the game again, or something equally robust. 

Here is a link to a printable 8.5 x 14” melody cards for these patterns. Using these cards, have students work in pairs, one partner will play the pattern, and the second will evaluate their playing and change the cards for each phrase (they are numbered, so the students will be able to keep them in order easily). Switch.  

Level 3 

Create groups of 4 for playing the song. Rotate through several times! 

6th Grade 

Level 1 

In sixth grade, students are happy to take over a bit of the control of the process for this game. The love it and know it deeply. In Level 1, they are challenged to improvise new melodic and rhythmic patterns that will fit with the mood of the game, and the arrangements we’ve been using in the past. It is a higher level challenge to create words that fit with their creations, but many rise to meet it.  

Level 2 

Students share their ideas with one another in small groups. The challenge set out for them is to play the main melody on recorder for one verse and response while playing the new patterns concurrently. Share these ideas with the group, the teacher collects them and writes them into notation for the students, and then in a subsequent class, tries to incorporate a few of these ideas into a new arrangement that belongs heavily to the students.  

Level 3 

Here is an example of a score that was created by some 6th graders that uses familiar ideas from their past experiences with some elaboration on their part. One challenge that was set out for them was to make a bordun on a bass xylophone. Another was to create a flowing part on a soprano xylophone. Another group’s challenge was to create something more interesting with sticks and movement that makes the “Tree” part more fun and exciting.  

This is an example of student ideas being shared within a community of learners and then the teacher taking their ideas and crafting them into something that is aesthetically pleasing for everyone to play and enjoy as a group.  

The facilitation of six years of learning with one particular folk song in a skill spiral will provide amazing results year after year when your students are invested and excited to revisit the activity in the way they thrill to spend time with a friend they only see once a year! 

Good luck to you as you explore the wonderful autumn music repertoire and hopefully this gem will find its way somewhere into your students’ lives. We’d love to hear your thoughts about this lesson spiral! Please share your ideas and plans with our readers.  

For expanded ideas on “Skin and Bones” plus other inclusive lesson ideas for fall, check out our webinar Autumnal Illuminations!

Originally published on Teaching With Orff October 18, 2018

The post Skin and Bones Part 2 first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

One really enjoyable aspect of Orff-Inspired teaching is being able to use “recycled songs.” These are songs that one can “spiral” from year to year adding new levels of engagement and skill. In this two-part post, Drue Bullington demonstrates how one simple folk song can build over the years and the children will beg for more! This process can be transferred to songs that you and your students enjoy to streamline planning without sacrificing quality. I hope this post will inspire you to “recycle” and “spiral” songs that you love!

This song story about an unassuming old lady who decides to take a little stroll after dark has brought boundless joy and excitement to kids of all ages for decades. Here follows a process for spiraling this simple, easy-to-learn, and easy-to-sing folk song through grades 1-6. It became a popular alternative to the “Halloween” song material which for a number of reasons, is best avoided in many communities. Since there is no mention of anything having to do with Halloween, it’s always been a safe, solid choice for a big load of October fun! Students actually ask for it all year, and many times endless begging and pleadings means that the end of the year “choice” music class activities include getting the “Old Lady’s” cane out of storage! The year going out with a “bang” also means going out with a “Boo!”

Kindergarten might be a bit too young for this experience. They’ve barely been in school for a month in October. It makes sense to save their first taste of this great folk song for first grade. This is where we first meet the “Old Lady All Skin and Bones”

*The final “BOO!” Is actually not sung. It should be abrupt and loudly spoken, perhaps almost shouted!

1st Grade

Ask the students to learn the “song of the wind” and teach them the very basic descending m r d l, pattern that serves as the refrain for the song.

“Song of the wind.”

Sing the song for the students in a story-telling fashion, give them a sense of mystery and anticipation in the singing of the song. It is great fun to turn out the classroom lights for this! Use a folk instrument for an accompaniment: Guitar, ukulele, banjo, dulcimer will all work. Make the “wind song” the first graders’ special part. When the end of the song finally comes and it’s time for the “Boo,” let fly with as raucously startling, calamitous a “Boo!” which you think the first graders could handle without losing their composure and descending into terrified puddles of their former selves!

Temperance in your approach will help the learners to feel that you were inviting them into a fun story instead of trapping them with an unexpected horrifying experience. It is always easier to play with your delivery in multiple classes and find the one with which you really feel comfortable and then adopting that one as your “go-to.”

When the students understand the song’s story and are able to sing the “wind song” with success and regularity, bring some drama into the experience.

Level 1

Invite the students to take on the role of trees in the graveyard. Spread the first graders out evenly in the free space they have available to them. Ask them to explore gnarly, old tree shapes and create a statue of such a tree. When the wind song happens, the limbs of the trees move as though affected by the breeze.

The teacher acts out the role of the “Old Lady.” This character should walk around the graveyard, perhaps carrying a cane or walking stick, even wearing a cloak, and experience the wind and of course seek the broom somewhere in the space when the time comes. At the end of the song, the students/trees all erupt in the “Boo!” As the old lady (acted out by the teacher) opens a pretend or “actual” cupboard/closet door, the she should dramatically collapse as though shaken to the core with fear. Of course, immediate calls for “again!” will usually erupt and the students are hooked for life!

Level 2

Replace the teacher in the role of “Old Lady” with a student. In order to create as peaceful a transfer of the character role from student to student, after the dramatic ending, ask the students who are trees to close their eyes and tell them that anyone caught peeking will not be chosen as the next “Old Lady.” The desire is strong to have a turn, so they are usually pretty willing to cooperate in this way. When the music begins again (Usually accompanied by the same folk instrument that was used in the initial singing of the story song by the teacher), the trees open their eyes and are surprised by the new actor in the role of old lady.

The role of “Old Lady” is taken on by both girls and boys. The rationale for this is that as a storyteller, when we are reading a story out loud, we don’t change the genders of the characters to match the person reading, and in the same way, as a teller of a story by showing in a dramatic way, we can all use our imaginations and know that boys are “acting as the old lady would act” without actually being “a lady.” The students are usually quite willing to adapt in this way because the game is fun. Changing the gender of the lyrics would wreck the consistency of the singing, and in the long run the game might deteriorate into confusion, which would really ruin the vibe of mystery and anticipation.

Level 3

Once comfort is established with the drama of the trees and the Old Lady actor, add the next level of interest. While the eyes are closed during the choosing of a new old lady, choose a willing and able accomplice and bring them to the closet/or cupboard area and hide them there unbeknownst to all of the other students and the old lady actor! Coach the “cupboard monster” to jump out and scare the jeepers out of the “Old Lady” and hopefully the whole class as well! Once this new dynamic is established, the game becomes an absolutely captivating experience, and for many a student holds high rank as one of their best memories of music class in elementary school, and for some, of their entire childhood!

2nd Grade

Level 1

We begin where first grade left off. Graveyard trees, an “Old Lady” actor, and the “cupboard monster!” Once this basic game play is established, introduce the instrument wonder known as the “wind chimes!” These are played when the wind blows. If your electrical system will allow it, it is fantastic to keep the lights off and have a child flicker them when the wind blows as well! The instrument and “lightning maker” jobs are given to new students during the “closed eyes, no talking” transfer of roles.

Level 2

Introduce another instrument when the “wind song” happens. A rain stick can add to the mystery of the story. It is also possible at this time to allow more drama to occur in the graveyard. It can be fun to ask students to introduce some nocturnal animals like raccoons, and black cats as well among the trees. The rule is always that they must stay away from the Old Lady as the story doesn’t mention them, we’ll just agree that they can be part of the scene.

Level 3

Introduce two more instruments. First, a big box of wooden rhythm sticks firmly and abruptly shaken give a striking sound that occurs whenever the song lyrics mention “bones!”

Secondly, on the final “Boo!” Have the person who shakes the bone box create a wonderful resonating splash of sound on a big gong, hand drum, bass drum, or timpani. With these exciting new additions, students would gladly play this game a lot longer than your music class will allow!

3rd Grade

Level 1

As in second grade, we review and quickly find ourselves happy and content with our familiar roles of “Old Lady,” trees, graveyard animals, “Cupboard monster,” wind chime player, rain stick player, bone box and gong/drum players. Next, we add a very simple chord drone on the tonic and dominant tones of la and mi. Begin by modeling a simple “steady pulse” patsch on the tops of the thighs with the students facing the teacher. Visually assess their class’ accuracy. If they seem like they can sing and keep the pulse from wavering, move them to instruments set up in an arrangement known as “la pentatonic on E.”

It is most successful if the chord drone is played only during the verse or during the “song of the wind,” but not continuously. Students who are playing a chord drone continuously over a sustained period of time will tend to build tension in their bodies and speed up the tempo. Build in breaks for them to reduce that tendency with rests. The approach works nicely because in the example below, the students can play the chord drone pulse, then use their mallets as tree branches in the breeze as they sing the melody of the “song of the wind,” then immediately play the chord drone for the next line of the story.

Playing a chord drone can be a reliable indicator of the internalization of the pulse in relation to the singing. If students can sing and play the steady pulse, they are ready to increase their challenge level. In general, no ensemble success will be possible where the pulse is not “rock steady.”

Level 2

We add next what might be the simplest, but also probably the most sophisticated sounding yet: a color part! The most musical aspect is that it is connected to the breath using the most elegant members of our Orff Instrumentarium, the soprano and/or alto glockenspiel!

Set up the instruments again in the arrangement known as “la pentatonic on E.” It is labeled this way because the tonal center is “la” and in this case the letter name corresponding to “la” is E.

Students may choose two “next door neighbor notes” to play when they take a breath after they sing the “wind song.” Beautiful phrasing habits are formed inherently in activities like this!

Level 3

Add the Contra Bass Bar! When you get the opportunity to really build independence with the power of the bass bar, it’s hard to resist! An important thing to notice is the way that the AX/BX chord drone and the Contrabass Barr parts work together. This way the students have the opportunity to both play a vital part of an arrangement and listen to the main melody. This provides also an opportunity to reduce tension which will prevent players from pushing the tempo ahead, and give students a chance to feel connected to the whole aural landscape by clearing sound space from their personal responsibility which in turn allows them to hear other parts clearly.

The contrabass bar part is pretty easy to teach when the song is so deeply internalized. Have the students focus on the “rocking back and forth” that can happen if you let your body feel the swaying of the trees in the wind. Add the words “Cold, dark night.” Extend this rocking to the hands on the floor from side to side as students are sitting in a criss-cross position facing the teacher. Move the hands onto the thighs. The teacher will model their right hand on their right thigh, and the students will “mirror” this movement with their left hands on their left thighs. Rock back and forth from side to side alternating hands.

Transfer this next to the bass bars with the left side being played on the E bass bar and the right should be played on the B bass bar if it’s available. If not, just a poly spot on the floor could work as well.

    
We hope your students enjoy this delightful, fun experience with “Skin and Bones!” Please share your ideas for how you might use this song with your students! We’d also love to hear what other songs work well to “recycle and spiral” in your classrooms.

For more “Skin and Bones” check out Part Two of Drue’s post!

For expanded ideas on “Skin and Bones” plus other inclusive lesson ideas for fall, check out our webinar Autumnal Illuminations!

Originally published on Teaching With Orff October 11, 2018

The post Skin and Bones Part 1 first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

Korean Dragonfly Song

Before tablets, PCs, and smartphones were introduced in Korea, children played with games that are related to the nature around them, such as flowers, trees, pebbles, animals, and insects. There are numerous Korean traditional folk songs based on nature, and Jamjari kkongkkong (잠자리 꽁꽁) is one such example for kids.

Jamjari (잠자리) means “dragonfly” and kkongkkong (꽁꽁) is an expression that represents “to freeze/stop in place.” Children used to sing the song, Jamjari kkongkkong (잠자리 꽁꽁) while chasing dragonflies, in hopes that a dragonfly will freeze in place so they can catch it.

Korean folk songs are written primarily with three to five tones; do, re, mi, so, and la. Jamjari kkongkkong is written with four tones: mi, so, la, and do’, with solfege “la” (note A) as the tonal center. There are multiple variations of the song throughout different regions in Korea, although this version is the most common by far.

Different colors of dragonflies including red, green, black, and yellow can easily be found in Korea throughout late Summer and Fall. Teachers may introduce the different colors of dragonflies through the drum ostinato pattern.

Translation & Pronunciation:

잠자리 꽁꽁                jamjari kkongkkong                  Dragonfly freeze

꼼자리 꽁꽁                kkomjari* kkongkkong              Dragonfly freeze

이리와라 꽁꽁             iriwara kkongkkong                  Fly here kkongkkong

저리가라 꽁꽁             jeorigara kkongkkong               Fly away kkongkkong

*kkomjari is mixture of jamjari and kkongkkong; the first syllable of jamjari is changed to create a rhyme.

Click here to view videos of both pronunciation and song.

Procedures:

1. Teacher sings the song with motions.
2. Teach the motions (Students imitate motions and listen to the Korean lyrics multiple times).
   • Jamjari kkongkkong – flying motion and freeze (in place).
     
   • kkomjari kkongkkong – repeat above.
   • iriwara kkongkkong – two steps forward and freeze.
     
   • jeorigara kkongkkong – two steps back and freeze.
     
3. Teach the song, phrase by phrase.
4. Speak “kkong kkong dra-gon-fly” (patting hands on the laps) and transfer to alto xylophone (note A and E).
   
5. Introduce the different colors of dragonfly through the drum part. Have students speak “Red, green, black and yel-low” (clapping the rhythms) and transfer to drum.
   
6. Divide class into three groups; one group for alto xylophone, another group for drum, and the other group for singing and motions.
7. Perform the entire piece as an ensemble.
   • Alto xylophone starts with 8 beat intro and then drum comes in (8 beat ostinato).
   • Sing the song two times with motions.

Click here to download a pdf of this lesson.

Originally published by Teaching with Orff April 24, 2019

The post Lesson: Korean Dragonfly Song first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

Click here to download Matthew’s printable cards.

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Every year, new students enter our classrooms from all walks of life. The one commonality with all of them is a NAME. As an elementary music teacher, learning all of our students’ names can be a daunting task and we sometimes forget that the children are in new classroom groups and do not know all of the people in their class either. However, with this fun and practical name game learning names can be fun and hip! Use this activity to build community, make music, and learn those NAMES!

Curriculum Concepts

Beat, Rhythm, AB Form

Skills

In this lesson, students will:

• Learn and review key musical vocabulary—beat, rhythm, form.

• Identify A and B sections that combine to form a larger piece of music.

“I Can” Statements

• I can chant while performing rhythmic patterns using body percussion.

• I can recite and recall key music vocabulary terms in this lesson.

Tennessee Music Standards*

• 4.GM.P3.B Using body percussion or instruments, perform instrumentally (pitched/unpitched), alone and with others, with expression, technical accuracy, and appropriate interpretation.

*NOTE: Find the similar standard for each grade level, 2nd-5th grades. 

Instructional Procedures

Preparation and Items Needed

1. Print out and become familiar with the following documents included in this item:

• Lesson Plan
• Speech Piece

2. Use a drum or the video below to establish the beat

A SECTION

1. Echo-chant each phrase. Put two phrases together until students are able to easily chant the speech piece.

2. Echo-teach the body percussion part.

3. Divide the class into two groups. Lead one group in performing the body percussion parts. When

the beat has been established, bring the other group in chanting the speech piece.

4. Switch groups. Repeat.

5. Challenge!! Have the entire class perform the speech and body percussion together.

B SECTION

After students have successfully learned the speech and body percussion of the A section introduce the B section. In the B section students will take turns saying their first name in rhythm. Example: My name is Franklin. (See rhythm examples on handout.) This is a cumulative piece so after 4 students say their names, class chants the names in reverse order. Then add another group fo 4 students, class chants 8 students’ names in reverse order and so on.

1. Use this body percussion pattern to establish the beat for the B Section.

2. Echo-teach the speech pattern to the first four students. Tell students to come up with a motion to go with their name, stand and twirl, clap/pat the rhythm of their name, wave hands, etc. Class will repeat that motion every time that student’s name comes in the chant. Practice several times until they are comfortable going on to the next set of four students.

3. After four students have said their names, all students repeat the names in reverse order as described above. See example.

4. Repeat the A section after each set of four names.

5. Keep repeating the B section until every student has had an opportunity to speak their name.

6. Be sure to add YOUR name to the end!!

For more activities from Franklin Willis, visit his Teachers Pay Teachers Store

© Copyright 2019 by Franklin Willis. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

The post Lesson: What’s Your Name? Speech and Body Percussion Piece first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

All Are Welcome Here

by Daniel Hershman-Rossi

Form Analysis: 

MFC I p. 91 #5

aaba

adapted version

aaaab

Materials

Book: Penfold, Alexandra, and Suzanne Kaufman. All Are Welcome. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2018.

Teaching Notes

• I would present this over several of the first few lessons of the school year. It would be applicable to my 2nd and 3rd graders. Kindergarten and 1st graders would also enjoy the book and the song (although the instrument part would be left out this early in the year, and the movement activity may be adapted)
• This lesson goes with a beautiful book about inclusivity at school called “All Are Welcome” by Penfold and Kaufman. I have scanned it to a Google Slides file so it can be easily shown on my Smart Board from anywhere in the room.

Teaching Process

• Begin with movement: present the song “Good Morning” from Cameroon (see Beth’s Music Notes for music).
  • Sing song with accompaniment on guitar or piano. Ask: what are some ways we could greet each other? 
  • Move around room while listening to song. Each time students hear “good morning” give a greeting to a friend (class decides). Choose actions for “so happy to see you” and “how do you do?”
  • Sing song several times, encouraging students to greet various members of the class while moving.
• Show book. Display cover and pictures without reading it. Ask students: what do you predict this book will be about? (meeting new people, going to school, the first day of school, where you are from, etc)
• Present book, singing text to adapated melody. Note that the melody is adapted from Music For Children Volume 1. p. 91 #5. The rhythm is included below. For copyright reasons, the entire melody cannot be presented. Note that measures 5 and 6 in the original are changed slightly and included in this adaptation as an interlude or possible coda.
• Invite students to join on “all are welcome here”
• Discuss: what is the message of this book? What is the meaning? What are some ideas from this book that we can apply to our lives at home and school?
• Go to barred instruments set up in do based pentatonic on C. Allow students to find the pitches for “all are welcome here” (EE DD C).
• Present book again, teacher singing the first part of the text and students singing and playing “all are welcome here”.
• Extension ideas for later in the process:
  • add interlude – what does it represent? (a school bell, a friend calling to you, something else?)
  • students choose how to include the interlude – body percussion, unpitched percussion, etc.
  • present the final product to new Kindergarten and PK students as an in-class performance in September. 

Click here to download a pdf of this lesson plan

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Lynn Osborne shared this lesson in our “Back to School Lesson” contest from last year, and was the first runner up from our entries. In this lesson she shares her process for getting to know what her students like about school and a variety of ways to explore sing, say, dance, and play.

Do you have a favorite lesson you would like to share? Teaching With Orff is always looking for quality lessons, book reviews, and articles. Let your light shine and share YOUR best work with the world. You may have just the idea to “Make it Work” for someone else.

PROCEDURES:

Opening Warm up: Students enter classroom for warmup; Students stretch and create movements to rhythm of various rap recordings; (NOTE: when playing RAP music in the classroom, always be sure to check it first for appropriate language and subject matter)  

RHYTHM ACTIVITY:    

Step 1                                                                                                                                                             

• S’s in front of SMARTBOARD with new Notebook page opened, with title “What’s Cool for Back At School?”  This is a 4-beat musical phrase as shown below: What’s Cool for Back At School?  

• Teacher speaks this phrase several times to a RAP rhythm, clapping a 4-beat RAP steady beat as the phrase is repeated; Simple 4-beat RAP-clap rhythm below:  

• S’s echo Teacher several times.
• Teacher points around class with question eyes until a Student raises a hand and says something “NEW” about being back in school (for instance: “Friends”; “Recess”; Science” etc…)
• Teacher or a student scribes the ideas onto SMARTBOARD onto the Notebook page and keeps repeating the process, adding new words but always going back to the “What’s Cool …?” chant between ideas. (NOTE: NOT REQUIRED for every student to contribute an idea!)   

Step 2     

• All Students clap RAP beat and speak chant, then three different words or phrases, then back to chant, then three more words/phrases, until all have been spoken.
• Next to each word or phrase, students take turns writing out the notation rhythm of the word/phrase, until ALL the ideas have been notated.    
• For example: Play-ing at re- cess

Step 3  Move/Rhythm Rondo

• Students in groups of 4-5 choose 4-5 words or phrases
• Each group creates a body-percussion pattern for their words, and practices it together. Create a circle so that each group follows the last
• On REFRAIN: Students create movement for the refrain, What’s Cool for Back At School? Chant it several times in unison, everyone using the movement; (Can be locomotor or non-locomotor
• After each REFRAIN: Each group gets a chance to perform their individual word chant with body percussion;  

Step 4  Extensions For Following Lessons   

• Students set up xylophone instrumentarium in G pentatonic scale  

IMPROVISE: Using these notes, students choose a word or phrase to play the rhythm; Improvise using these 5 tones and explore possibilities;  

TONIC: Teacher asks each student to end their words/phrases on the “G”, or tonic, “do”;  

MOVEMENT:  Students in each group decide on one specific “cool” thing about being back at school to create pantomime scene for C part of RONDO. Using chosen xylophone(s), have 2-3 students from each group act out the “cool” thing while the 2-3 others create a pentatonic ostinato to accompany their IMPROVISED SCENE.  

PERFORM RONDO: ABCABCABCABCA

A =ALL perform REFRAIN
B= GROUP performs BODY PERCUSSION
C= GROUP performs PANTOMIME SCENE with accompaniment 

REFLECTION:  Students discuss this process, what would they do differently, new ideas for next time, more themes.  

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“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
– Dale Carnegie

Name games are a fun way to brush up on remembering students’ names from last year and learning the names of new students. Roger Sams shares two name games that are musical, fun, and ready for you to use in class tomorrow! 

Click here to download this lesson plan.

The post Name Games first appeared on Teaching With Orff.