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.

Orff Schulwerk and New Beginnings

This lesson will use a process in which important nouns, verbs, and descriptive language are chosen and used as a springboard for individual and group creativity. A canon will serve as a unifying piece of music and a music literacy component will take shape as this piece of music comes to life slowly through solfege.

We will explore components of folk dance through the New England Dancing Masters version of “Sweets of May,” found in Chimes of Dunkirk (an invaluable resource) and use these figures to create our own adaptation of this folk dance. We’ll go one step further and create a new elemental composition of instrumental music to be played on Orff Instruments which includes ideas generated from exploring the the magical poetry of the children’s book. The final product will even include exploratory improvisations!

The power of Orff Schulwerk comes from unlocking the potential for creativity and awakening the endless possibilities of Music by Children!

Please click here to download a pdf of the lesson, which details Drue’s process and includes links to his Google slide presentation and printable cards.

The post Colors Springing, Voices Ringing first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

Drue M. Bullington

Part 2 of a glimpse into one teacher’s answer to the challenges of having students manage the use and storage of a variety of instruments in an active elemental music and movement classroom. (Read Part 1 here)

Un-tuned Percussion

Storage:

All of the “kleines schlagwerk,” or little percussion instruments in my classroom, are stored in labeled plastic bins. These are mostly stored in the top shelf along the back wall of my classroom. They are about 3.5 feet off of the ground– tall enough that the little hands aren’t tempted, but short enough that most first graders through 6^th graders can easily access the bins to find and put away instruments as needed. The instruments are sorted by “Ring,” “Scrape,” “Click,” “Shake,” “Special” and “Skin.” Our hand drum collection is rather large, so I store them in cabinets on the sides of the room.

Procedures:

In younger grades, I get the whole basket down and either pass out the instruments or have students choose one at a time. In older grades, they are more accustomed to a gentle, orderly approach and are trusted to choose instruments on their own. The rule is that once an instrument is chosen, there are “No tradesies!” This prevents the constant visiting of the instrument “store” for returns and exchanges. Putting them away is an independent task for older students entirely but for younger students they return them to the bins, and I put it away on the shelf.

Recorders

The student recorders are stored in a cabinet along the sidewall of my classroom, which I also built. There are cubbies for each class in the school grades 3-6. Each cubby holds a plastic bin with the class’s recorders.

The recorders in the bins are owned by the individual student, or are on loan from the school. (Everyone has their own recorder assigned to them to use and I keep a bucket of spare recorders available if students forget theirs for whatever reason. I gave up on trying to enforce the responsibility past 3^rd grade.) Generally, the students would rather play their own recorder than use the loaners, so it works out pretty well. I have a 6^th grade helper who takes the used recorders to the cafeteria for cleaning and sanitizing regularly. I figure if it’s getting the trays and flatware clean enough to eat from, it’s good enough for getting our recorders clean.

Procedure:

In each class there is a “Recorder Manager.” The students earn this meaningless title by having their “home spot” nearest the recorder shelves. (I usually try to plan ahead and assign the more responsible types to those seats.) These students listen for me to say something about needing recorders and then they swing into action by taking the recorder bin from the shelf and placing it in the middle of the floor. They take three recorders from the top and pass them out to the students in the class. While they are passing these out, the students in the home spots next to the manager’s spot go to the bin, and pass out three, and then the next person three, etc. I used to just have the kids use “common sense” and anyone in the room could get a recorder and hand it to its owner. There were two pitfalls here: 1. Common sense was fleeting because they would all go at one time.  Twenty kids would crowd around the same bin on the floor and four or five of them would bonk their heads together and then walk around dazed with their hands rubbing big goose eggs. 2. They would all look for their own instead of just taking a random one and giving it to its owner. As a result, we now pass them out three at a time going around the circle.

Tubanos

The World Music Drumming is a fantastic resource, and we are lucky enough to have acquired a lot of drums over the past few years to bring these possibilities to life. I store these drums on the side of the room under the recorders. I use the same colored floor tape around the bottoms of the drums to help the students see a color-coded difference in the drums, and to help them put them away in the correct area marked by a floor tape square. These colors are also helpful in projected visuals of large drums = blue, medium drums = red, and small drums = yellow.

When drumming, seating is an issue sometimes. I found these great stools for $4.99 each! They stack and take up little space in the room and are perfect for a student to sit upon behind a drum.

Ukuleles

Storage:

I have 30 ukuleles in my classroom. They all hang on rubber-coated garden tool hooks on the same long, open wall in the back of the room above the Orff and un-tuned percussion instrument shelves. These are placed about 4 feet from the ground so taller kids can easily get them and put them away. I never numbered these because it hasn’t ever mattered who gets what instrument because they are all the same.

Procedures:

The students simply walk back and get a ukulele, and then we play them for class. When we’re done, they put it on an empty hook.

A quick note on tuning: I don’t do it! I teach a group of sixth grade students, usually members of the orchestra program, and they tune the ukuleles daily in exchange for one Jolly Rancher! I consider it money well spent!

When we need supplies:

Sometimes you need to get kids a lot of supplies quickly for an activity; a pencil, a paper, an eraser, a clipboard; dry erase markers, marker boards, and eraser, etc. When this need arises, I make a line of the supplies, and have the students follow the leader, buffet style, to pick things up. They circle around the room to their home spot with all of their “swag” and then we can get started. We put things away in reverse. It’s the fastest way I’ve found to efficiently manage getting and putting away these kinds of things.

Organizing the instruments and supplies and helping your students independently manage their use in your classroom is an effective way of maximizing the instructional time you have with your students.

This is a window into storage and management of instruments and supplies in our classroom. I know that it won’t be a perfect model somewhere else, but I hope it helped spark some of your creativity! I would invite you to share your ideas and pictures in posted comments below to keep the conversation going about what works in your world.

The post Making It Work: Instrument Storage and Organization 2 first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

Drue M. Bullington

A glimpse into one teacher’s answer to the challenges of having students manage the use and storage of a variety of instruments in an active elemental music and movement classroom.

One of the best things about being a classroom music teacher has to be all of the great instruments and learning “things” we use in our lessons and are able to share with our students. One of the challenges is managing their use in our classes effectively during instruction and storing them in an organized way when not in use.

After 15 years of trial and error—and I mean a lot of trial and error—I have come up with some approaches to solve a number of problems classroom music teachers face once they acquire instruments and begin to incorporate them into their lesson plans. One thing I learned very early on is that things never work in the real classroom like they do at a workshop when the presenter says, “everyone find an instrument…” The bedlam that ensued after such a suggestion I made in my classroom many years ago is where this journey began.

First let’s consider a few non-negotiable parameters most classroom music teachers are facing. The main consideration is a high number of classes, often of differing grade levels with little or no time in between classes. A second issue is a low, or non-existent amount of planning and preparation time. There is so much to do, and so little time to “get ready” for the doing! These two factors were the reasons my approach to managing the “things” in my classroom came to be almost entirely student-centered. It seemed more beneficial to everyone if I spent my time planning and preparing for instruction in the role of director and the students took on the role of stage managers.

In as many ways, and as early as possible, I strive to give the responsibility of getting out and putting away instruments to my students. This requires that the teacher prepares the learning space in such a way that the instruments can be stored, accessed, and put away easily and consistently. Secondly, it requires that the teacher clearly communicate and reinforce procedures for how students will go about getting out and putting instruments away in a safe and orderly way.

Let’s take look at the physical spaces that have been prepared for instruments to be stored, and the procedures used by students to get them out and put them away.

Orff Instruments

Soprano and Alto Xylophones and Metallophones

Storage:

After years of having the instruments “out” on the floor in “ready-to-use” position, I realized that we really needed the space for movement. So, I built two shelves on the long open wall in the back of my classroom. (I am pretty good at wood working having spent a lot of time as a kid with my dad in his wood shop.) I had some really great maintenance guys at my school put them up for me. This provides a space on the floor along the wall for the alto xylophones and metallophones, which are a bit heavier, to sit on the floor, and a space above these for the sopranos, which are lighter, to sit on the first shelf. This reduced the space which these instruments took up in my classroom from about 150 square feet to about 24 square feet!

Each instrument has a little piece of floor tape (The P.E. teacher at my school uses this on her gym floor, and shares with me. It can be removed without any residue remaining.) in the bottom corner or the player side of the instrument. On the tape, a number is written in silver sharpie. On the shelf, or on the floor, the same tape and the same number are written and placed in such a way that they line up with each other- I tell the students that they should line up like a shadow.

The soprano xylophones are numbered 1-7, and the soprano metallophones numbered 8-10; the alto xylophones are 11-17, and the metallophones 18-20. Basses are labeled 21-25.

Procedures:

Individual students or partners can quickly be assigned an instrument number by me and they can go get it from the shelf. I ask them to pick up the mallets, which always lay on top of the instrument, and put them in their crab claw, which is just to hold the mallet by pinching them between the thumb and palm, and carry the instrument out into the space and set it down.

When the students take the bars off, in order to keep the space orderly, I ask them to put the bars they remove on the floor in order from largest to smallest on the left side of the instrument. When doing partner work, this helps students to slide the instrument back and forth in front of them, rather than have the students moving around all of the time.

After we’re done with whatever we’ve been doing, the students put the bars back on the instrument, carry it back to the shelf, line up the numbers on the two pieces of tape and put the mallets back on top of the bars.

With this approach it is possible that students can get 20+ instruments and be playing as a group in less than 3 minutes. They can put them away and be ready for the next activity in even less time.

Bass Xylophones and Metallophones

The bass xylophones and metallophones in my classroom are also numbered and on wheels. I often assign them by numbers as well, although less often than the alto and soprano instruments. The wheeled stands have a number on them, as well as a corresponding number on the floor, so that they can be wheeled away from and returned easily to their place.

One thing I did add to these instruments is a place to store several bars that are not being used. I found that the plastic sleeves that the adjustable wooden statues I got from IKEA are shipped in are the perfect size to hold several of these bars or accidentals.

I model a lot on my “teacher” bass xylophone, and in order to help with transfer, I have written the note name on the ends of the bars so that students can visually see when seated in front of me, what notes are being played and the set ups for various pentatonic, hexatonic, diatonic, etc., scales.

Procedure:

This is the same as above using numbers. These instruments are moved around a lot less given their size. However, when being used in the performance space and then returned, I don’t have to manage or move the instruments around, they just get back to their homes automatically because the students are used to the numbering system.

Accidental Bags

Each Orff instrument has a custom-made pouch for storing the accidental bars. (These are prototypes as we experiment with how they work in the classroom) They are fitted so they can hang on the wider side of the instrument during transport around the room, to the stage, etc., and are numbered to be stored with the corresponding instruments. The budget money I’ve spent on lost accidental bars is withering to think about. They are like socks! These, along with the glockenspiel accidental bar pouches were hand made by our family friend, Wanda.

The portable accidental pouches will help keep a large instrumentarium orderly during the whirlwind of performance when a lot of shuffling has to happen in a short amount of time.

She also made some fantastic covers, which protect the rosewood bars from light damage over time. One great addition we added in the design of these are the pouches in the cover which will hold up to 4 sets of mallets. We will happily share some information about how to acquire these accessories if you’d like a set of pouches or covers for your classroom. The covers prevent people from tampering with your instruments when they are in public spaces at times like before and after concerts when you can’t really watch them.

Both the pouches and the dust covers are in the design and development stages. We’d love to hear some feedback on what you like, or what you’d wish for in something like this in your classroom.

A trick that Wanda came up with while we were figuring out the pouches and the dust covers was an answer to my problem of bars falling off when kids are carrying the instruments around, or when they are loaded on carts, etc. She suggested (and it is pure genius!) to take some elastic and tie a length of it in a knot, and hook it under the handles of the Orff instrument at both ends. This effectively clamps the bars down to a degree that keeps them from falling off when the instrument tips over, or is tilted.

Of course, you can’t turn them upside down, but it does really help when the instrument is in transport. I’m excited to use this trick in the future. I don’t know about you, but I loathe the sound of xylophone and metallophone bars crashing to the floor!

Contra Bass Bars

Storage:

I keep my bass bars on the side counter and on a table in the back corner of my classroom.

Procedure:

This is one instrument that requires that I at least help get them out and put them away in most classes. My 5^th and 6^th graders are pretty good at it so I tend to have a 6^th grade helper get these instruments down in the morning, we use them in classes, and sit them to the side until the end of the day and then have a 6^th grade helper put them away at the end of the day.

If we are doing some performing where the bass bars need to be mobile, I use the bottom level of an old AV cart with a yoga mat on it, put the bass bars we need on there and then the instruments are ready for their time on and off stage as needed. Kids can handle moving these pretty easily now, and there is no worry on my part about them being dropped or damaged.

Glockenspiels

Storage:

Our classroom has 12 glockenspiels- 6 sopranos and 6 altos. Using my woodworking skills, I built a cabinet where each of these instruments slides neatly into a “garage” designed specifically for this purpose. These instruments are numbered as well to help students get the instruments back onto the correct garage when class is over.

The mallets are stored in the garage with the instruments, as well as a little pouch with a corresponding number, which help keep the accidental bars from getting lost. The students put the instruments on top of plastic baskets from the dollar store. They turn them upside down and place the glockenspiel on top to give more height. I found that student posture, playing technique and musicality of the sound is so much better with the instruments up off of the floor.

Procedure:

The teacher gives students a number or they are just supposed to get “a glockenspiel” and mallets. First, they get a basket and place these where they plan to set themselves up for our class activity. Next, they bring their instrument and mallets and place it down on the basket and set up their bars as needed. If they are working in partners, one partner gets the instrument and mallets and the other partner gets the basket. Bars that were removed are still always placed on the floor to the left. This allows the instrument on the basket to slide back and forth easily as we take turns.

Next week we’ll bring you Part 2 of Drue’s instrument storage and organization solutions. For now, please share your favorite storage hacks in the comments. Your idea may be just the thing to help another teacher make it work!

The post Making It Work: Instrument Storage and Organization first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

Student Learning Objectives: A Manageable “How To” Guide from the Trenches

The process of crafting an SLO when kept logical and reasonable, can really be a positive force in your instruction and beneficial for your students. Don’t let the structure, all of the “official-ness” of the forms, and evaluation aspects overwhelm you. You are doing a good job, this is an opportunity to prove it in terms educators outside of our discipline can understand!

How to mesh an active music-making environment with an SLO and LDR assessment requirement:

SLO stands for Student Learning Objective. Don’t become consumed by the vocabulary from the world of lawyers and law makers. We can simplify the jargon to teacher-friendly language.

Step 1: Choose the group of students you are going to assess.

SLO protocol often asks teachers to choose one section or class. For most music teachers this is pretty simple—it’s usually the best-behaved, “favorite” class or the class we see most often.

Step 2: Set goals for your students’ growth or mastery. You may already have successful assessments in mind from past teaching, use them and don’t reinvent the wheel! If you have not used formal assessment regularly, go slow, be patient, and purposeful. You’ll find good options as you explore possibilities.

You will need to make some decisions about what your students should be doing to fulfil the requirements of the SLO. The idea is to prove that you are teaching and the students are learning. Returning to these three words – Student Learning Objective – can provide clarity when you find yourself “lost in the forest.” The guidepost is the objective. It is the reason we are providing instruction to this group of students. We are creating guiding experiences to develop mastery of _____ skill, or develop _____ ability.

The metric categories some SLO models use are targets like Growth, Mastery, or Growth & Mastery. I prefer to choose mastery because in order to attain aesthetically pleasing results in music mastery is essential. In your teaching situation growth may be preferable. I consult my curriculum and the standards by which my curriculum is structured. Using those resources as a guide, I select learning objectives and figure out what the “end-goal” will be. It helps to consider this process as a road trip and the end goal as a final destination. What does the “city” or “end goal” where the final assessment will occur look like?

Step 3: Create the assessment instrument by which you will measure student growth, mastery or both.

I design assessments that will accurately demonstrate that my students have learned and that I have helped them show growth or reach mastery. This can be where confusion sets in. Return to “Student Learning Objective.” Students will master _____. Use this statement: “I can measure student mastery or growth through this data:_____.” Data can be compiled through the use of rubrics that assess active demonstration of skills and abilities or numerical scoring schemes applied to a physical product like a quiz, worksheet, test, etc. Rubrics can also be used to assess and measure growth when students create physical products like compositions, or multi-component projects.

If you choose growth, you’ll have to establish some kind of baseline data which will provide the mechanism for growth to be proven. This can be done in the form of a pre-test. In my experience, it works well to administer the final assessment prior to any instruction on the targeted concept or skill. If the students score highly, you’ll have a harder time proving growth.

Step 4: Create a timeline for the process.

Once I have created my final assessment, I decide how instruction will align with these parameters, create a plan to support my students in meeting the objective and put a timeline in place. Again, use the road trip analogy. Which stops will we make during the journey to support our successful arrival at the final destination? When is the appropriate time and place along our journey to make those stops? If we need to be prepared for “Final Assessment” Town by April 30^th, we should probably visit the cities of  1.____, 2.____, and 3.____, where we will practice and process skills and acquire increased ability and/or knowledge along the way. The plan will take us to 1.______ by November, 2._____ by January, 3._____ by March, etc. Sometimes this approach can be easily related to Backward Design or the ADDIE model of instructional design.

Getting Organized

I like to use this graphic organizer to help sort out my ideas away from and prior to filling out the “official forms.”

I create three SLO assessments for one group of students. I use one for playing instruments, an understanding of chord and level drones. The second assessment demonstrates mastery in decoding rhythms to prove an understanding of iconic music literacy. The third is a movement assessment based on successfully performing a folk dance with correct dance figures, vocabulary and appropriate partner manners.I find that once I have put this informal plan together, I am more successful completing the “official” forms.

I use the organizer above to create my three assessment plans. I refine my ideas throughout the process and stick to “big ideas” as I map out my plan.

The Official Forms

Now that I have sketched out my plan I can take it to my official form. Although there are variations in SLO documents from state to state and even district to district there are a lot of similarities. While this might not look exactly like your SLO documentation it may provide some insight and inspiration when you complete your documents.  Here is an example of a Pennsylvania SLO overview document:

The goal statement was one that our music department agreed upon. It is general enough to apply to any SLO assessment plan we might select. Next, I filled in the standards that are guiding instruction.

A rationale for your placing importance upon this assessment plan may be required. Here is mine: “Students should exhibit age-appropriate skill development in basic ensemble skills, decoding rhythmic and melodic notation, and effectively respond to music as a member of a community folk dance experience.” This should be general enough to cover the assessments, but specific enough to be meaningful.

Performance Measures or something like these will probably come next. This is a fancy way of saying what the name of the assessment plan is. Here is the example from my SLO.

The Purpose is often outlined next. This is like an extension of the rationale for each Performance Measure (PM). The metric selection is on the right. I choose mastery.

I chose growth and mastery for my first SLO, but regretted it because in order to form a baseline, I had to ask students to perform a task using vocabulary that they had never even heard before. It was awkward for all of us. Imaging asking a group of 3^rd graders to perform a level drone in C pentatonic to accompany the melody I play. They just stared at me…  

Next the administration frequency is usually required. It is usually acceptable to select to do these once per year. You may want to repeat your assessment in each marking period to show growth.

Performance Tasks

It may be easier to shift one’s focus next to the Performance Tasks, or the separate “official forms” for each assessment. If the details in the examples seem overwhelming, go back to your informal graphic organizer to get re-centered as you work on your own SLO. The important thing to keep in mind is that there is a need to outline your specific plans for each Performance Measure. In this example I fill out the specific goals I am expecting my students to achieve and how I will be assessing them in more specific terms. The forms will usually require you to reiterate the essential information from the overview, and then elaborate on each Performance Task.

Once the basic information is re-supplied, this information will be probably be required in some form:

You will probably have to provide some form of information about the student contributions. Here is an example:

I don’t record the “pretest” as I once did, but I replace this with an exploration of what the students think it might be like to accompany a song in the manner of an “always the same” using C and G, and “Jumping from long bars to short bars” C and G.

The Rubrics

Your plan for scoring is the next thing that you’ll need to outline. Here is an example of a rubric that I created for chord and level drone assessments.

The Fine Print

Next a series of explanations regarding process are outlined. These come from the actual forms for Pennsylvania. The italicized words are my responses to the questions the form poses.

1. Administration (TEACHER)

a. Administrative frequency: How many times will the student be given this task within an identified timeframe? Twice; Once in first trimester (pre-test), and once in last trimester (Summative).

b. Unique task adaptations and/or accommodations: How does the task change in either presentation, response options, setting, etc. to accommodate students with disabilities, English language learners, etc.? The task changes minimally for various learners; however, the guidance to performing the task will be adjusted as is necessary for student to arrive at essential task performance capabilities.

c. Resources and/or equipment: What equipment, tools, text, artwork, etc. is needed by the student to accomplish the task?  What additional personnel are needed to administer the task? Equipment as outlined in the Performance Task Framework 1.c. No additional personnel should be needed to administer the task.

2. Task Scenarios, Requirements, Process Steps, Products (STUDENT)

a. Task scenario: What information is provided for the student that provides the context necessary to create a response, project, produce, demonstration? Teacher demonstrations and student-to-student reinforcement interactions will take place in an ongoing manner. Finally, a short performance experience in a small group will occur.

b. Requirements: Given the scenario, how are the task requirements articulated to the student in order to establish key criteria by which performance is evaluated?  Task directions will be articulated in plain language and through “watch and copy” demonstrations which the students will then perform themselves without a teacher model to copy. Which requirements are implied, thus requiring deeper understanding of the content being assessed?  Which criteria are stated explicitly in order to adhere to the time constraints, product parameters, etc.? The requirements of playing in a cohesive ensemble will be implied, i.e. the students will need to play together in such a way that all are playing the same notes according to one central pulse that unifies the sound of each player.

c. Process steps: What guidance expresses the sequence of events, steps, or phases of the task?  Guidance will be expressed initially to the whole class and then as needed to individuals who should need clarity and reinforcement of specific aspects of the task(s). How are extended (multiple days) timelines and demonstrations of progress articulated? Extended timelines will not be articulated as the task is easily captured within a short time-frame.

d. Products: Given the activities within the task, what products, demonstrations, or performances are expected during and/or at the end of the process? Products yielded will be the instrumental accompaniment upon barred instruments in either a chord, or level drone while students (same or others) are singing. What information is provided about the criteria used to judge student calculations, products, demonstrations, performances, etc.? Specific outlines of what an excellent model will encompass are provided to the students, as well as possibilities for improvement when deviations should present themselves.

3. Scoring (TEACHER)

a. Scoring tools: How does the rubric classify different levels of performance, student work, etc.? Advanced, Proficient, Basic, In Progress. How is the overall score attained?  Scores are attained through teacher observation and ratings on rubrics. How well are multiple dimensions aligned to the standards? Multiple dimensions are aligned to standards as well as possible. The task encapsulates a very small scope in terms of dimension which are the specific target standards addressed and referenced above.

b. Scoring guidelines: How are the steps that are used to evaluate student products, performances, etc., articulated? The scoring teacher will observe students performing the task and assign them ratings based on the rubric above. What guidance is provided to assign scores for incomplete work?  For incomplete work, or absent students, no scores will be given and they will be made up in subsequent classes. How are additional scoring personnel identified and trained? No additional scoring personnel will be necessary. Given an overall score or classification/performance level, how are examples, models, or demonstrations provided? Examples and models will be provided through the teaching process by both students and teacher.

c. Score/Performance reporting: How are overall results reported back to the student?  Overall results will be shared with the students in reference to the rubric. How are scored results reported for all students? A group score record will be kept in the form of an Excel spreadsheet.

These are an example from one SLO that works for me. You will modify your responses to “fit the mold” in your school with your students.

Next, we’ll have to return to the overview and insert the Performance Indicators and Targets into the Overview. Basically, just fill in the blanks with the information from the Performance Task Framework.

Performance Indicator Targets

The PI Targets are the direct correlation between the goal statement and the assessment instrument. This is the essential way that your assessments will relate to your SLO Goal Statement. Here are some examples.

Once you’ve filled out this overview, you are ready to submit both the Overview and the Performance Task outlines and follow the plan you’ve laid out. The important thing to remember is to keep the experience of the student forefront in your mind. If the students know they are taking a “test,” you probably haven’t been artful enough in the design and integration of the SLO process into your classes.

What is an LDR?

In some districts a Locally Designed Rubric (LDR) Assessment is a requirement as well. This is different than an SLO only in that it is a broader “survey group.” In the SLO, we are supposed to select one class section in one grade level. In the LDR, it is required that the teacher use an altogether different grade level or course than their SLO group, and it should include all the classes in that grade level. So, where an SLO should be say 25 students, the LDR, could be 60-100 students. All other parameters remain the same as the SLO model. Essentially, this is a broader application of the SLO but instead of 3 assessments, it is only one.

Big Takeaways:

1. Choose from assessments you are already using if possible. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
2. If you aren’t doing a lot of formal assessments, start simply, reflect, and refine.
3. Be kind to yourself through this process! If you are trying your best, you will find positive outcomes and you will improve!
4. Create a manageable assessment plan and timeframe.
5. Collaborate with a colleague or several colleagues if possible. Divide and conquer!
6. LDR Assessments are similar to SLOs in that they are only one assessment vs. something like three, but spread out to all the similar sections a teacher instructs.
7. Once you find a successful approach to your SLO and LDR, you can reuse it in future years.

While there are certainly more fun ways to spend our time, I do believe this can be a worthwhile way for music educators to show our value and worth through the same lens as our classroom teacher colleagues. Is it the best language for us to use in communicating our value? Probably not. The bottom line is SLO’s are part of our professional world and we want to make them as manageable and meaningful as possible.

I sincerely hope this post has been helpful to “Make your SLO Process Work”. Please comment below to ask questions and share SLO’s and tips that have been successful for you.

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