E-Learning Activities

Steady Beat March (Performing): Put on your favorite song. March around the room to the music. Try to make your feet touch the floor at the exact same time as the beat. Can you march fast? Can you march slow?

Loud and Soft Hunt (Responding): Go on a hunt around your house. Find two things that make a LOUD sound (like a vacuum or a shutting door) and two things that make a SOFT sound (like a whisper or tapping a pillow). Draw a picture of what you found.

Vocal Rollercoasters (Creating): On a piece of paper, draw three squiggly lines. Some should go up high, and some should go down low. Trace the line with your finger and make your voice follow the shape (slide your voice high and low like a siren).

Stuffed Animal Concert (Performing): Line up 3 of your favorite stuffed animals or toys. Sing a song you learned in music class (Do you remember Michael Finnegan or this Old Man from music class last week?) to them. Use your best singing voice!

Freeze Dance (Responding): Ask a family member to play music for you. Dance while the music plays. When the music stops, you have to freeze like a statue! Do this for 3 different songs.

Kitchen Rhythms (Creating): Find 4 food items in your kitchen. Say their names. If the word has one sound (like "Bread"), clap once. If it has two sounds (like "Ap-ple"), clap twice. Line them up and clap your delicious rhythm song!

High vs. Low (Responding): Listen to a song. Stand up. When the music sounds HIGH (like a bird or flute), reach for the sky. When the music sounds LOW (like a bear or tuba), touch your toes.

Robot vs. Noodle (Performing): Listen to music with a strong beat. First, move like a Robot (stiff, jerky movements on the beat). Then, switch and move like a Noodle (smooth, flowing movements). Which one fit the music better?

Draw the Song (Connecting): Listen to a song that tells a story (like "Old McDonald" or a song from a Disney movie). Draw a picture of what happens in the song.

Rhythm Detective (Creating): Look around your room. Find an object that matches the rhythm "Ta" (1 sound). Find an object that matches "Ti-Ti" (2 sounds). Share what you found with an adult.

Body Percussion Pattern (Creating): Create a 4-beat pattern using your body.

• Example: Stomp, Stomp, Clap, Snap.

• Repeat your pattern 4 times in a row without stopping. Teach it to a family member!

Instrument Pantomime (Performing): Put on a piece of music. Pretend to play different instruments that match the music. If you hear drums, air drum! If you hear a violin, pretend to use a bow.

Dynamics Director (Responding): Sing the "ABC" song. Sing the first half Forte (Loud and strong). Sing the second half Piano (Soft and gentle). Try it again, but switch the dynamics!

Faster or Slower? (Responding): Ask a parent to play two different songs. Which one was Presto (fast) and which one was Largo (slow)? Write down the names of the songs.

The Beat Detective (Connecting): Put your hand on your heart and feel your heartbeat. Now, listen to a fast song. Jump up and down for 30 seconds. Feel your heartbeat again. Did your "internal rhythm" change? Why?

Recycled Instrument (Connecting): Build a musical instrument using clean items from your recycling bin (empty boxes, water bottles, rubber bands). Give your instrument a name and play a rhythm on it.

Musical Alphabet Hunt (Creating): The musical alphabet goes from A to G. Find 7 objects in your house that start with those letters. (Example: Apple, Book, Cup...). Write them down in a list.

Ostinato Creation (Creating): An ostinato is a repeating pattern. Create a rhythmic sentence (like "I love ice cream") and repeat it over and over while clapping. Try to stomp a steady beat with your feet while you say your rhythm.

Listening Map (Responding): Listen to a classical song or instrumental piece. Draw a map of the music. Use shapes and colors to show when the music gets loud, soft, fast, or exciting.

Star Spangled Banner (Performing): Practice singing the National Anthem. Stand up straight with good posture. Make sure you know all the words!

Found Sound Drumming (Performing): Find a bucket, box, or bowl. Use pencils or wooden spoons as drumsticks. Play a "4/4 Rock Beat" (Hit the bucket, Hit the rim, Hit the bucket, Hit the rim). Play along with your favorite song.

Rhythm Math (Connecting): Write out 5 rhythm math equations and solve them.

• Example: Quarter Note (1) + Half Note (2) = 3.

• Create equations using Quarter notes, Half notes, Whole notes, and Eighth notes.

Identifying Form (Responding): Listen to a pop song. Try to identify the Verse and the Chorus. How many times does the Chorus happen? Write it down (Example: Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus).

Speed Conductor (Performing): Practice conducting in 4/4 time (Down, In, Out, Up). Put on a slow song and conduct. Put on a fast song and conduct. Keep your arm movements steady!

Lyrics Rewriter (Creating): Take a simple song like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or "Happy Birthday" and change the lyrics to be about your favorite food, video game or other topic. Sing your new version.

Foley Artist (Creating): "Foley" is the art of making sound effects for movies. Find a book. Read one page out loud, but add sound effects using objects in your house (Example: Knock on the table when a character knocks on a door).

Music Critic (Responding): Listen to a song you have never heard before. Write a short review (3-4 sentences). Discuss the Tempo (speed), Dynamics (volume), and Instrumentation (what instruments you hear). Give it a star rating out of 5.

Commercial Jingle (Connecting): Invent a new product (like "The Homework-Doing Robot"). Write a short 15-second catchy jingle to help sell your product. You can rap it or sing it.

Genre Explorer (Responding): Choose a genre of music you don't usually listen to (Jazz, Opera, Bluegrass, Reggae). Listen to one song. Write down two things that make this style different from the music you usually listen to.

Cup Rhythms (Performing): Learn the cup song ! Perform with music

Rattlin Bog: Teach your family members the words and motions to Rattlin Bog!

Soundtrack of My Life (Connecting): If your life was a movie, what songs would be in it? Choose 3 songs: One for your childhood, one for right now, and one for your future. Write a sentence explaining why you picked each one.

Parody Writer (Creating): A parody is when you change the words of a song to be funny. Pick a popular song on the radio. Rewrite the chorus to be about being stuck at home or about your pet.

Digital DJ (Creating): Create a playlist of 5 songs for a specific mood (e.g., "Study Mode," "Workout," or "Relaxing"). Give your playlist a creative title and explain why these songs fit that mood.

Rhythm Transcription (Performing): Listen to your favorite song right now. Pick a short phrase or "hook" from a song. Try to write down the rhythm using music notes (Quarter notes, Eighth notes, Rests).

Career Search (Connecting): Research a job in music that is not "Singer" or "Band Director." (Ideas: Music Therapist, Sound Engineer, Instrument Repair Tech). Write down three things that person does every day.