First Quarter

The first grade music students are exploring keeping the beat using body percussion then extending that to rhythm instruments.  Rhythm instruments so far include, claves, woodblock, tambourine, rhythm sticks, maracas, and triangles.  We warm up each day using vocal explorations and then extend that to singing sol la mi re do songs. Just recently students started applying those skills to the xylophones, glockenspiels, and metallophones.  We played Hot Cross Buns on the xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels. Some of their favorite songs are Bonjour Mes Amis,  Howjido, El Tambor,  and La Raspa.  We also explored the sounds and instruments of Mariachi music.

Ms. Davenport's class

Ms. Davenport's class

Ms. Strawder's class

Ms. Strawder's class

Our goals for the first quarter:

• Students can show steady beat to a song using body percussion and rhythm instruments at varying tempos and then apply that to rhythm instruments.

• Students can identify and sing in their chest and head voice.

• Students can demonstrate sol, mi la re do and the hand signs that go with them. ( do as C)

• Students can show how we play and take care of the rhythm instruments, xylophone, metallophone, and glockenspiels.

•  Students play simple class accompaniments on tambourines, triangles, claves, woodblocks, maracas, xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels  to known songs or chants. 

• Students determine the mood of a piece.

                         Second Quarter

The first grade music students continue to explore keeping the beat using body percussion then extending that to rhythm instruments.  Rhythm instruments so far include, claves, woodblock, tambourine, rhythm sticks, maracas, and triangles, and xylophones.  We warm up each day using vocal explorations and then extend that to singing sol la mi re do songs. Just recently students started applying those skills to the xylophones, glockenspiels, and metallophones.  Students are reading and playing traditional notation of quarter notes, quarter rests, and 8th notes now.   They also enjoyed the movement activities that our clinical students provided for them.

We moved, sang, and accompanied music that included holiday music from around the world.

Some of our favorites are  Vivaldi's Autumn from the "Four Seasons", Bow Wow Wow,  Starlight Starbright, Jingle Bells, Dreydl, Over the River and Through the Woods, and the Star Spangled Banner. 

Our goals for the 2nd quarter:

• Students can show steady beat to a song using body percussion and rhythm instruments and xylophones at varying tempos. 

• Students can consistently sing by matching pitch in their chest and head voice.

• Students can demonstrate sol, mi la re do and the hand signs that go with them. ( do as C)

• Students can show how we play and take care of the rhythm instruments, xylophones, metallophone, and glockenspiels.

•  Students play simple class accompaniments on tambourines, triangles, claves, woodblocks, maracas, xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels  to known songs or chants. 

• Students can read traditional notation of quarter notes, quarter rests, and 8th notes and play the different patterns on an instruments. 

• Students can play the melodies of Apple Tree, Bow Bow Wow, and Starlight Star bright on xylophones.

Third Quarter

We continue to explore different ways to show beat using body percussion and then transferring that skill to instruments. We are singing songs using do, re, mi, so, la. As we sing and move our bodies, students have developed musical independence through vocal explorations, scat singing, dramatization of lyrics, and using dynamics and reading the symbols of f-forte, mf- mezzo forte, p- piano which are the louds and softs in music. We have enjoyed singing, It’s a Wonderful Word and This Little Light, to name just a few. Students have completed their two turns in leading the class in vocal explorations (roller coasters) along with solfege decoding activity using the class set of bells along with decoding of rhythm using popsickle sticks. 

We have enjoyed learning about Ragtime and Scott Joplin, King of Ragtime.  They made the connection between an ice cream truck songs and Scott Joplin.  Students also learned to scat sing using nonsense syllables.  The literature we used was, Jazz Fly, Trombone Shorty, and Squeak Rumble Whomp! We also learned about many famous jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Trombone Shorty, and Wynton Marsalis. We also explored the Irish Instruments of Bodhran, Uilleann Pipes, Penny Whistle, Low Whistle while watching and listening to their unique sounds in Irish folk music. We have accompanied many songs using instruments that best fit the context of our music and to meet our musical goals. 

Students can show steady beat using body percussion and rhythm instruments at varying tempos.

Students can match pitch.

Students can demonstrate sol mi la re do and the hand signs that go with them. ( do as C)

Students can identify music vocabulary of tempo, p for piano or soft, mf for mezzo forte or medium loud, f for forte or loud/full.

Students listen to a rhythm pattern of quarter notes, quarter rests, and 8th notes and notate the pattern using popsicle sticks.

Students can show how we play and take care of the rhythm instruments, xylophone, metallophone, and glockenspiels.

Students through teamwork how we show musical intent.

Students play simple class accompaniments on Orff and rhythm instruments to known songs or chants. 

Students determine the mood of a piece and play with that mood.

Fourth Quarter

We continued to explore different ways to show beat using body percussion and then transferring that skill to instruments. We are singing songs using do, re, mi, so, la. As we sing and move our bodies, students have developed musical independence through vocal explorations, scat singing, dramatization of lyrics, and using dynamics and reading the symbols of f-forte, mf- mezzo forte, p- piano which are the louds and softs in music.  Students learned how to write music using quarter notes, quarter rests, and 8th notes. We shared and played each other compositions then sent them home to share with families. We explored the how to create a bordun and movement with the book, The Tall Tall Grass.  We explored the rhythms, dynamics, and movement in Haydn's Surprise Symphony opening. We learned about question and answer phrases while playing the tubanos.  We  continued learning to improvise and how to listen to other's improvisations on the drums.

 We also explored the music of Japan, Korea, and Thailand.

Students can show steady beat using body percussion and rhythm instruments at varying tempos.

Students can match pitch.

Students can demonstrate sol mi la re do and the hand signs that go with them. ( do as C)

Students can identify music vocabulary of tempo, p for piano or soft, mf for mezzo forte or medium loud, f for forte or loud/full.

Students can write music using traditional notation of quarter note, quarter rest, and 8th notes.

Students can play their classmates compositions on instruments in class.

Students can play a c-g bordun and a GFEDC scale and apply it to the book, The Tall Tall Grass.

Students can show how we play and take care of the rhythm instruments, xylophone, metallophone, and glockenspiels.

Students through teamwork how we show musical intent.

Students play simple class accompaniments on Orff and rhythm instruments to known songs or chants. 

Students determine the mood of a piece and play with that mood.