After being introduced the the musical form called Rondo (ABACADA), the third graders were challenged to create a visual representation of a rondo using random objects found in the performing arts classroom. They also used their amazing drawing skills to create visual rondos.
Each year, the students spend one or two classes in December dedicated to music from the Nutcracker Ballet. The students review the story of the Nutcracker Ballet and basic information about its composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. They also study a new piece from the Nutcracker Suite. This year the third graders focused on The Arabian Dance. They demonstrated the musical form of the piece (a Rondo!) by acting out different things that you might find in Arabia, such as travelers, snake charmers, pyramid builders, and belly dancers. They also compared and contrasted three different video versions of the dance.
After listening to the book Zigazak by Eric Kimmel, the third graders worked in small groups to act out a scene from the story.
Just before Winter break, the Third Graders spent class time in the following Performing Arts learning stations.
In this improvisation game, students passed an empty gift box around the circle. The student giving the gift announces the holiday they are giving the gift for. The student receiving the gift opens the gift and decides what is inside and how they will react.
Students searched around the room for present bags with rhythms in them and then wrote down the rhythms they found.
Students played the dreidel game while reviewing the four verses to the song I Have a Little Dreidel that explain how to play the game.
The 30 Second Dance Party buttons are a huge hit in Performing Arts class! I recently purchased the holiday version and students used it as they improvised dance moves for their group members to imitate. Lots of fun!
In this interactive iPad game, students were challenged to try and identify instruments. The game introduced them to many new instruments such as the sitar, sousaphone and hammered dulcimer.
At All School Meeting on Thursday, December 18, the entire school (Pequeños - Grade 6) got together to sing and dance several winter holiday songs.