2025-2026
These are recordings from THIS YEAR
Music and PE Collaborative Dance Unit!
In November, we met in the gym for both PE and Music classes, and learned dances from different cultures, as well as New England Folk dances and party dances. Here are the dance-along videos we learned; kids are welcome to keep practicing at home!
Minor Songs with Harmony:
Fourth graders learned about the difference between MINOR and MAJOR. MINOR songs use notes that sound sad, mysterious, or spooky, while MAJOR songs use notes that sound happy or upbeat.
We also learned about HARMONY: where two or more notes sound good together. We performed three examples of harmony: ostinatos, rounds, and a partner song.
Ms. Leaver's Fourth Grade class of 2025-2026 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. Lowes's Fourth Grade class of 2025-2026 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. Pupino's Fourth Grade class of 2025-2026 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. Watson's Fourth Grade class of 2025-2026 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. Andriski's Fourth Grade class of 2025-2026 singing and playing "Black and Gold"
Ms. Newman's Fourth Grade class of 2025-2026 singing and playing "Black and Gold"
Ms. Roeder's Fourth Grade class of 2025-2026 singing and playing "Black and Gold"
Folk Songs
4rth graders learned about folk songs: songs that are passed down in a culture through generations.
We focused on singing these songs using our best strong singing voices
"This Old Hammer" tells the story of John Henry, which we learned about before singing this song.
"Wayfaring Stranger" is a folk song about being in a sad place, but hoping that the future will be better.
Ms. Andriski's Fourth Grade Class of 2025-2026 singing "This Old Hammer"
Ms. Roeder's Fourth Grade Class of 2025-2026 singing "Wayfaring Stranger"
Ms. Leaver's Fourth Grade Class of 2025-2026 singing "Wayfaring Stranger"
Ms. Newman's Fourth Grade Class of 2025-2026 singing "Wayfaring Stranger"
Ms. Lowes's Fourth Grade Class of 2025-2026 singing "This Old Hammer"
Ms. Gardner's Fourth Grade Class of 2025-2026 singing "This Old Hammer"
2024-2025
These are recordings from LAST YEAR
Music from around Africa
At the end of the year, students learned music from different countries in Africa. We learned songs from Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, and Madagascar. We also used large drums to learn about West African drum circles.
Ms. Ham's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 performing "Jambo Bwana," a song from Kenya
Ms. Bordeau's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 performing "Che Che Kule," a song from Ghana
Watch this tutorial to learn how to play the song on Bucket Drums
Play along with Mrs. Karter!
Ukulele Videos!
We are playing ukulele in fourth grade! Here are some resources and fun play-along videos if you have a ukulele at home!
If you don't have a ukulele and your family would like to buy one for you, I'd reccommend the Kala brand as a good started ukulele! They sell "ukadelic" and "waterman" soprano ukuleles for under $50!
DORIAN songs!
Dorian songs feel like Minor songs....but with a little bit of major added in! The added Major notes make Dorian music sound thoughtful or mysterious instead of sad or spooky like Minor.
"The Silver Bells"
We learned a song in DORIAN called "The Silver Bells" by YouTube personality Mr. Delgaudio. It has a vocal part and four instrument parts that students learned and were able to choose between.
Ms. Roeder's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing and playing "The Silver Bells"
Ms. Gardner's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing and playing "The Silver Bells"
Ms. Leaver's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing and playing "The Silver Bells"
Ms. Newman's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing and playing "The Silver Bells"
Ms. Andriski's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing and playing "The Silver Bells"
Ms. Lowes's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing and playing "The Silver Bells"
Ms. Pupino's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing and playing "The Silver Bells"
Ms. Bordeau's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing and playing "The Silver Bells"
"Dorian Blue"
This is a DORIAN song we performed to practice our singing voices!
Harmony and Minor songs:
Fourth graders learned about the difference between MINOR and MAJOR. MINOR songs use notes that sound sad, mysterious, or spooky, while MAJOR songs use notes that sound happy or upbeat.
We also learned about HARMONY: where two or more things sound good together.
"Canoe Song"
Fourth graders combined this minor song with an OSTINATO (a repeated pattern) to make harmony! You can hear half the class singing the song and half the class singing the ostinato, which is "dip dip and swing" while playing it on the xylophones.
Ms. Lowes's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing and playing "Canoe Song"
"Pumpkin Spice"
Fourth graders sang this minor PARTNER SONG, which is where two different songs fit together: one about loving pumpkin spice, and one about hating it! A partner song is a way to create HARMONY.
Ms. Newman's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. Leaver's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. Roeder's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. Bordeau's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. Pupino's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Skin and Bones
We learned a SPOOKY minor song that students can use to review the recorder. It uses the notes BAGE
Ostinato Jam!
We wrote our own 4-beat ostinatos to play on "do" and "so." For this jam song, "do" is E and "so" is B. If you play any ostinato that uses E and B, it will sound good with this song! You could try it on an instrument like a recorder or a piano at home, or use a virtual instrument like this xylophone!
Folk Songs
4rth graders learned about folk songs: songs that are passed down in a culture through generations.
We focused on singing these songs using our best strong singing voices
"This Old Hammer" tells the story of John Henry, which we learned about before singing this song.
"Five Hundred Miles" is a SAD song about being far away from your family. We talked about how some people like to listen to sad music, even when they aren't sad themselves, because they like the strong emotions of the song.
"The Erie Canal" is a work song from New York. We only had one class that learned this song, but they really enjoyed how the TEMPO (the speed of the music) changed from slow to fast.
"This Land is Your Land" is a song that celebrates the beauty of America and reminds people that our country belongs to everyone.
Ms. Leaver's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "500 Miles"
Ms. Roeder's fourth grade class of 2024-2025 singing "The Erie Canal"
Ms. Gardner's Fourth Grade Class of 2024-2025 singing "This Old Hammer"
Ms. Andriski's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "This Land is Your Land"
Ms. Newman's Fourth Grade Class of 2024-2025 singing "This Old Hammer"
Ms. Lowes's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "This Land is Your Land"
Ms. Pupino's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "This Land is Your Land"
Ms. Bordeau's Fourth Grade class of 2024-2025 singing "This Land is Your Land"
2023-2024
These are recordings from the 2023-2024 school year (two years ago)
"Jambo Bwana" piano play-along
Fourth grade students have been learning about music from Africa. This is a song from KENYA. We learned to play it with chords on the piano!
If you have a piano at home, learn to play the C, F, and G chords, and you can play the whole song!
You can play along to Lali Rondalia's version of "Jambo Bwana," because C is do!
Bucket Drum Play-alongs
Play a bucket at home to "Best Day of My Life" or "Radioactive"
"Radioactive": play the song in the background while you play these patterns!
Ukulele Videos!
We are playing ukulele in fourth grade! Here are some resources and fun play-along videos if you have a ukulele at home!
If you don't have a ukulele and your family would like to buy one for you, I'd reccommend the Kala brand as a good started ukulele! They sell "ukadelic" and "waterman" soprano ukuleles for under $50!
"Canoe Song"
Fourth Graders are learning about HARMONY and songs in MINOR KEYS. They sang this song in C Minor, creating harmony with a canon and an ostinato.
Ms. Pupino's Fourth Grade Class of 2023-2024 singing "Canoe Song"
Ms. Andriski's Fourth Grade Class of 2023-2024 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. MacArthur's Fourth Grade class of 2023-2024 singing "Pumpkin Spice"
Ms. Lowes' Fourth Grade Class of 2023-2024 singing "Pumpkin Spice
"Shalom Chaverim"
"Shalom" means three different things in Hebrew: "peace," "hello," AND "goodbye!"
This song is another MINOR song! It's sung once through together, and then as a CANON! In class, we also added our own OSTINATO (a repeated pattern) on the word "shalom"
Ms. Newman's Fourth Grade class of 2023-2024 singing "Shalom chaverim"
Ms. Andriski's Fourth Grade Class of 2023-2024 singing "Shalom Chaverim"
"Pass the Pumpkin"
This is a game you can play passing a ball in a circle. If the ball lands on you for the word "boo," you're out!
Ms. Bordeau's Fourth Grade Class of 2023-2024 singing "Pass the Pumpkin"
Pass the pumpkin all around,
Listen to the minor sound
Ooo-ooh, Ooo-ooh,
Will it stop on you?
BOO!
"The Silver Bells"
We learned a song in DORIAN called "The Silver Bells" by YouTube personality Mr. Delgaudio. It has a vocal part and four instrument parts that students learned and were able to choose between.
Ms. Leaver's Fourth Grade Class of 2023-2024 playing "The Silver Bells"
Ms. MacArthur's Fourth Grade Class of 2023-2024 playing "The Silver Bells"
Ms. Newman's 4th Grade class of 2023-2024 playing "The Silver Bells"