Language Arts Music/Movement Integration Lesson Plan 1
Five Elements of a Short Story - Rap Edition
Age Group:
4th Grade
Materials:
Computer with internet
SmartBoard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6I24S72Jps (Flocabulary Music Video)
Lyrics printed out for students to refer back to
Setting, that's like where it's going down,
Could be the train compartment, a castle or a town,
Could be the Arctic winter - like To Build a Fire,
The temperature's dropping, excitement is getting higher,
Setting sets the scene so the scene seems set,
Could be the Italian restaurant where we met,
Setting gives us the where and the when,
Could be modern day, the future, or way back when.
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
Plot is the action, the quest for satisfaction,
What's going down, what's going to happen.
Four men at sea in an open boat,
Rowing and hoping that they can stay afloat. The plot:
They have to make it to the beach,
But the waves are big, and the shore seems out of reach,
Plot is a series of events... like Lemoney Snicket,
It could be crazy, wild or straight wicked.
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
Knock knock, who's there? Oh, it's the characters,
The people in the story who carry out the action.
Characters can be pretty, tiny or clean,
Characters can be silly, whiney or mean,
Juliet is a character, and so is Romeo,
Pokemon has characters and so does Yu-gi-oh,
Characters could be dogs, lions, or hippos,
JK Rowling chose Harry Potter. "Why?" Who knows!
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing

When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
Uh-uh! Put your snack back in your backpack we're not finished!
Something gone wrong! That's the conflict kids,
A struggle in the plot, now who's on top,
Could be a fight for money, like some robbers and cops,
Could be an internal conflict - a struggle inside,
Like I don't want to tell the truth but I don't ever want to lie,
Flick something in your eye, now you're conflicted,
What created drama? The conflict did.
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
The theme of the story is the main idea,
The central belief or the topic that's in there,
It's usually something abstract like sacrifice,
Isolation or resurrection: we're back to life,
Like don't lie, don't practice libel,
The theme of To Build a Fire is survival,
Survival on your own like Fievel Moskowitz,
Flocabulary's something that you HAVE TO GET...
Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting. (x2)
Pencils
Literacy Notebook
Collection of 6 short stories - one for each group
Objectives:
Curricular Area: Literacy Music (and/or Movement)
Know: How to think critically about what makes one story different from another story, in terms of varying elements.
Know: How to work with group members when singing a song to an audience.
Be able to: Analyze a story to determine whether it contains the five elements of a short story and cite examples from the story itself. Define all five elements.
Be able to: Recite the chorus from the song in front of the class (with group mates) in order to remember the five elements of a short story
- can use lyrics to help.
Appreciate: There are many different types Appreciate: The usefulness of music and

of stories, including short stories and each has its own way of presenting information to the reader.
Standards/Benchmarks: lyrics to help remember key ideas.
Curricular Area: Literacy Music (and/or Movement)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1b
Follow agreedupon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
K-4 Music Standard 1: Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
● Students sing expressively, with appropriate dynamics, phrasing, and interpretation
K- 4 Music Standard 8: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Procedure:
1. This lesson will be given roughly half way into the school year. All classroom norms will be set up, ands students will already know that there are many different ways to write a story. This particular unit plan is meant to teach the students about one type of story that they will encounter and be expected to write. At this point, students are also familiar with the use of music in the form of Youtube videos, so this will not come as a shock to them.
2. The classroom will remain set up as it always is; student will be in groups of four. Their desks will face East and West, and the SmartBoard will be on the North wall, so that all students can easily see the music video.
3.
I will play the Flocabulary Music Video to grab the students’ attention.
4. Lesson Procedures:
● Have students put away all other materials and look to the SmartBoard
● Play Flocabulary “Five Elements” music video
●
Pass out paper with lyrics from the song on it, while asking the students to recall the five elements of a short story in their heads
●
Using the lyrics, instruct students to write down the five elements along with definitions in their own words in their literacy notebooks
● Tell students you will play the video again soon, so they can even sing the chorus with the video to help them remember
●
Have students discuss their definitions with their group and modify any definitions
●
Play the video again
● Assign group roles: recorder, leader, timekeeper, speaker
● Give each group a different short story and have them work as a group to identify:
○
Whether or not it is a short story based on the definitions and criteria

○
Find the five elements (if they exist) within the story
●
Each group will go up front and rap the chorus of the Flocabulary song. They will be allowed to bring up the lyrics from the song, or they can do it from memory
●
The speaker from the group will present their story to the rest of the class with their findings about whether or not the five elements are included in it
●
Students will return to their seats and put their work in their literacy folder
●
Tell the students that we will be working more with short stories in the next couple of weeks
●
Classroom management: As used previously in the year, we will use our voice level system. High five (and countdown to 0) will be used to regain the attention of the class after group work)
Assessment:
Curricular Goals (Informal) Musical Goals (Informal)
Excelling: Carries out role during group work and follows the rules set previously in the year. Numerous examples given from the text that support the short story elements.
Mastering: Mostly carries out role during group work. The group works well together and gets the task done in a timely manner.
Several examples given from the text to support the elements of a short story.
Learning: Attempts to fulfil role in group, but has difficulty staying on task. One or two examples given from text.
Exploring: Argues with other group members.
Complains about his role and does not follow the rules of participating in a group. No examples given from text.
Excelling: Participates in song with group.
Definitions in notebook match the general idea of the definitions from the song.
Mastering: Participates during the song, but voice tends to trial off. Most of the definitions in literacy notebook are on target with the definitions from the song. Some are not accurate.
Learning: Minimal participation during the group song. Keeps eyes focused on lyrics.
One or two definitions match the song.
Exploring: Does not sing with group during performance. Avoids eye contact with others.
No definitions in literacy notebook match the ideas in the song.

Language Arts Music/Movement Integration Lesson Plan 2
Short Stories - Incorporating Movement and Song
Age Group:
4th Grade
Materials:
Computer with internet
SmartBoard
Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow (with CDs)
CD Player
Objectives:
Curricular Area: Literacy Music (and/or Movement)
Know: What the five elements of a short story are - how to identify them within a given short story
Know: How to control bodies in a confined space, without injuring others. Know how to work with a group.
Be able to: Create a dance/movement for the chorus that accurately represents the theme of the story. As a group (everyone talks), explain the reasons why you chose to move the way you did - based on the short story.
Be able to:
Move with the chorus of the “Puff the Magic Dragon” as a group. Be able to explain why such movements were chosen.
Appreciate: With any short story, there are a variety of ways to interpret the text, even if there is only one or two identifiable theme.
Standards/Benchmarks:
Curricular Area: Literacy
Appreciate: Movement and dance as a way to convey themes or motifs from a short story.
Music (and/or Movement)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.4
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an
K-4 Dance Standard 3: Understanding dance as a way to create and communicate meaning
●
Students present their own dances to peers and discuss their meanings with competence and confidence
K-4 Music Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
●
Students demonstrate perceptual skills by moving, by answering questions

understandable pace.
about, and by describing aural examples of music of various styles representing diverse cultures
Procedure:
1. This is the second of three lessons. In this lesson, we will be focusing on short stories through the use of books. Students will be able to add movement to some of these short stories in order to incorporate some activity into their literacy learning.
2. The classroom will remain set up as it always is; student will be in groups of four. Their desks will face East and West, and the SmartBoard will be on the North wall.
3.
Ask the question: Who has heard of “Puff the Magic Dragon”? Ask students how they heard of him; book, movie, song, etc.
4. Lesson Procedures:
●
Have students put away all other materials
●
Students will move to the carpet, and I will read Puff the Magic Dragon to them
●
Have students return to their seats
●
Ask students to recall the five elements of a short story
● Write down the five elements on the smartboard
● Pull popsicle sticks to have students recall from the story what examples from the story fit each of the five elements
●
Continue this process until the five elements graphic organizer is filled out sufficiently on the SmartBoard - leave this information on the board for the students to refer back to
● Explain to students that with their group, they will be listening to the song that goes along with the book. Afterwards, with their group, students will be coming up with some type of movement or dance for the chorus of the song.
● Play the “Puff the Magic Dragon” song from the provided CD on the CD player
●
Tell students all group norms apply, and they have 10 minutes to come up with a dance or movement for the chorus of the song
● Explain that the goal of the movement is to convey the theme of short story. Have them think about and refer back to the SmartBoard to see what the five elements in this story are
● Continue to play the “Puff the Magic Dragon” song (chorus) during this time
● After 10 minutes, have each of the six groups present their movement or dance to the chorus of the song (play the chorus). After the performance, each group member must share about one part of the dance/movement, why they chose it, and how it relates to the short story that was read.

●
Classroom management: As used previously in the year, we will use our voice level system. High five (and countdown to 0) will be used to regain the attention of the class after group work)
Assessment:
Curricular Goals (Informal) Musical Goals (Informal)
Excelling: Student speaks clearly, and recounts the theme or some other elements of the story.
Mastering: Student is mostly on topic with discussion, and student most of the time speaks clearly.
Learning: Student speaks in front of the class, but is rarely on topic. Most of the time, the student speaks at a level that is appropriate and audible for the class.
Exploring: Student speaks very little, if at all to the class. If the student does speak, it is not at an audible level for the rest of the class.
Ideas the student presents are not related to the short story.
Excelling: Student actively participates in the group dance and accurately explains with confidence why their dance fits with the short story.
Mastering: Student mostly participates with the group performance. Their explanation fits mostly with the short story, but lacks in articulation.
Learning: Student performs with group but does not speak, or visa versa.
Exploring: Student does not perform dance with the rest of the group. Nor does student speak or give an explanation.

Language Arts Music/Movement Integration Lesson Plan 3
Short Stories - More than just a book
Age Group:
4th Grade
Materials:
Computer with internet
SmartBoard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnZSlOZAxzI (just need audio) Dolly Parton “Harper Valley
PTA”
Lyrics to the song
Graphic Organizer with Five Elements
Objectives:
Curricular Area: Literacy Music (and/or Movement)
Know: What the five elements of a short story are - how to identify them within a given short story.
Know: That music is a form of expression, many times meant to evoke emotions in the listener.
Be able to: Identify the five elements of a short story within a song without looking at the lyrics. Free write a response to a song after hearing it one time.
Appreciate: Short stories can come in a variety of packages. Even when you lease expect it, you may find a short story is being told. Perhaps you will read a short story, or perhaps you will hear one on the radio.
Be able to: stories.
Listen to a song from a literary point of view and analyze the lyrics of a song.
Explain the relationship between songs and
Appreciate: The ability of music represent short stories or other texts in a musical way.
There are a plethora of songs that have excellent literary content and can be analyzed in such a way.
Standards/Benchmarks:
Curricular Area: Literacy Music (and/or Movement)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.7
Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.
K- 4 Music Standard 8: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
K-4 Music Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.5
Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
Procedure:
1. This is the final lesson on short stories. At this point, we will have talked about the five elements that are included in short stories, and we will have looked at a variety of short stories.
The goal of this lesson is to help students see that not all short stories have to be written in book form, but that musicians can also tell short stories as well.
2. The classroom will remain set up as it always is; student will be in groups of four. Their desks will face East and West, and the SmartBoard will be on the North wall, so that all students can easily see the music video.
3.
To get the students attention, I will pose the question “Can anyone think of another way to express a short story, besides writing it down, like the ones we have been reading?” Take volunteers to give examples. Stop when a student suggests that songs are a way to do this. If no one suggests it after a couple of minutes, then suggest it.
4. Lesson Procedures:
●
Have students put away all other materials and look to the SmartBoard
●
Explain that we have read a lot of short stories over the course of the year. Almost all of them have been books, but a lot of times, musicians and bands can tell a short story in the lyrics of their songs. This is meant not only to tell us a story, but also to stir up emotions in the person listening. This is what we will be doing today; exploring a short story through music.
● Tell the students that you are going to play the song and you don’t want them to write anything down on the first time through.
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Play the song.
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After listening to the song, have the students take five minutes to free write about the song. How it made them feel as a listener, what emotions they felt when listening to the song, and anything they learned from the song.
● Hand out five elements graphic organizer and explain that students will be filling this out after listening to the song again.
●
Play the song again.
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Put up lyrics from the song on the SmartBoard for the students to refer back to, in case they missed part of the lyrics.
● Have students fill out the graphic organizer about the five elements of a short story. This will be collected as the assessment.

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As a closure activity, have some of the students share a couple of their thoughts from the free writing activity. Help students to make the connection of how music - songs, movement, plays, poems, etc. relates to subjects like reading.
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Classroom management: As used previously in the year, we will use our voice level system. High five (and countdown to 0) will be used to regain the attention of the class after group work)
Assessment:
Curricular Goals (Formal) Musical Goals (Formal) - not all students may respond, so this would be given over several days, through a variety of short stories
Excelling: All elements of graphic organizer are present and make sense for the story that was presented. Student clearly articulates the ideas/themes presented in the short story.
Mastering: Most of the graphic organizer is filled out. Most of the responses are accurate for the short story. Description of the overall structure is a on target, for the most part.
Only minor mistakes.
Learning: Parts of the graphic organizer are filled out. Most of the details are inaccurate and the student struggled to describe the structure of the short story.
Exploring: Graphic organizer is not filled out at all. All parts are missing. Little or no attempt made to describe the structure of the story.
Excelling: Student gives thoughtful insight into the emotions that the music evoked in them. Accurately describes the song using musical terms.
Mastering: Student shares responses with the class that make sense. Student explains how the song reminded them of a story, and explains how the song made them feel.
Learning:
Student’s response mostly makes sense, based on the song. Overall, student does not appear to see the connection between music and emotion, or music and literacy.
Exploring: Student’s response to the song is completely disconnected. Or student did not participate in the activity.