Laura G. Doe
2nd Grade General Music
Demonstration Lesson
Objective:
Students will demonstrate multiple avenues of musical understanding
through the following combination of musical activities: movement and
singing game, call-and-response song, instrument playing/singing activity,
and singing and discussing a children's book. Vocal warmups and additional
dancing games will reinforce musicality and body awareness.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Set-up:
• Teacher's music stand (for contour cards)
• teacher's sheet music
• keyboard
• iPod hooked up to speakers
• iPad
• All electronic devices charged
Instructional
Materials:
• Books for singing: The Crabfish and Over the Rainbow
• Contour cards
• assorted instruments
• mp3 files of classroom songs
LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Anticipatory Set or
Warm-ups:
(2:15-2:22)
• Warm up voices:
• Contour cards: Ask one student volunteer at a time to lead the
class in pointing to the contour cards. The rest of the class
follows the speed of the leader's pointing, vocalizing the
contours with the [u] vowel.
• Sirens: Vocalizing on the same [u] vowel, have students match
the contours of their voices with the movement of the
teacher's arms- keep them guessing with varying levels of
high, low, loud, soft, fast, and slow sounds and movements.
Instructional
Procedures:
(2:22-2:52)
• Movement/Singing Game: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
• Review the song together as a class; introduce alternate lyrics
of: neck, elbows, hips, and feet and thighs and rear and lips
and teeth (remind students to only point to their lips and teeth,
so that they do not spread germs).
• If time allows, sing through the main verse a few times: tell
students that I might change the speed of the singing and
movements at any moment, and to be ready to follow my
speed; incorporate variations in dynamics as appropriate.
• Sing/move through the activity as a word elimination game:
gradually silence (but mouth) one word for each verse, until
the class pantomimes most of the song.
• Call and Response Song: “Toe-Tapping Blues”
• Ask students to echo each phrase and movement you sing.
Remind them that, as long as they use their ears and eyes,
they should have no problem picking up this song. Isolate the
vocal part, if necessary.
• Remind students that the refrain, “I'm gonna tap, tap, tap my
blues away” should be sung by everyone- it is the only nonechoing part of the song.
• Once students grasp the song and movement, sing two more
verses, incorporating various physical movements such as:
hand-clapping blues, foot-stomping blues, hand-shaking
blues, stretching-out blues, wiggling out blues.
• Ask student volunteers to come up with 2-3 other movements
we can incorporate into the song, and sing/move through their
ideas as a class.
• Instrument Playing/Singing Activity: “A Ram Sam Sam”
• Teach song to class by rote, having them echo progressively
bigger phrases as their understanding of the song increases.
• Incorporate traditional hand movements into the song, having
children watch as they go.
• Teach students some alternate, humorous verses/movements
• If time allows, divide class into three groups, assigning each
group to play an assigned instrument and corresponding
phrase of “A Ram Sam Sam.” Sing through the entire song 12 times with instrumental accompaniment, and cue each of the
three groups accordingly.
• Extensions: Ask student volunteers to contribute a topic for
their own alternate verse of “A-Ram-Sam-Sam.” As a class,
brainstorm words and even movements for their own alternate
verse. For future classes, you can divide students into groups
and have them brainstorm for five minutes, performing their
results for the class.
• Read Aloud/Song: The Crabfish
• Teach students the vocal refrain for The Crabfish by rote.
• Perform the entire book, reminding students to sing on the
refrain as needed.
• At the end of the activity, discuss the moral of the story, and
ask students for supporting details from the book.
• Dance/Filler Activity: Zodiac
Closure:
• End with “Body Rock;” outline rules for safe, creative dancing.
(2:52-3:00)
• Filler activities for dismissal: “Simon Says,” “Mum Ball”
Differentiated
Instruction:
• Visual learners will benefit from matching their voices with lines on
the contour cards, watching and mimicking the instructor's physical
demonstrations of movement activities, and viewing the striking
illustrations and words for the book/song The Crabfish.
• Auditory learners will benefit from hearing and echoing the
instructor's vocal demonstrations of song phrases and refrains. They
will easily respond to the call-and-response arrangement of “Toe
Tapping Blues.” Furthermore, they will benefit from learning
alternate words to familiar songs, which will further reinforce their
mastery of these highly verbal activities.
• Kinesthetic learners will build their vocal skills by moving their
arms with their voices during the contour card and siren exercises.
Furthermore, they will benefit from incorporating movements
throughout the classroom activities, including matching lyrics to
movements for “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” and the alternate
lyrics for “A Ram Sam Sam.”
NAFME Standards: 1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of
music.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines
outside the arts
Assessment/Rubrics: Informal assessment: While teaching the lesson songs by rote, the instructor
will check for student understanding by having them vocally echo
manageable sections of music, listening for the musical accuracy of their
responses, and addressing errors accordingly.
Indicators of Success: Students will demonstrate a solid understanding of song melodies for the
call-and-response phrases of “Toe-Tapping Blues,” and the melodies for “A
Ram Sam Sam” and The Crabfish. Students will also exhibit musicality and
impulse control by playing specific instrumental parts for “A Ram Sam
Sam,” and successfully varying the contours of their voices and bodies for
“Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”
Plan B activities:
-Body Rock
-The Freeze
-Indian Chief
-Over the Rainbow Book
-Frog Song