A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively
engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.
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Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:
Show the students the book or SlideShareBrown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Instead of reading the book, we are going use our singing voices to sing the story.
The teacher will sing the words in the book using so and mi (see here) or by using the tune of the first two phrases of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
After singing a few pages, invite the students to sing the question while the teacher sings the answers alone.
Explain that in music, this is called a call and response.
Have the students pat a steady beat while singing the story.
Invite a few students to play a steady beat on the xylophones using the pitch do.
Show the last page of the book that shows all of the characters that are in the book. Invite students to choose instruments that they will play to represent each character.
Sing the story and have the students play a certain rhythm when their character is introduced. For example, the maracas could play quarter, quarter, eighth, quarter after singing "I see a yellow duck looking at me."
Ask students to explain how their chosen instrument and rhythm represents their character.
Assessment Strategies:
The teacher will observe the students singing the correct pitches during the call and response.
The teacher will observe the students playing rhythms they created using quarter notes and eighth notes.
The teacher will listen as students explain how their chosen instrument and rhythm represents their character.
Advanced Preparation:
Purchase the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?by Bill Martin, Jr. or check it out from the library. If you are not able to get the book, you may use the SlideShare link to show the story on the projector.
The students should be familiar with creating 4 beat rhythms and playing them on instruments.
The students should be able to play a steady beat on the xylophones.
Have a variety of rhythm instruments available for students to use.
The teacher should choose the key that they will use and have the xylophones set up to play the pitch do.
Variation Tips (optional):
Perform the story music for a program.
Show 10 to 12 four-beat rhythms written on the board for the students to use as ideas for their character rhythms.
Play the 4 beat rhythms twice, or create 8 beat rhythms.
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
This lesson includes color identification and literature.