LESSON PLAN

Fourth Grade Lesson Plan 

Objective:

The students will:

1. Sing an independent line of music.
2. Identify and differentiate between notes and their values.
3. Identify and demonstrate denoted rhythms.
4. Demonstrate their knowledge of note values and quality.

5.      Differentiate between time signatures.

6.      Learn a historic Mexican folk song and identify unique characteristics of the song.

Standards:

Strand A: Skills and Techniques

Standard 1: The student sings, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

Benchmark MU.A.1.2.1: The student sings songs (e.g., descants, rounds, partner songs, and two- and three-part songs) maintaining own part and using proper breathing techniques and a pleasing tone, with and without accompaniments.

1. sings melodic patterns and songs, matching pitch, with an extended range (D-F¹).
2. echoes simple melodic patterns using do, re, mi, fa, sol, la ti, and do¹.
3. demonstrates healthy singing techniques, including posture, breath support, voice placement, and unified vowels.
4. sings unison songs and ostinati, with and without accompaniment, using accurate pitch and rhythm.

Benchmark MU.A.1.2.2: The student sings music (some from memory) representing various cultures, genres (e.g., march, work song, and lullaby), and styles (e.g., of various cultures and composers).

1. sings, with stylistic accuracy, a diverse repertoire representing various cultures, historical periods, and genres.

Standard 3: The student reads and notates music.

Benchmark MU.A.3.2.1: The student sight reads simple melodies from standard notation on the treble clef; 2/4, ¾, and 4/4 meters; and various major keys 

1.  sight reads rhythm patterns, including quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes, half rests, eighth notes, whole notes, whole rests, dotted half notes, dotted quarter notes, and simple syncopated patterns, in duple and triple meter.

Accomplished Practices:

1. Assessment. Assesses student learning in music.

• Uses assessment techniques appropriate to the grade level and students.
• Employs a variety of assessment techniques.
• Assesses individual and group musical performance and gives specific behavioral. instruction for improvement.
• Assesses learning in a positive, non-threatening manner.
• Maintains accurate records of student progress.
• Involves students in self-assessment activities at appropriate intervals.

4.  Critical and Creative Thinking. Encourages critical and creative thinking by the students. 

• Includes opportunities for critical and creative thinking in learning activities.
• Develops musical activities that include composition, improvisation, and/or arranging.
• Involves students in making decisions about the interpretation of songs and musical works.
• Provides opportunities for critical reflection and metacognition.

10.  Planning. Plans effective music instruction in a variety of musical settings.

• Plans lessons that meet students' musical interests and needs.
• Plans and sequences of instruction that lead to the maximum learning of music.
• Includes strategies to accommodate special learners.
• Connects subject matter to the Sunshine State Standards.

Materials: 

1. White board and erasable markers
2. Music CDs
3. chairs
4. blue “jello” strips

Procedures:

1. Note identification activity
   • Instructor will have various musical notes and rests on the board and will ask students to identify them and their values.
2. Rhythm and meter activity

·        Instructor will have various meters on the board and will ask the difference in meter signature.

·        There will be various rhythms in different meters and the students will clap these rhythms.

·        Students will identify which rhythm the teacher is demonstrating (clap a written rhythm with a count off and have students raise hand to identify).

3. Rhythm exercise with chairs

·        Break students into three teams with four chairs.

·        Explain that each chair is a beat and give various rhythms and have students fill in the chairs accordingly. Each correct rhythm is one point, team with most points wins.

4. “To Stop The Band” Activity
   • Teach students the “To Stop the Band” Melody.
   • Have the students sing melody.
   • Break students into two groups and have them sing.
   • Break students into three groups.
   • Explain that this is a round and working on part independence.

5.      “La Cucaracha” – CD 1-25 English, CD 1-26 Spanish

·        Ask if the students know the song “La Cucaracha”.

·        Ask students where this folk song originated.

·        Ask students to identify Mexico.

·        Ask questions about the song

o       What is it about?

o       What is a “cucaracha”?

o       Why might someone write a song about a little bug that sings Spanish?

o       How do you think a funny song should be sung?

o       Will a lullaby be sung in the same manner as a song about a cockroach?

·        Play song on the CD

·        Have students echo the song and sing with and without recording

·        Break students into 3 groups and have them clap independent rhythms (start out having everyone clap all rhythms, write them on board, and then split class up)

o       Group 1: q q q | q q q or g g q | g g q

o       Group 2: g q q | g q q or g q g | g q g

o       Group 3: q g g | q g g or q g q | q g q

6.      “Blue Jello”

·        Explain that each strip is a quarter note, and will be “blue”

·        When combined with another, they are eighth notes: “jello”

·        Three: “strawberry”

·        Mix around meter and note values.

7.      Steady beat and Movement activity.

·        Explain the instructions for the activity.

·        A quite volunteer will leave the circle while another volunteer is picked to stay in the circle.

·        A steady beat will be established and the volunteer that left the circle will stand in the center of the circle.

·        The volunteer that remained a part of the circle will change where the other students are tapping the steady beat from there heads to shoulders to arms to knees.

·        The volunteer in the center will try to pick the person making the changes.

Assessment:

1. Teachers observe students’ ability to sing on pitch.
2. Teachers identify who is correctly maintaining the steady beat.
3. Teachers identify students’ who are able to demonstrably imitate given rhythms.
4. Teachers identify students’ who are able to demonstrably identify given rhythms.
5. Teachers identify students’ who are able to correctly make connections the story of “La Cucaracha”.
6. Teachers identify students’ ability to correctly answer the critical thinking questions.

 

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