Fall Fun! Vocal Explorations and Jack-o-lantern Stack- a melody and rhythm matching game for fall

I LOVE Autumn- the sweaters, the boots, the cool weather- it is definitely my favorite season.  Maybe it's because my birthday is in the Fall... 

One of my favorite things to do is coming up with new games for my students to play and I made this one last year for my students hand-writing it all. However,  I decided this year to convert my "Do You Wanna Build A Snowman" files in my TPT store to work for any season and hence came the digital version of Jack-o-lantern stack! There are five levels of the game so far that start with ta (quarter note), ti-ti (beamed eighth notes), quarter rest and move up all the way through the l,-d-r-m-s-l-d' tone set and tika-ti (2 16th notes beamed with an eighth) rhythms.  All are on sale for 20% off through September 29, 2014!

For the game, the students match 3 pumpkins- one with a song title, one with the melody written in solfa notation and one with the rhythm.  

Students can then extend the activity to write all or parts of the songs onto the staff using a worksheet, an interactive white board or other manipulatives.  This activity is great for stations or small group work with-in your general music class.  I have played in various ways:

Game A: In groups, have students correctly match a given song.  This can either be done for practice where each group takes their time and you move onto the next song when all groups are successful– each team getting a point when they correctly match all 3 Jack-o-lanterns OR you can have students race and the 1st group to correctly match the given song is the only group to get the point. 

Game B:  Students are challenged to correctly match as many songs as possible in the given time limit (approximately 5 minutes). The team with the most correct matches wins!

Extension: Have students match a song, and then transfer the knowledge of the melody and rhythm combined to write the song In staff notation, giving the place for DO.  This can be on a dry-erase board, Interactive whiteboard, OR worksheet (attached).

Students love to race to match the most songs or when in stations we see which group can match the most in the given time (usually 5 or 6 minutes.) 

Other Versions: 
Jack-o-lantern stack solfege: Big Set
Do You Wanna Build a Snowman solfege: Big Set
Jack-o-lantern stack instruments: Orchestra
Jack-o-lantern stack music terms: Vocab
Other Seasons Instruments: Orchestra and Classroom
Other Seasons music terms: Vocab

Also posted recently on my TPT store were Fall themed Vocal Exploration Pathways sets.  I posted 3 sets- an Autumn themed set with cute raccoons playing in the leaves, Ghost set with adorable ghosts, and a Halloween set with spiders, ghosts, Frankenstein and more! Students follow the given path on one page and on the next can draw their own.  Each set has 30 pages of fun for students! All 3 are also posted as a bundle and it's priced as a buy 2 get 1 free deal! 90 pages of vocal explorations for only $3.00!

Have fun with these fall products and check out some of my other fall ideas for the younger ones here: http://emilyskodalymusic.blogspot.com/2012/10/3-fall-highlow-activities.html

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Tuesday Book Club Linky Party

Welcome to the Tuesday Book Club!  I will be posting the 2nd Tuesday of every month with a favorite Story book to read or sing.   There are so many great books out there that students (and teachers) love! If you are a blogger feel free to link up and share your favorite book to read/ sing to your students by following the directions at the end of the post. The linky party will always be open for a until the end of the month.

My first Tuesday Book Club book is one that my students, grades 1-6, always LOVE and ask for again and again: Senor Don Gato- Illustrated by John Mander.  Get the book HERE.

This wonderful, silly folk song about a cat who gets a love letter and, the book jacket says it best, "...A dramatic chain of events is set into motion.  There is a tragic fall, a heart-rendering death scene, a village thrown into mourning for its fallen hero... and then love, returned to life and triumphant..."  The students love the silly story, and especially the singing of Meow Meow Meow on every page.

If you are unfamiliar with the folk song, the melody is included on the last two pages of the book.

The illustrations of this book are fun, quirky, and beautiful.  My favorite is the last page, where Don Gato and his love are sitting atop a roof looking at the moon, being serenaded by a mouse with a guitar- be sure not to skip it, as the song ends the page before!

I really try to integrate this book into a lesson where cats were already present (Naught Kitty Cat, Bow Wow Says the Dog, Pussy Cat Pussy Cat Where Have You Been, or Mouse Mousie are just some examples). While not necessary, it is a good transition from "story position" to our next song when I can ask the students "what song do we already know that is about cats?"  I also use this song, for older students, as an "unknown" sight reading example. They can read the 1st two lines to practice low la and fa as well as tom-ti (dotted-quarter eighth).  The 3rd line has a "di" so I would stop the sight-reading after the first two and then just have the students listen to the story- Identifying when the pattern they learned comes up on each page or set of pages for a verse.

Blog about your favorite story book to read or sing to your class and link up! Feel free to link a post you have written previously about your favorite book too- just edit the post to add the Tuesday Book Club Picture. 

If you are a teacher blogger wanting to link up, here are directions:

• Save the "Tuesday Book Club" graphic to your computer and include it in your blog with a link to this blog entry.
• Blog about one of your favorite books to sing/ read to your students. Include pictures with links when possible.
• Submit your information by clicking on the "Add your link" button below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Jill Trinka Song Books

Many of you probably already know about these-JILL TRINKA FOLK SONG BOOKS- but I just got them and I am so excited!  This set of books is great for resources- and they call come with a CD that is awesome for sub-use or just a great vocal model.

I bought all 4 books/ cds with my school budget this year and they have folk-songs, play parties, and folk-dances. (1- My Little Rooster, 2- Bought Me A Cat, 3- John, the Rabbit, and 4- The Little Black Bull). Each book had a few songs I already knew, and many that I did not.  I can't wait to comb through and make Master Copies/ Retrievals to add to my collection.  One thing to note about the CD is that the songs are in a different order than they are in the book (which is alphabetical) so it is a good idea to make a note on the song page of what track the song is on the CD. 

In each book there are approximately 25 songs so if you get all 4 that is approximately 100 songs with all the important info laid out for you very clearly!   There are songs with many tone-sets and in many time-signatures so they are great for all ages of general music.  In the beginning, there is a contents in alphabetical order, and then an index that groups songs by type or suggested instrumentation (which is used on the CD).  There is also a key of important things to know and where to look for information on each songs page. For each song, Jill Trinka tells you what type of song it is (cumulative animal, play party, singing game, etc) and the origin.   There is also stick notation with solfa and words written underneath, a comfortable starting pitch, a suggested tempo, and the tone set listed.  Game or dance directions are included when applicable.  All of the game directions, I think, are super clear and easy to follow.  

One of the things I really love about these books is that in addition to the origin, Jill also gives her source and a little more info on the songs history than you typically see. For example- for the song Bought Me A Cat, we learn that it is "...widely known in the United States, appearing in many guises.  [The version she includes in the book] is based on that appearing in Ruth Crawford Seeger's American Folk Songs for Children (New York: Doubleday and Co., 1948, pp. 104-108)..." 

What are your favorite resources?  Share in the comments below! 

Also- Starting on Tuesdays I will be hosting a linky party called "Tuesday Book Club" where teachers can post about their favorite story/ song book they like to read/ sing in class.  We all have so many great song picture books that I thought it would be a great way to share.  Instructions on how to link up will be in the post tomorrow!  

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook now too! EmilysKodalyMusic  I will be posting blog posts, new TPT products, favorite pins or music-related videos, and more! 

Week 2 Music Review Centers

This year, since we have two weeks of school I August, week 1 was a classroom procedures review (with lots of singing, instrument playing, dancing and more!) and week 2 is a Music Elements review so I can gauge what my students remember from last year. I know where I left off and where they were at the end of last year, but there is always a little bit of regression over the summer. Each grade (3-6) will have their own stations to review the concepts they are working on.

Typically my centers all "center" on one theme- all have something to do with musical terms, note names on the staff, or a particular rhythmic or melodic element that we are working on. However, just for beginning of the year review the centers will include worksheets, SMARTboard games, manipulatives and more covering various music topics.  Some stations all 4 grades had in their rotation and some were saved for just one group.

Centers I had This Year:
Do You Hear What I Hear? (3 and 4) OR Koosh Quest (5 and 6)

-Do You Hear What I Hear? is an aural practice game where there are 3 patterns shown (typically staff notation) on the SMARTboard. Students press a symbol (in my case a circle with eighth notes in it) and it will play a pattern for them. They must match the pattern they hear to one of the patterns shown.  If they are right- balloons appear and they get to move on.  If they are wrong, a frowny face appears and it sends them back to the same question to try again.  I got these in grad school- shared from my wonderful methods teacher, who got them from Aileen Miracle.  They are free on SMARTexchange and you can get them HERE.  There are many other great versions on TPT.

-Koosh Kwest, which I also learned in grad school, is where students toss a koosh ball at the SMARTboard which is covered in circles- all of which are linked to a page with a 4 beat rhythm pattern. Students read the pattern then return to the main circle page.  Similar games are all over Teachers Pay Teachers!

Staff Twister (5-6)- Exactly what it sounds like- A human-sized staff was taped on the floor (using painters tape!) with a spinner that says things like "Right foot on A" or "Left hand on F" - I used the DECIDE NOW Ipad App for the spinner and it was super quick and easy to set up. {It is only .99 for the full version where you can make your own wheels and you can use it for so much! I use it for class rewards and fun tempo games as well} You can also use the website Wheeldecide.com :)

Treble Clef Staff made out of Painters Tape for TWISTER!

DECIDE NOW- you fill in the blue with your own lables









Fly Swatter game (4)- Draw a bunch of Music Symbols on the board and have one student in the group pick a symbol from the given sheet- then the other 2 or 3 in the group race to find and swat the symbol on the board! Check out a previous post on this game HERE :)

Song Sort (3-6)- I got this Idea from Aileen Miracles Sub Plans set you can get HERE on TPT.  For this game, there are 12 (or more) songs on cards.  Students sort the cards into two piles- songs that have a specific element and those without (my students are doing re in 3rd, tika-tika in 4th, low la in 5th and ti in 6th as review from the previous year).  If they finish correctly and show me their answers before time is up they then get to write a story using the song titles.  For Example- Ebeneezer Sneezer was shooing a fly away from him while riding a white horse to Charlotte town... etc.   I love this because students work hard to sort the songs- just so they can get to writing a story, but- at least in my class- they must be correct before their silly story can start.

Two of the Songs in my Half Note Song Sort Set

Pop Song Rules (3-6)- Students change the words of a favorite song (could be any song really) to be about our school-wide Wilson Way.  ~Take Care of Yourself. Take Care of Others. Take Care of our Wonderful Wilson School.~  They love this because they get to sing the tune of a favorite song.  They always turn out really fun (some usually have really awesome beat-boxing or harmony).  Some kids use pop songs but every year some also choose a song from music class to change the words of!
This year my example was changing the words of the chorus of FANCY.  We read the song from Handsigns first (s-m-r-d  s-s-s-l-s-m  d-s-m-r-d  r-r-r-r-d-l,)  and then I sang my Wilson Way Version: We love Wilson, It's a Great School, We take care of ourselves, others, and our Wilson School. Super simple :)

My Musical Summer (3-6)- I got these super cute mini books from Sara Bibee's TPT store HERE.  Students just fill them out and it gives me info on what music they like, how they like to experience music, what musical activities they did over the summer and more. 
I tried to have a station that reviewed rhythm, one with melody, one with the staff or other vocabulary/ musical symbols, and then some that just let the kids be kids but still are related to music.  These stations have been going very well so far!

Mend My Broken Heart (3)- I got this great stick to staff matching game from Jaime Pitts Parkers TPT Store HERE.  Students must match a stick rhythm with solfa written underneath on the left side of a heart to the staff notation written on the right side.


*****Other Things that make really good centers and I will FOR SURE use either as centers or during Large Group Instruction later this year- Many are super inexpensive from Teachers Pay Teachers so if you haven't tapped into that awesome resource yet- I highly recommend it!*****

Fortune Tellers- instrument family and music terms review - Get your own for instrument families HERE.  There is even a template for students to make their own! Love this product made by Jenna Hudson at Sew Much Music!

Music Boggle worksheet- Students form 4 beat rhythm patterns just like they would form words in traditional boggle. Love these sheets from Music-a-la-Abbot- get it HERE

Lines and Spaces worksheets- I will probably either use a great riddles set I found on TPT by Musical Staff Fun OR Treble Clef Treats by Jaime Pitts Parker.  Get them HERE and HERE respectively.  These I also had ready just in case groups got a little crazy with the Twister- so far I have not had a problem, but I have only had 2 classes for each grade with 2 more for each grade to go! I am hoping I don't have to use these worksheets JUST yet. 

Song Match (Snowman or other)- Name, Rhythm, and Staff notation match up- Buy my Snowmen HERE (other seasons will be made soon!)

Symbol ID coloring - Just like Color By Number sheets. I got my color-by-rhythm worksheets from Aileen Miracles Sub Set HERE

Headbands- Get the game HERE one student wears a headband with a music symbol or rhythm pattern on it and has to ask questions to others to figure out what it says! SO fun! 

Music Symbol or Instrument Family Matching Games-  Students match the symbol/picture, to the name, to the definition/ family.  Right now there is a Garden version, a Pumpkin version, and a Snowman version as well as Hearts and Back-to-School! Get the Vocab Games HERE and the instrument family games HERE

Listening Station- students will complete a squilt worksheet and then get to take turns silently rocking out with the foam guitar speaker I got from JoAnn Fabrics :)

I got the green and blue on in store- you can order online HERE

I am super excited to get the school year started of with great learning, in a way I can also informally assess exactly what the students remember and where we truly need to start for this school year! How do you start off your year??

2014-2015 Classroom Tour- WE are WILSON

So many teachers have been posting about their classroom décor ideas for 2014-15 so I thought I would link up with Aileen Miracles "My Music Room Set-Up" Linky Party and share what I have been working on! Check out Aileen's post and find links to many more great music room set ups HERE.

It took me a while to come up with a theme for this year, and I had a few ideas- Fairy Tale, Super Heros, etc.  However, our school just revamped our "brand" and got a new mascot (well new version of our old mascot), a new logo, and a new slogan so I decided to go with that!

Being Wilson Elementary, we decided on WE ARE WILSON: We Grow Together, We Learn Together, WE Play Together as our new slogan and our new version of Willy the Wildcat is AWESOME so I decided to make that my classroom theme for the year too.

Behavior chart and Wilson Way
Rules Posters

I made Rules that align with our Wilson Way, MUSIC behavior letters (I have the letters flipped backwards sitting on the board tray and as the class does something really well I will put a letter up in the corner of the board- if they get all 5 letters to spell the word MUSIC they get a star on my class behavior chart), Word Wall Letters, Instrument Labels, and a Solfa Ladder all utilizing our great clipart that COHO Creative Designs created for us!  I also hope to update my Elements of Music Posters adding a few Wildcats to those as well :)



The rules are posted right next to my behavior chart- HIT THE HIGH NOTE.  Each class can earn a star each week (by spelling the word MUSIC as mentioned above).  If they earn 4 stars, the class earns a prize.   I love this way of tracking because after the first few weeks, classes can't compare with each other because their class chart gets erased once they reach the goal of 4 stars and we start fresh.

Front of Room! Banner Says WELCOME TO MUSIC!

At the front of the room there is the SMARTboard, a mini bulletin board (still to be made!), the Dry Erase Board and a Class Behavior chart.  The solfa handsign cards and MUSIC behavior letters are magnetic (easy to add and remove for different age groups!) and are hung on the dry erase board.

Instrument shelves with Word Wall

I added the word wall above my instrument shelves.  My plan for the word wall is to put all the words up (soon!) and then add colored stickers as a grade learns a word.   Blue for 1st, Green for 2nd, Yellow for 3rd, Orange for 4th, Red for 5th, and multi for 6th (these colors correspond with our WILSON event shirts the students get each year).

As for the instruments- this is just their "put away" home.  Each day I will have about 10 set up in the "chorus room" which is adjacent to my GM room (both are in a modular classroom that is all mine). Students will be able to sit in their riser spots and easily go to instruments when it is their turn.  This way, instruments are ALWAYS ready, rather than students having to pull them off the shelves and put them back away when done so we have room to move and dance.

Chorus Room with Xylophones set up ready to play!

I am hoping I use the instruments way more because of this! I will have to teach these different positions (risers, instruments, circle, board work) in the first few weeks of school, but I am sure students will get the hang of moving quickly from one spot to another AND it will definitely be less time than having to pull them off the shelves each time they are used.

Boomwhacker Wall :)

I also added a boomwhacker wall this year (which above will be a musical time-line soon!).  This got them OUT of the trashcans I was using to hold them for more space in the classroom- AND they look prettier!  Whoever came up with this idea is amazing! I found it on pinterest!  Because I can't do any permanent changes, as my room is a "temporary" classroom I just used a staple gun and stapled the Velcro to the wall and put a little square on each boomwhacker. Love it!

Cross-Curricular Corner!

Teachers Mood and Music Garland!

Near my door is my "cross-curricular" wall where I have the Awesome BLOOMS IN THE MUSIC ROOM signs (get them for FREE here)as well as Music is: Math, Physical EdUcation, Social Studies, ReadIng, and SCience posters that I made last year.  I also have a teachers mood sign and new super cute garland around the door frame (thanks Aunt Beth!).  I am super happy with this area!

Below are some pictures from the chorus room.  In here is risers, my desk, the piano, as well as storage so that we have as much room as possible in the GM side to move and dance!

America the Beautiful,
The Star-Spangled Banner
and Wilson Way Signs

Piano with Solfa Handsign Cards




Storage Cabinets students can see from the Risers

Desk and decorated filing cabinets!

The first week am going to have the students guess how many Wildcats they think are around the room and a Blue Card (A school wide individual behavior incentive) will be given to one student from each grade- all correct answers will be put into a hat and I will draw a name! If no one is exact, the student who is closest with their guess (without going over) will win!

I am also working on a Fairy-Tale Adventure themed classroom décor set because I was thinking of doing that theme for a while as it relates to the musical I will be doing in the spring. It has princesses, dragons, castles, and more! You can get the set HERE.  A few more items still need to be added but most of it is there and ready.  If you choose to buy now, you will be able to re-download with out paying extra for the added items!

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Music Video of the Week

I have decided that for this year, I will start all upper grade classes with a cool music video.  Some that relate to what we are learning like clips that showcase families of the orchestra, a classical listening piece by a featured composer, or a song we had listened to for a musical element presented in a fun way.  Some will just be really fun or awesome music videos that I think the kids will enjoy. 

This idea came about because 5th and 6th grade students sometimes take their time getting to music.  I teach in a "modular classroom" (AKA a trailer) that is across the playground and behind the gym so teachers send their students and sometimes kids think its a good idea to play a short round of tether-ball, shoot a basket or two, or just take the long way around.  With these videos, I will start them at the minute class is supposed to start.  The students who get there on time will get to see the whole thing and the students who dawdle will miss some of it.  I am hoping that this is a good incentive to get to music fast!     I did it just a few times last year and I know kids were a little disappointed when they found out they missed the beginning of the video (especially on What Does the Fox Say Day right before spring break!).  Since it will always be changing, they will have to get to class on time to see what the weeks choice is.  I may even switch it up between classes so that students can't just ask the Monday class if the video was good. :)

Not only does this get kids to class on time, but it is a really easy way to work in some modern music or pop culture without having it interfere with the lesson too much.  My students have really jumped on the A Cappella train and are always asking for videos by great A Cappella groups.  They also love when instruments are used in unique and unexpected ways.  Knowing this, I can play a PianoGuys or Pentatonix cover of a favorite song of the students, or show how an awesome violin player uses a looper to make really cool layered music all by himself (see below!)  or even show how people who are less fortunate have made instruments out of trash and formed an orchestra!

See below for some of my favorite videos and don't forget to follow my pinterest boards- Music Ed Listening (Videos on this board are all classical examples) and Music Ed Videos (these are the videos that branch out from classical but are still really great!)

Just a really awesome video of an amazing Violin Play that does a lot with looping.  I have friends who saw him live and he had a full band then! So Cool! I present-Kishi Bashi:

One of my favorite Piano Guys Covers- Frozen combined with Vivaldi's WINTER:

A Pentatonix Video my students ask for all the time- Evolution of Music:

The Trash to Orchestra Video I Mentioned- This one is long, but I would just show a clip:

CUPS!- A group from Harvard does a new version every year:

 

Speaking of CUPS! stay tuned for a CUPS related post later soon!  I have a lot of cup songs and with the popularity of Pitch Perfect last summer, kids already know the basic game!  I am realizing I need to up the anty with my CUP activities so some are in Rondo Form, some have 2 cups, some are with partners, and some are in the big circle.  I got a lot in Hungary last summer, and have learned a few more since, so I will be posting them all in one place. Stay Tuned!

What is your favorite youtube or teachertube video you show in your class?? Comment below!

Pinterest times twenty-two

Wow, thank goodness I have internet again! I just moved and was without for about 2 weeks!

Quick post today with a couple more in the works for before school starts in late August. 

I have been using pinterest for a while now.  Some say that pinning things should count as professional development and I agree! You can get so many great ideas all in once place (you just have to remember to use them!) I used to just have a "Music Education Ideas" board, however, I found that searching for that specific pin was too difficult.  I have since expanded into MANY music education boards.   I thought I would list my boards here and ask for ideas on what else you specifically pin!  Feel free to follow all boards and send me your music education boards to follow as well!

Picture from http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com

 

Music Education Ideas- General Ideas that I haven't sorted yet, or I can't decide where to place
Music Advocacy- quotes and articles about why music education is so important!
Music Ed Videos- Movie Clips, Song Covers, Folk dances and more- all youtube videos on this board!
Music Stations- This is fun games or activities that I think are Great for stations/ centers in the music room!
Music Ed Story Books- Just what it sounds like, fun books that I have- or want!- in my music classroom!
Music Ed Technology- Smartboard activities, Apps and more!
Music Ed Listening- Activities and movies to go along with composer studies or SQUILT lessons
Music Room Organization- Ideas for organization, classroom décor, and set up in the music room
Music Ed Classroom Management- Another just like it sounds- great ideas!
Music Ed Rhythm Ideas- Ideas specifically for Rhythm Practice
Music Ed Staff Ideas- Pins to teach the absolute note names of the staff
Music Ed Melody Ideas- Ideas to teach melody- solfa and more!
Music Ed Assessment- Ways to assess- both formal and informal!
Music Ed Instrument Families- Ideas to teach the many families of instruments- videos, listening examples, worksheets, powerpoints and more!
Music Ed Multi-Cultural- Ideas to teach music from around the world!
Music Ed Mood and Tone- Video clips to see how music can affect your mood, or the mood or tone of a movie, and why that is!
Music Ed Teaching Meter- Ideas to teach time signature and meter
Music Ed Vocabulary- Specifics on those vocab words like Tempos, Articulations, Music Symbols, etc.  Word Walls, worksheets, and much more
Music Ed Vocal Exploration- fun ways to work on using the voice with the little ones!

I want to add a specific Folk Dance board as well as a specific Music Singing Games Demonstrations  board, and one where I can pin things from my favorite Music Ed Bloggers which would put me at 22 Music Ed boards! wow! I am sure I will come up with more ideas as well.  It is so much easier to find those favorite pins with all these separate boards.  I am not organized by nature, but love it when I am forced to be and this is such an easy thing! Don't forget to let me know how you organize your music ed ideas in the comments!