Mood and Composition

Each year, I try new ideas with lessons on mood. This first lesson worked well with first graders, but could be adapted for other grades as well.

After discussing the idea of mood with students, I tell them they will hear a story with "sound words" to create mood. We come up with examples of our own with a specific theme in mind. We learn about rounds, giving the example of Row, Row, Row Your Boat. We sing The Ghost of John and I record them to make singing a round easier. I then read the story Rattlebone Rock by Sylvia Andrews and Jennifer Plecas.

 This is a wonderful book with great illustrations as well!

I pick up used soft cover copies whenever I can find them so that students can read along. I usually have one copy start at the end of each row and have the students pass the book after each page turn.

I ask students to repeat the "sound words" after I say them in the book. I use an echo microphone when I teach (all the time) in class. I find them at Walmart or Toys R Us for about two dollars.

 After we finish the book, students work in groups to create their own "sound word" poem using the words from the book. We create one together that I display on the board. I tend to erase parts of it after we finish, because many students like to copy exactly what is written.

I give them this template and they are asked to work together to choose words to create their poems.

 

Once they have finished writing, they read their poems for the class. I like to extend this lesson by asking each group to add instruments to their poem to represent the words of their poem. I usually place a set of instruments on the carpet. I read the poem, students repeat the sounds and then the composers play instruments after each word.

They may also use their voices for things like the BOOS of the ghost. I have heard that other teachers skip the poems and have their students play instruments while the teacher reads the story. I personally enjoy the original poetry and song from the students.

Music Literacy

Here is a simple worksheet I made on lines and spaces. I found circle stickers at the Dollar Store.

 A simple example using the circle stickers. 





There are plenty of handy treasures at the Dollar Store.


I use these to represent quarter note (buzz) and rest (sh). I tell students that we need to be quiet as a mouse when we play or sing using the mice.
 

           Buzz=quarter note                  Mouse=rest

NC Music Standards Posters

Here are some posters I made last year when I moved into my room. I had them printed as posters using Vistaprint to display in my room.

Bones Activities

I first ask students why bodies have bones. We continue with a reading of the book Dem Bones. I sing each page and students sing back to me.

 After the reading, we talk about how we could make the sound of bones. I bring out the woodblocks or lummi sticks. I create a pattern of quarter notes and rests. They mimic the pattern using the sticks on the carpet, then in the air. 

We learn the song Dem Bones/Skeleton Dance. I usually draw the parts on the board and we practice saying them first. I record students as they sing the song. I use the recording later, so that students can play along using their woodblocks/lummi sticks. 

We dance and sing along to the Youtube clip Skeleton Dance.

 

In another lesson, I add a technology tie in. These come from the BBC Schools website.

The first one is to identify the bones in humans and animals. Growing and Moving-Identify Bones

The other activity is BBC Schools skeletons and muscles. Students can match up the bones with the animals as they travel through the jungle. You have to skip the video clips as they are not available in the US. This will lead you straight to identifying different bones in the animals bodies.

Skeletons activity

Danse Macabre-Mood

I adapt this unit for different grade levels using Camille Saint-Saens Danse Macabre. Here is a helpful background presentation from ArtsEdge.

Haunting Music link from ArtsEdge

I begin by discussing the concept of mood. I ask for examples from students and add some of my own. I ask students how they would explain mood to someone else. They usually come to agree that it is a general feeling. 

We continue by reading this poem written by Henri Cazalis. I ask them to describe the mood of this poem. We discuss how Camille Saint-Saens read this poem and wrote music to show the mood of this piece. As Saint-Saens created a song from a poem, we will create a poem from a song.

  I read this poem in parts and have students read it back to me. Students are asked to give me words to describe the mood. We then watch and listen to Danse Macabre using this prezi: Camille Saint-Saens Prezi

After one listening, students are split into groups of three, four or five. They are asked to listen to the piece in three sections. After each section is played, students first discuss their ideas, what images they would paint to represent the mood of this piece.

Students then share their poems with the class.

In an older class, I ask students to listen/watch the Prezi, read about Camille Saint-Saens and take notes. They use a graphic organizer to put their notes into categories. They listen to the piece and also describe each section.

Students use black construction paper to make tombstones. I give them white colored pencils or gel pens to outline a post-it note for the five sections of the piece. They illustrate the sections and add biographical information to the other parts of the tombstone. Below are a few student samples:

With other groups, I have made a picture book to represent different changes in the music. I play the song and have students follow along in the book listening for things like the xylophones (for the bones of the skeleton) or the harp (playing the clock striking midnight). 

Bob Dylan-Peace Project

I have started a mini-unit on Peace and Bob Dylan. I began with a Prezi on Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan Prezi 

The song and background information on Bob Dylan can be found in the green music book page 270-272. Students read about him and we discussed why he wrote and performed music. 

I then teach the song Blowin in the Wind. After the song, I ask students to do a primary source photo analysis. I project this photo and ask them to describe the objects they see.

 I ask students what clues they saw that could tell them when and where the photo was taken. We also discuss the activities/happenings from the photo and how they relate to modern times.

Students then make a chart, using the lyrics to the song and split the words into category of War or Peace. I allow students to add words that make them think of the categories after they have exhausted all the lyrics. 

Finally, students work in groups, use their charts and write a poem of peace. We sing the song Blowin' in the Wind and then present our poems for the class.

Composing with animal sounds

Last year I was inspired by another blogger who I found on Pinterest. They were using ZooPals to inspire students to create a sound piece.

Available at Target and Walmart

I began my lesson by reading the story Polar Bear, Polar Bear, what do you Hear? by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle. Students repeat each line after I read to them, then they create the animal sounds from the story.

 When we are finished with the story, I place the ZooPals plates on the board. I pick four or five animals to show on the board. I glue small magnets on the back with craft glue from AC Moore so they will stay on the board. You can also place them on the carpet if you have one. I ask students to make the sound of the animals and I teach them the animal names in Spanish. This ties in with Hispanic Heritage month. Several of my students speak Spanish, so they love teaching the other students how to pronounce the names of the animals. I continue by playing a folksong from Argentina called I Have a Little Farm. I changed it to I have a Little Zoo or Jungle depending on the plates available at the store.

At the end of this lesson, I place a series of plates on the carpet, showing them that each box represents a part of the song. In music each box is called a measure. As I walk the measures, students make the sounds of the animals, creating a sound piece. 

During week two, each student has a grid and colored pencils/crayons. We choose an order for the sounds and I place the plates on the board. Students color/draw their animals on their grids. 

I give a few simple ways to draw the animals so they don't get hung up on making a perfect lion or snake. We then record our animal song using a live recorder. Students also sing the folksong adding the animal sounds from the ZooPals plates.

Technology Extension: Monster Choir Making Patterns
This is a fun way to identify and create patterns using (monster) sounds. 

Click here for Monster Choir Patterns

Preparing for the NC Symphony

One of the first things I start with is the book by Lemony Snicket, The Composer is Dead.

The Composer is Dead by Lemony Snicket

We first discuss the families of the orchestra and create a chart on the board. We also spend a few minutes on the meaning of alibi and personification. This ties in to language arts standards and is a springboard into the theme of this story. The inspector interrogates each family while the instruments give their alibis. 

As they listen, students complete a worksheet I adapted that identifies instruments and their respective families. 

Students don't have to find a place for all of the instruments. They have to complete the empty spaces, giving a few examples from each family.

  On the second week, students are asked to revisit the ideas of alibi and personification. We discuss how the author uses personification, cite one or more examples and continue with the lesson. After listening to examples, students work in groups to identify alibis, sound, and how personification is used with specific instruments.

 We spend some time learning the yearly song-this year is the products of NC and listen to parts of the concert selections. I usually give them a bit of each piece as a teaser.

Technology Extension: Prezi on Instrument Families-

Click here for Instrument Families Prezi 


After the concert reflection: