Caution! Primary Music Centers Under Construction - Part 1

Although I'm not ready to fully roll out centers for all of my classes, my schedule this week has allowed me the time to experiment some and try centers with a few individual classes in kinder, 1st and 2nd grade. 

Today I'm going to share one of my centers and how I adjusted it to fit the needs of the 3 grade levels I've used it with so far. 





Compose a melody!

 

First I wrote the pitches for a C pentatonic scale on foam sheets.   I wanted students to be able to create patterns, and because I want the freedom to adjust and learn as I go without a huge commitment to materials I included only 4 "do" cards and 2 of each of the remaining pitches.    On a purely practical note, this center was really easy and cheap to create and only required about five minutes of preparation because you don't have to laminate foam sheets.  This is a center that will always be a part of my center rotation in one version or another.

  





Kindergarten:
1. I prepared each xylophone to be played in C pentatonic.
2. Before opening this center, I had students help me model creating a pitch pattern in front of the xylophones.  Then we modeled taking turns playing the xylophones.  We modeled how to play the xylophones appropriately. 
3.  My kinder students were asked to take turns creating melodic patterns for their partners to play. 

Outcomes: 
Centers were made for kindergarten and kindergarten was made for centers.  My little ones were so happy to have the chance to explore this center.  With the VERY quick addition of some bright stickers that labeled the scale on the xylophone itself.....(I hadn't thought of that until I had a class full of kids)..... they were off to the races. The very first thing they did was find the F and B bar and put them back on the xylophone, but even with them on, I noticed that they made a real effort to follow the melody created by their friend.  Because there was no rhythm value on the cards, they took the time to hunt for and find the pitch on the instrument.  However in kindergarten creating and playing a melodic pattern lasts about a minute and a half and then it's time to improvise!  My favorite part is that using a center like this with just one or two of the really "cool" instruments allowed my kindergarten students to hear what they were playing because the music room wasn't cluttered with 10 other instruments playing together.... There were just two instruments and they had permission to play something new and self directed. 

1st grade center:
1.  Before opening this center, I had students help me model creating a pitch pattern in front of the xylophones.  Then we modeled taking turns playing the xylophones.  We modeled how to play the xylophones appropriately. 
2.  My first grade students were asked to take turns creating melodic patterns for their partners to play. 

Outcomes:
1st grade were almost as excited about this center as kindergarten.  I didn't pre-set the xylophone into C pentatonic,  since we have recently been playing as a class together,  they automatically took off the bars.  The biggest growth was in their ability to help each other get their patterns right.  First graders read the cards out loud to each other while helping their partner to find the right bar. They were able to sustain the planned activity for a longer time before they started improvising.  Their improvisation was more informed and conversational.  They dialoged with their partner about what they should try next.

2nd grade
1.  Before opening this center, I had students help me model creating a pitch pattern in front of the xylophones.  Then we modeled taking turns playing the xylophones.  We modeled how to play the xylophones appropriately. 
2.  My second grade students were asked to take turns creating melodic patterns for their partners to play.
3. I gave them the extra challenge singing what they play.  I asked them to try and find the pattern for Rain Rain Go Away and to figure out how to play that song in addition to their composition.

Outcomes:
2nd grade was truly intrigued by the idea of composing.  They took turns composing and conducting their patterns and really could have stayed at this center longer.

 

More information about centers coming soon!

 

 

You might also enjoy Reflections Upon Centers In Music

 

Reflections upon Centers in Music - Making every moment count

I have music centers on the brain.  I can't quit thinking about them because I want to make the experience my students have when using centers more meaningful and effective.  I'm almost.....sort of.... happy with my learning outcomes for some of my centers but not as happy with others.  Every year the actual management of centers gets easier, but there is always room for improvement.  As a tenacious optimist I think I can do better!  In fact, I've been thinking about centers all through spring break and am ready to jump in this week Melodysoup Centers 14.0..... 

 

Questions I ask myself when planning to use centers

1. Have I chosen wisely? Every center I choose must be interesting enough for students to want to participate AND instructionally important enough for them to construct meaning. If I find that some of my centers are "super cool" while others are "place holders" then it's time to figure out how to duplicate the "super cool" centers OR bring the "place holders" up to scratch.

2.  Do I have time? I don't see my students very often and I don't see them for very long.  I've recently realized that in some cases when I want students to practice certain things, as few as 2-3 centers help me to keep the class moving forward while building success and increased independence.

3. Have I stayed true to my objective? Centers can be really fun!  Centers can foster "play state" which is the best place for children to learn!  Centers can be all sorts of things, but did the opportunities I provided for my students foster the learning I intended?  Did I lead them through an opportunity to learn a musical skill? Or did I lead them through an opportunity to learn that their classmate eats crayons?

4. Do I have the right management in place? The most creative and fabulous centers in the world will fail miserably if the students can't get them out and put them up without eating up all of their time or destroying the center. Centers HAVE To be EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY to use!

5. Is this center transferable? The more grade levels that can use a given center, the better!

Coming Soon!

Melodysoup Centers 14.0



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Carnival of the Animals - in a pinch, lessons that can pass between me and the sub

Carnival of the Animals is just great music!  There are about a thousand different activities and directions that you can explore with your students, so much so that this great work deserves several posts.  Today I'm going to share with you how I like to introduce these pieces to my students and why it's a work that should be revisited.

I'll be honest and admit that I typically save Carnival of the Animals for May.  I save it for May because I find that it just about teaches itself and when I'm busy or tired or just feeling uncreative, Carnival of the Animals is great to make sure that my teaching is as good as it can be ALL of the time even when I'm not at my best. 

This last week was just such a time.  I caught the BUG!  BUG in all caps.... I got SICK SICK SICK! Of course this happened right after TMEA no less!

I missed Monday and then on Tuesday I MADE myself go school on Tuesday.  I stayed home Wednesday and Thursday and then on Friday I drug myself to school.   I'm back at school today, but guess who doesn't have a voice?  THIS girl!!  So needless to say, Carnival of the Animals has become an important part of my teaching this week. 

First of all, I use the John Lithgow version of Carnival of the Animals with the older students.




I use the Jack Prelutsky version of Carnival of the Animals with the younger students.



My first goal is to assist my students as they listen to the work.  I really want them to experience the work as a whole, at least in the beginning.  However, my students aren't equipped to just sit and listen to much of anything.  So I use my handy dandy folded paper to help my young ones increase their listening time.    THE BEST part is that my sub can easily do everything I do without a fuss or bother.

Here is what we do.

1. We fold out papers in half 4 times.  My students are pretty good folding paper because I find it easier than creating worksheets and running copies.

2.  Then they copy the title.  I differentiate this for grade level and literacy level. 

3. Then while seated in front of the book we are using, they listen to the poem and then during the music they draw the animal. 

4.  I pause and repeat on some of the songs that are too short to draw and during some of the longer pieces I cut them short so that we can get through several animals in one class.

5.  I don't push the pace of the lesson, but I don't hold back either.  I've noticed that my students are proud of their work and often I'll post some of them outside my wall.

6.  If students need to get up and move to the music, we just set down our lapboards, move to the music and come back and draw the animal that we just became.