Week 10 - Music Teacher Toolbox from Carnegie Hall

I have been searching for new tools to use and update my teaching as well as my classroom as a whole.  In my search this week I found a site that has a music teachers toolbox from Carnegie Hall! Of course, Carnegie Hall is THE cathedral of the performing arts, so anything they suggest is always welcome. Even better, it's free!

The toolbox contains lesson plans, resources, assessments, video resources and documented best practices. These resources are all sort by category and grade level, making it easy to use and access the information. While the grades are only listed up to 5th grade, these exercises are relevant to ALL ages. In my opinion the high school students LOVE activities that are geared toward younger students, no to mention that the concepts are simplified and very easy to understand.

I focused on one tool from the toolbox, the composing a melody (under the 4th grade level). 

https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education/Educators/Music-Educators-Toolbox/Resources/4-Composing-a-Melody

Composing a Melody

Aim: How can we create and perform a melody using our names?
Summary: Students compose and notate short melodies using their names.
Standards: US 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; NYC 1, 2, 3
Modality: performing, creating
Materials: Student Worksheet
Time Required: 20 minutes

Instructions

1. Form a circle and have students establish a steady beat by snapping fingers, patting knees, or clapping hands. Once the beat is established, go around the circle and have each student speak his or her name in rhythm.
2. Pick a few names as examples and determine how many syllables are in each name.
3. Using the Student Worksheet, have students assign a note value and a pitch for each syllable of their name. Students should compose their name melody within one to two measures in 4/4 meter – or Common Time. To help students get started, provide a few examples on the board (see Teacher Worksheet).
   Download Teacher and Student Worksheet
4. In small groups, have students combine their name melodies into a larger composition, using rests to put space between each name.
5. Have students perform their compositions for the class.
6. 
   
7. Going Deeper
8. Compose melodies for a sentence or poem.
9. Give students different composition parameters, such as major or minor mode, types of rhythms, range of pitches, or expressive qualities.
10. Compose melodies in 3/4 or 6/8 meter.
11. 
    

I tried this lesson with some of my piano students and they really had a lot of fun and quickly picked up on the objective of the lesson. I also gave them the assessment that is supplied with the lesson and every student was successful in proving they understood the lesson. After I collected the assessments I showed them the video (provided) of the 4th graders doing the same lesson and asked them to reflect on the parallels. I intend to explore this site and its resources in more depth and use as many of these lessons as I can!