BUILDING A MUSICAL FOUNDATION MUSIC EDUCATION IN SPRING

BUILDING A MUSICAL FOUNDATION: MUSIC EDUCATION IN SPRING BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Demi Edwards Music Teacher Woodview Elementary SBISD Parent U Presentation October 20, 2018

OBJECTIVE We will be introduced to the four strands that are in the music TEKS as well as a few examples across grade levels of various activities that the students participate in throughout their elementary years that tie to the strands.

FOUR STRANDS OF TEKS 1. Foundations: Music Literacy 2. Creative Expression 3. Historical Cultural Relevance 4. Critical Evaluation and Response

FOUNDATIONS: MUSICAL LITERACY The foundation of music literacy is fostered through reading, writing, reproducing, and creating music, thus developing a student's intellect. Commonalities: Identifying Timbres (voices, instruments, ensembles) Reading, writing, and reproducing rhythmic patterns Reading, writing, and reproducing melodic patterns Music Terminology

ACTIVITIES FOR STRAND 1 Kindergarten 1 st Grade Five Voices Iconic Notation - The students learn their five voices through a rhyme and then the teacher and some student volunteers will hold up cards and sing a known song with the voice the card says. - In this activity the student uses iconic notation to notate high and low sounds in the song. Once the students have practiced this many times the notes are then named.

ACTIVITIES FOR STRAND 1 2 nd Grade 3 rd Grade Labeling Form Rhythm Reading - The students in this activity are labeling the form in a new song by studying known rhythms. -In this activity the students were being introduced to a new rhythmic element and then they immediately read the new rhythm in an unknown song.

What is the Form? a Snakes, li-zards, spi-ders, toads, Creep-ing, crawl-ing down the road. Spi-der in his web up high, Hop-ing he can catch a fly! b b b

ACTIVITIES FOR STRAND 1 4 th Grade 5 th Grade Adding Bar lines Diatonic Scale - The students complete exercises as a class and individually by adding bar lines to known rhythmic elements using various meters. -By the time students are in this grade they finish learning all of the notes in a diatonic scale.

CREATIVE EXPRESSION Through creative expression, students apply their music literacy and the critical -thinking skills of music to sing, play, read, write, and/or move. Commonalities: Singing and/or playing instruments individually or in groups Moving to a variety of music using fine locomotor and non-locomotor movements Creating rhythmic phrases through improvisation or composition Creating melodic phrases through improvisation or composition Performing simple part work

ACTIVITIES FOR STRAND 2 Kindergarten 1 st Grade Beat Movement Activity Creating Melodic Phrases -During this activity the students will follow the teachers steady beat movements, then the teacher will pick some students to be the leader. -This activity has four students (one at a time) create a melody for each line of text using iconic notation and known rhythms.

ACTIVITIES FOR STRAND 2 2 nd Grade 3 rd Grade Creating Rhythmic Word chains Alternate Endings to Known Songs - The students get into partners and create a four beat pattern using given rhythms and then match with corresponding pictures and share with the class. - In this activity the student will individually sing a melodic phrase of their choice (from four options shown on board) as an alternate ending to a known song.

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ACTIVITIES FOR STRAND 2 4 th Grade 5 th Grade Folk Dances and Play Parties Recorders - The students learn about the history of folk dances and play parties and participate in several in class. - The students learn to read music notes on the staff using absolute pitch names while also learning to play recorder through lessons in class and work on their own at home.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL RELEVANCE By experiencing musical periods and styles, students will understand the relevance of music history, culture, and the world, including the relationship of music to other academic disciplines and the vocational possibilities offered. Commonalities: Sing songs and play musical games including rhymes, patriotic events, folk music, and seasonal music Identify interdisciplinary concepts relating to music Identify and describe music from diverse genres, styles, periods, and cultures

ACTIVITIES FOR STRAND 3 Kindergarten-5 th 4 th & 5 th Grade Singing Games Texas and Patriotic Songs - The students participate in Folk music from a variety of cultures where they are working on group and individual singing. (It can also correspond with seasons; Fall, Christmas, Valentines Day, etc) -These two grade levels focus on songs such has “Texas our Texas” and “The Star Spangled Banner”.

CRITICAL EVALUATION AND RESPONSE Through critical listening, students analyze, evaluate, and respond to music, developing criteria for making critical judgments and informed choices. Commonalities: Audience etiquette during live or recorded performances Respond verbally or through movement to musical examples Recognize known rhythmic and melodic elements in aural examples using appropriate vocabulary

ACTIVITIES FOR STRAND 4 Kindergarten-5 th Grade Classical Music Activities Houston Symphony Trip - The students participate in a variety of activities (including instruments, parachutes, scarves) to accompany parts of classical music. The students may also draw pictures or color based on what they hear. - The students are introduced to a symphony orchestra and then attend a field trip to Jones Hall to see the symphony orchestra perform songs to a specific theme with interactive questions from the conductor.

OTHER ACTIVITIES -Grade Level Programs -Choir (before or afterschool) -Instrument Ensembles

DISCUSSION TIME Take 2 -3 minutes to discuss with the people around you activities that stood out to you or some new things you learned.

“Let us take our children seriously! Everything else follows from this…. only the best is good enough for a child. ” Zoltan Kodály

QUESTIONS? Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may still have. Demi Edwards Music Teacher Woodview Elementary demi. edwards@springbranchisd. com