4/25-29, 5/2-6

For our last week in April we expanded our folktale unit by having the students compose their own music to go with their small group's assigned folktales. Students had to read their folktale and then were assigned a group of 4-5 instruments that they could pick from to add music and sound effects that reflected the story they were reading. Students then performed the piece while taking turns reading the book. The project involved a lot of learning how to work together.

We switched topics in May and did a short song about learning different polygons. I wrote a cover song of Uptown Funk that reviewed all the polygons and quadrilaterals the students were learning. 

The tri in triangle, stands for 3 as you can see
The quad in quadrilateral, stands for four, no less, no more
The pent in pentagon, stands for five, now let's move on
The hex in hexagon stands for six, now let's see what sticks.
What's that? Hang on! We're here to learn about polygons!
What's that? Hang on! We're here to learn about polygons!
What's that? Hang on! We're here to learn about polygons!
What's that? Hang on! We're here to learn about polygons!
 
The number of sides and angles
The number of sides and angles
Same number of sides and angles
Thats's the answer, I'll give it to ya
Thats's the answer, I'll give it to ya
Thats's the answer, I'll give it to ya
The number of sides is the number of angles
Don't believe me just watch!
 
Triangle-  3 sides, 3 angles
Quadrilateral- 4 sides, 4 angles
Pentagon- 5 sides, 5 angles
Hexagon- 6 sides, 6 angles
 
It's a trapezoid it has one set of parallel lines
Parallelogram - two sets of parallel lines
Rectangle - Parallelogram with all right angles
Rhombus, oh my! A parallelogram with equal sides
 
What's that? I shall, tell you 'bout quadrilaterals
What's that? I shall, tell you 'bout quadrilaterals
What's that? I shall, tell you 'bout quadrilaterals
What's that? I shall, tell you 'bout quadrilaterals
The square is gonna get ya.
The square is gonna trick ya.
A square's a rhombus, he'll get ya.
Square's a rhombus with right angles
Square's a rhombus with right angles
A square is also a rectangle 
A square is also a rectangle
Rectangle with equal sides

4/18-22

This week we started a unit on folktales. We decided to compare them to folksongs, since both come from specific regions of the world and are passed in a oral (or aural) tradition. The first day of the unit we talked about the similarities between folktales and folksongs, as well as some differences. We also noticed that folk music from different parts of the world uses different instruments. The next day we watched a video of a folktale that had some music in the background that enhanced the story. 

We talked about the connections in the story and the music. Then on our last day together we read "A Story, A Story" which is a lovely African folktale about how all stories were brought to earth. The students added some music in while Rachel read the story. First we picked our instruments based on what we had in the classroom that was close to instruments from Africa, where our story was from. We used our stirring xylophone and xylophone because they are close to the balafon and marimba, egg shakers because they are like the shakers, our hand drum and bongos because they are similar to the drums, and we were able to introduce our new kalimba to the students which arrived a little late in the mail! 

The the Rachel took the students on a "picture walk" through the book and the students came up with sounds to represent different characters and parts of the story. 

Then Rachel read the story while the students each played the instruments when their character or part came up! 

This turned out to be  a huge success. The students loved coming up with ideas for what the music should be in the story and even the students who didn't play an instrument were really engaged in what was happening. The students really had to pay attention to the story in order to play their instruments at the right time. I think it was definitely something that would be usable in the future! 

Next week, we'll split into 4 small groups and try to have the students do the same thing with their own folktale and set of instruments. 

4/11-4/15

This week I came into writing for the first time. Students were writing about their opinions and using examples and reasons to back up those opinions. On Monday we read and listened to "It's not easy bein' green" and talked about Kermit's opinions about being green. Then Tuesday the students picked and wrote about what color they think it is easy or not easy to be. Then a few students shared their opinions and reasons, while either Rachel or I played the piano. Rachel also sang one while she played! She's a total pro!

Wednesday and Thursday the students wrote about a song that they picked. They were trying to persuade another person to listen to the song and express what was good or bad about it. When the writing was finished, we listened to a couple of the songs that the students picked.

Friday we set up two musical experiences for the students and they had to write about which experience they thought was better. We got to pull out the classroom percussion instruments for that one! 

Rachel is basically rocking it. She was always a fantastic teacher, but she has totally taken charge of the arts integration lessons which is great to see. 

Finally, last week Rachel and I finished our respective parts of the music video we made about the solar system. The students made most of the choices in the video and helped edit it together, which was really cool. 

We shifted our scope a bit this week from writing a musical about space to creating a music video about space. Rachel has been doing a lot with video lately and the students had expressed some interest in making movies so this seemed like a good fit!

This week our students researched a planet from our solar system with a partner. After learning about their planet, they composed some song lyrics about their planet consisting of 4 lines with 7 syllables each. 

Then each student got to come into the "recording studio" that we set up in a room down the hall. We even had headphones and a fancy microphone! They each recorded their 7 syllable lines for the song! 

Rachel video recorded some clips and took pictures of the planets the students made. Next week, she will help the students edit the video and we'll put it all together! 

3/21-3/25

After taking a week off and having another week off for spring break, we finally got back in the swing of things this week and started our unit on space. I'm not sure why space is totally fun, but it is. The kids already dig it as a topic so we're in for a fun time.

Rachel and I have an idea that we are going to try and structure this unit as a musical, with songs, dances, and a script that ties things together. We're building the plane as we're flying it on this one, so we'll see what actually happens.

This week was short due to workdays and a snow day, but I wrote a song about the phases of the moon to go along with their curriculum. I recorded it and Rachel put together a video to go along with it. It turned out great! The kids sing it while doing some arm motions to help them remember the different moon phases.

Then the students paired up and started researching a planet. The end goal is that student partners will write two seven-syllable lines that they can rap as part of a song about the solar system. I've written a chorus that we can sing together. That will be for next week!

Here's the moon phases video Rachel and collaborated on! I did the song, she did all the video work. It turned out great!

What a blast this week. The students finished writing their blues. Every blues had a three line AAB structure, with the end words rhyming. (It is tricky to write sentences with the last word being set, but the students are improving on it with each song writing activity we do.)  I taught them a "tapping" pattern so that when they listened to the 12-bar blues progression, they would know where to sing or say the next line of their blues. 

We practiced our blues in partners, which worked way better than splitting the class in half. That really confused them for some reason! One parter did the tapping exercise, and the other partner said or sang their blues. One student exclaimed after it was their turn "I thought I was just going to say my blues, but then I ended up singing it!" 

Thursday was the big final wrap up day. Rachel had the brilliant idea to turn the classroom into a Blues Club. We put black paper on the tables, I brought in some LED candles, and Rachel got some popcorn and soda. We had a picture of a blues club stage up on the smartboard and a sign that said "Welcome to the Blue Note. Blues Night." Rachel and I dressed up in sunglasses and dark suits. I went full on Blues Brother, with a black suit, tie, and fedora. I also acted as the bouncer. We made a sign that said "Tall people only" that only Rachel and I could get through, and made the students come in through the back door. (Later on during the discussion, they were able to make the connection to segregation and what we've been learning about in Black History Month.)

We asked for volunteers to sing or say their blues on stage and almost all of the students performed. I think we created a meaningful and memorable experience for the students that helped them relate to some of the themes we've been exploring with Black History Month. 

This week for Black History Month we focused on the time between after the Civil War and before the height of the Civil Rights movement in the mid-20th Century. In researching for this unit, I learned a lot myself that I didn't know very much about, so just in that I felt like this was worthwhile for my own growth and knowledge. We talked to the students about inequality and Rachel read a book called White Socks Only. I made a timeline with a few highlights of Black History so we could try to give the kids some perspective of when these things happened. As we talked about the timeline, we discovered that most of the students in the class were born in 2008, the same year President Obama was elected. Rachel and I had to explain that he was the first black President to ever be elected and that was an important moment in our history. As we taught the lesson I think we both realized that they had never known ANY president other than Barack Obama, and how normal that must seem to them. 

We talked about the blues and how it came about during the time of inequality after the Civil War, approximately around 1900. We also related it to the other songs we learned last week, Follow the Drinking Gourd, and Wade in the Water. We listened to the great BB King sing "Every Day I Got the Blues."

Then we wrote our own blues as a class, based on the the main character from the book White Socks Only. The students had to empathize with her and come up with ideas of why she might feel blue. After walking them through the AAB structure of a blues and finding some rhyming words, we came up with this as a class. (Or at least this is close!)

I am sad. I broke my egg. 
I am sad. I broke my egg.
That slimy egg slid right down my leg. 

Today the students worked on their own blues. Rachel made an awesome worksheet for them to fill out to walk them through the steps of writing a blues. I think we'll be able to perform them next week. 

Feb.15-19

February is Black History Month, so we spent some time this week learning about the Underground railroad. We listened, sang, read and discussed lyrics to two different songs connected to Harriet Tubman and the Underground railroad. "Wade in the Water" and "Follow the Drinking Gourd." The kids had some great and meaningful discussions about the words and experienced singing the songs. 

We also had a field trip this week! Friday we went to see a musical about math put on by the Eau Claire Children's Theater at the Mabel Tainter. Thursday we talked about plays and musicals and what the differences are, as well as theater etiquette. The students had a great time and we had a great conversation about the story elements we saw in the musical, talking about setting, characters, problems and solutions. 

We're trying to get the students excited to write their own musical. The seem a little hesitant, so maybe we'll have to trick them a little! 

Feb. 8-12

I went in Monday (to make up for our snow day last week) so the students could finish performing their Main Idea songs. The performances went well with each group performing main and supporting idea chants for the noon-fiction articles they came up with. The more performing they do for each other, the more comfortable they become! 

I spent the rest of the week researching, planning, and thinking about our upcoming units. We have plans for writing a musical, a music video, and lots of other fun things! We'll be back at it in the classroom next week.

1/25-1/29
We had 2 units going at the same time this week! We finished up our story retell compositions. (I'll upload some awesome video performances later!) The compositions turned out great and I think putting everything on different notecards really gave the kids some freedom to have longer or shorter compositions. We let the students use multiple instruments this time, which lead to more sounds overall, but I thought slightly less creative ways of using the instruments. Overall, there were more connection than with the animal compositions earlier in the year and the students made some thoughtful sound choices. Also this unit had the benefit of working with a partner, which demanded a LOT of cooperation and collaboration. 

Our second unit was starting to talk about the main idea in non-fiction reading. I started with introducing Beethoven (who some of us call Ludwig) to the students and we listened to a bit of the 1st movement of Symphony 5. Those kids will never hear that again without thinking "The Main Idea."

2/1-2/5
We just did "Main Idea" work this week. We used 'Lean on Me" and "Why Does the Sun Shine" as examples to find main and supporting ideas. Lean on me was really understandable by the students and they found great ideas. Why Does the Sun Shine was a little advanced in both the science and the vocabulary, but I think they enjoyed the video and song enough that it was still worthwhile. We broke all the "ideas" we came up with into multi-part songs that we performed as a group. Ms. Kelm is really improving on her composition and improv skills as she took charge of the second song on her own! Then late this week it was the kids turn. They finished the week in small groups finding main ideas and supporting ideas of assigned articles and writing their own songs to go with them. 

Also: Rachel is really knocking it out of the park with her own musical modifications at this point. Check out her song about light energy! No help from me at all!