Submitted by Gretchen Taylor, Illinois

Idea posted October 23, 2002

Here's my 6th grade month-at-a-glance plans for my Sept/Oct: American/Patriotic Musical Heritage unit (6ths focus on America)...

SEPTEMBER:
My Country 'Tis Of Thee (rev. song)
America The Beautiful (including sign language)
  • Present America The Beautiful handout from Plank Road's Sing For The Red, White And Blue; read & discuss briefly.
    • Introduce the unit & what we'll be doing.
    SQUILT: D'vorak's New World Symphony mvmt 3
  • Introduce piece & composer.
  • Listen to 1st theme (compare with Beethoven's 5th).
  • Teach theme vocally on the words "Antonin D'vorak, New World Symphony."
  • Listen again & count no. of occurrences.
  • Begin creating listening map.
  • Listen again & identify the instrument families playing each presentation of the theme and add to map.
  • Listen to 2nd theme. "What picture comes to mind?" (Cowboy on horse on prairie???)
  • Add picture to map.
  • Listen to entire exposition and follow map.
    • Sing: "This Is My Country"
    Intro: "Sing Of America" (from Music K-8, Vol. 1, No. 5, also available in Sing For The Red, White And Blue)
  • At piano, no CD yet. (play "explore the score" to review notational markings like 1st, 2nd endings, repeats, time signatures...)
    • "This Is My Country" (warm up)
    Intro: "What A Country" (STM)
    Rhythm Gym: Review q ee and q-rest values.
  • Present rhythm pattern for upcoming cup game to go with What A Country.
    • "Sing Of America" (rev & continue)
    "America" with signs (rev)
    "God Bless The USA" (GAS book if time)
  • Listen to Lee Greenwood CD, if desired.
    • "This Is My Country" (warm up)
    "America" with signs (rev)
    "Sing Of America" (sing now with CD)
    Rhythm Gym: rev cup game pattern (no cups)
    "What A Country"
  • Review song & play cup game with it.
    • Intro: "The Heart Of America" (from Music K-8, Vol. 11, No. 3, also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit), if time.
    "What A Country" (warm up)
    Teach line dance for The Heart Of America.
    "The Heart Of America" (rev song & add dance)
    Rhythm Gym: q ee q-rest patterns in triple meter
  • isolate the 4 specific 1-bar patterns from given exercise, write on board, play "I clap u clap" with varied b. percussion
  • play "conductor" using each pattern
  • compose an 8-bar rhythm composition using the given rhythm patterns. Perform with Rockin' Rhythm Raps CD accompaniment.
OCTOBER:
"50 Nifty US" (rev. song from last year)
Intro: "This Is America" (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 1)
Rhythm Gym: rev exercise for test (use unp. instruments)
Review other unit songs in time left over.
Mozart & Rondo form (specifics not worked out yet)
"This Is My Country" (warm up)
Rhythm Gym: Testing
Sing remaining unit songs learned
Begin Christmas program music

That's it. Each plan is for one 45-min. session each week. The other class day we spend doing recorders, melodic dictation, and compositional techniques.