101 Music Activities

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A. READING RHYTHM (National Standard #5: Reading and Notating Music)

Activity - Grade Levels - Description

The Beat - Grades 1-2 - steady beat, quarter note stems (ta)
Bar Lines - Grades 1-2 - grouping beats in sets
The Silent Beat - Grades 1-2 - quarter rest
2 Sounds on 1 Beat - Grades 1-2 - steady beat, quarter note stem (ta), eighth note stems (ti-ti)
Tempo - Grades 1-2 - tempo, explore heartbeat at rest and after exercise, match songs with appropriate tempo
1 Long Sound for 2 Beats - Grades 1-2 - half note (ta-ah)
Rhythm: Mixing the Sounds Together - Grades 1-2 - combining quarter note stems, quarter rests, eighth note stems and half notes
Beat or Rhythm - Grades 1-2 - grouping beats into measures, differentiating between beat and rhythm
Working With Rhythms - Grades 1-2 - recognizing rhythms of songs
Practicing Writing Notes - Grades 2-3 - whole, half, quarter and eighth notes, lines vs. spaces
Matching Words with Notes - Grades 3-4 - writing the words under the corresponding notes in a song rhythm
Notes That Get 3 Beats - Grades 2-3-4 - half note tied to a quarter note, dotted half note
Reading Dotted Half Notes - Grades 3-4 - answering questions pertaining to dotted half notes
Moving in 2's or 3's - Grades 2-3-4 - feeling and hearing the difference between duple and triple meter
Time Signatures - Grades 3-4-5-6 - 4/4 and 3/4 signatures
Rhythms in 3/4 Time - Grades 4-5-6 - match rhythms of words to notation
The Dot - Grades 4-5-6 - function of the dot
Dotted Quarter Notes - Grades 4-5-6 - matching the rhythm of words to the notation
6/8 Time Signature - Grades 4-5-6 - compound meter, two dotted quarter notes over measure
Music Math - Grades 4-5 - values of whole, half, quarter and eighth notes
Reading More Rhythms - Grades 4-5 - matching the rhythm of words to the notation
Music Math 2: Ties - Grades 4-5-6 - ties and their function
Slurs - Grades 4-5-6 - slurs and their function, tie or slur?
Take a Rest - Grades 5-6 - whole, half, quarter rests
Take a Short Rest - Grades 5-6 - eighth and sixteenth rests
Rests - Grades 5-6 - whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth rests
Building the Pyramids - Grades 5-6 - values of notes and rests in relation to each other
Syncopation - Grades 4-5-6 - syn-co-pa, subdividing the beat
Listening to Syncopated Music - Grades 4-5-6 - The Syncopated Clock and The Entertainer
Sixteenth Notes - Grades 5-6
More With Sixteenth Notes - Grades 5-6
Dotted Eighth and Sixteenth Notes - Grades 5-6
Strong and Weak Beats - Grades 3-4-5-6 - recognizing the strong beat in 3/4 and 4/4 time
Pickup Notes - Grades 5-6 - starting the song in the middle of the measure, recognizing the pickup in well known songs
Tempo - Grades 3-4-5-6 - tempo terms - matching appropriate tempo terms with well known songs
Music Terms Used in Section A - Grades 4-5-6 - review material covered in Section A
Rhythm Word Search - Grades 4-5-6 - music puzzle of terms studied in Section A

B. READING MELODY (National Standards #5: Reading and Notating Music and #4: Composing and Arranging Music Within Specified Guidelines)

Activity - Grade Levels - Description

Reading Melodies Using Mi and So - Grades 1-2 - note stems and Curwen Kodály hand signs for two songs, play Mi and So on melody bells or Orff instruments
Singing Mi, So, and La - Grades 2-3 - read and sing short one-measure themes for characters in story
Composing a Song Using Mi, So, and La - Grades 2-3 - compose a song and play it on xylophone
Reading Melodies Using Do, Mi, So, and La - Grades 2-3 - read rhythms, use Curwen Kodály hand signs, match words to melodies
Reading Melodies Using Do, Re, Mi, So, and La - Grades 2-3 read rhythms, use Curwen Kodály hand signs, match words to melodies
Composing a Song Using the Pentatonic Scale - Grades 4-5-6 - compose a song, play song on Orff instrument while playing an ostinato
Reading a Song Using Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So - Grades 4-5-6 - sing a song using Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, use Curwen Kodály hand signs, find Fa in a song, write syllables under notes in a song and sing the song, identify song
Reading Songs Using High Do (Do') - Grades 4-5-6 - sing a song using high Do, find high Do in a song, use Curwen Kodály hand signs, write syllables under notes in a song and sing the song, identify song, octave
Reading Songs Using Ti - Grades 4-5-6 - sing a song using Ti, find Ti in a song, use Curwen Kodály hand signs, write syllables under notes in a song and sing the song, identify song, leading tone, home tone
The Major Scale - Grades 3-4-5-6 - adding Fa and Ti, moving in steps and skips
More About the Major Scale - Grades 3-4-5-6 - placement of whole and half steps in a major scale, singing the major scale with solfege syllables
Mystery Songs in Major Scale - Grades 4-5-6 - identify several songs and sing them
The Minor Scale - Grades 5-6 - placement of whole and half steps in a minor scale, singing the minor scale with solfege syllables
Mystery Songs in the Minor Scale - Grades 4-5-6 - identify several songs, sing two of the songs and play an ostinato
52, Major or Minor? - Grades 5-6 - read several songs using Curwen Kodály hand signs and determine if the songs are in major or minor modality, identify the songs
Chords - Grades 4-5-6 - play chords
Major and Minor Chords - Grades 4-5-6 - write and play chords, listen to and differentiate between major and minor chords
Music Terms Used in Section B - Grades 4-5-6 - review material covered in Section B

C. THE STAFF AND LETTER NAMES (National Standard #5: Reading and Notating Music)

Activity - Grade Levels - Description

Staff - Measures and Bar Lines - Grades 1-2 - recognizing bar lines and measures
Loud or Soft? - Grades 1-2 - examining dynamic levels
High or Low? - Grades 1-2 - examining pitch
High and Low Sounds on the Staff - Grades 2-3-4
Following Notes on a Staff and Melodic Direction - Grades 2-3
Following Words of a Song: Verses - Grades 2-3
Following Words of a Song: Verse and Refrain - Grades 2-3-4
Letter Names of Lines and Spaces - Grades 3-4-5-6 - EGBDF and FACE mnemonics
Letter Names of Notes on the Staff: Treble Clef - Grades 3-4-5-6 - finding words made of notes in a story
The Piano Keyboard - Grades 3-4-5-6 - finding middle C, learning major scale pattern of whole and half steps, playing the C major scale
Matching Notes on the Staff to the Piano Keyboard - Grades 3-4-5-6 - identify notes on keyboard, use classroom piano (or melody bells) to play notes
Using Your New Skills - Grades 3-4-5-6 - answer questions about a song, types of notes, syllable names, singing a round, playing an easy song on the piano
The Scale and the Staff - Grades 3-4-5-6 - pattern of whole and half steps in the major scale, matching the letter names of notes on the staff to the C major scale, singing scale with Curwen Kodály hand signs
The Treble Staff and Ledger Lines - Grades 3-4-5-6 - practice drawing treble clef sign, naming the ledger lines, reviewing letter names of notes on the staff
The Bass Staff - Grades 5-6 - practice drawing treble clef sign, naming the ledger lines, reviewing letter names of notes on the staff
Letter Names of Notes on the Staff: Bass Clef - Grades 5-6 - finding words made of notes in a story
Music Terms Used in Section C - Grades 4-5-6 - review material covered in Section c

D. KEY SIGNATURES (National Standard #5: Reading and Notating Music)

Activity - Grade Levels - Description

Playing a Song on the Keyboard - Grades 3-4-5-6 - playing simple melodies on the piano, xylophone and/or melody bells, adding an ostinato
Locating Flats on the Keyboard - Grades 5-6 - identifying the name of pitches with flat signs, finding the correct keys on a piano keyboard
Locating Sharps on the Keyboard - Grades 5-6 - identifying the names of pitches with sharp signs, finding the correct keys on the piano keyboard
Name That Piano Key - Grades 5-6 - identifying a circled key on a picture of the piano keyboard
Key Signatures - Grades 4-5-6 - understanding the function of flats and sharps in the key signature
Key of F Major - Grades 4-5-6
Key of G Major - Grades 4-5-6
Accidentals - Grades 4-5-6 - recognizing and naming sharps and flats
Music Terms Used in Section D - Grades 4-5-6 - review material covered in Section D

E. LISTENING AND LITERACY - The Orchestra, Musical Instruments, Musical Styles, Composer Biographies (National Standards #4: Composing and Arranging Music Within Specified Guidelines and #6: Listening To, Analyzing and Describing Music)

Activity - Grade Levels - Description

Peter and the Wolf - Grades 1-2-3 - listen to excerpts from Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev while reading a simplified version of the story with pictures of the instruments and characters
Timbre: Listening to the Instruments - Grades 4-5-6 - identifying tone colors of different instruments while listening to 4 recorded pieces of music
Form - Grades 1-2-3 - listen to The Syncopated Clock by Leroy Anderson, discover form, use a simple story to describe the different sections, listen to Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson, make up a story to go with the form of the piece
15 Facts About Scott Joplin - Grades 4-5-6 - read about the composer, listen to one selection (The Entertainer)
How Much Do You Remember About Scott Joplin? - Grades 4-5-6 - quiz on facts from the previous page
15 Facts About Leroy Anderson - Grades 4-5-6 - read about the composer - listen to one selection (The Syncopated Clock)
How Much Do You Remember About Leroy Anderson? - Grades 4-5-6 - quiz on facts from the previous page
Rhyme Time - Grades 1-2 - using the song "A Hunting We Will Go" as a model, create new verses, demonstrate understanding of rhyming
Music to Words and Back Again - Grades 2-3-4-5-6 - listen to portions of Peter and the Wolf (Prokofiev) with the story, describe why instruments are appropriate for characters, create own story and add classroom instruments for each character
Musical Inspiration: Music to Words - Grades 4-5-6 - using one of the pieces from your teacher's collection of recordings, write a brief story with a definite beginning, middle and end, use descriptive words, tell what you think is happening in the music. (See recording suggestions in Appendix on p. 133.)
Words to Music: Motives - Grades 4-5-6 - using a simple picture book from the library, a small group will analyze characters, determine which instruments might describe those characters, create a brief motive for each character, read the story to the class while playing the instrumental motives
Old Sayings with a New Twist - Grades 4-5-6 - with a partner interpret an old saying or proverb, create descriptive musical accompaniment for proverb, dramatize or illustrate proverb
Sharing Books About Music (e.g. Making Musical Things, The Oxford First Companion to Music) - Grades 4-5-6 - scan a book from the school library, do a brief book report, tell ten facts you learned that you did not know before
Sharing Books About Musicians/Composers (biographical) - Grades 4-5-6 - scan a book from the school library, do a brief book report, list ten facts you learned that you did not know before
Books with a Music Theme - Grades 4-5-6 - in a small group, read a simple picture book with a musical theme (e.g. The Remarkable Farkle McBride, Mole Music, Froggy Plays in the Band, Punk Farm, etc.) determine the importance of music in the story
Setting a Poem to Music - Grades 4-5-6 - set a poem to music within certain guidelines (6/8 meter)
Setting Another Poem to Music - Grades 4-5-6 - set a poem to music within certain guidelines (4/4 meter)
Illustrating a Song - Grades 1-2-3-4-5-6 - in a small group, using several books from the library as models, choose a song from a list of well known children's songs, illustrate the song, show it to the class as everyone sings the song
Write Your Own Opera - Grades 4-5-6 - using a common fairy tale as a subject, write a libretto and use well known folk songs as arias and choruses
Music Terms Used in Section E - Grades 4-5-6 - review material covered in Section E

ANSWER KEY, APPENDIX , ABOUT THE WRITER

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