Music Around the World
In Elementary Music, CTMU 3040, were given the privelage to design and teach lessons at a local elementary school without a music program. Each lesson included a music standard, a core subject, and another related fine art.
The third grade team lessons centered around a specific theme: Music Around the World. Together we designed four lessons that incorporated music from different countries to teach.
India
In India we explored many different ecosystems and brainstormed together what those ecosystems look like, specifically rainforests and deserts. We learned the note names and values of quarter, half, and whole notes and listened to Indian music. As a class we learned dance moves that incorporated quarter, half, and whole notes, and grooved with our wrist bells to the music
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United States of America
Our travels through America took place at the conclusion of Black History month. The students learned more about the history behind this celebrated month and the Civil Rights Movement. We focused on the life and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Together we learned the importance of standing up for what we believe is right and learned two different ways to do so, speeches and marches. The students were taught about tempo and how to march to a steady beat.
Africa
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In Africa we learned about Liberia and Ghana, both countries in West Africa. Together as a class we practiced identifying the main themes of stories and folktales by reading Head, Body, Legs. The students explored the topic of working together as a team. Then we discovered the musical terms for volume, loud, and soft. The students were taught the difference between forte and piano dynamics and practiced singing the traditional African Song "Che Che Kule" using these dynamic variations. Lastly we decorated traditional African masks. The students were encouraged to decorate their mask in a way that represented themselves, just like the masks represented the African tribe and tribe members.
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Click on the pictures below to enlarge
Egypt
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We took an imaginary field trip down the Nile with our Egypt lesson. The students shared their prior knowledge on the country, it's desert ecosystem, the Nile River, and pyramids. We sang "Row row row your boat gently down the Nile" in rounds (with 3 groups) as a class to explore the concept of harmony. Then we took to the pyramids and built our own, reviewing multiplicaiton facts alongthe way. Last we learned about the infamous King Tut. A fun Egyptian dance and song summed up the exciting "trip."
Reflections
As a musician myself, the opportunity to share something that I love so much with students who may not be exposed to music other wise was invaluable. Overall, I learned alot throughout the lesson planning and presenting process.
First, I gained experience with developing lessons that are cross curicular. Each lesson was required to teach a music standard as well as a core content area. Incorporating what the students were learning in class with music was challenging, but I believe it enhanced the student's learning experience. The music snipits mixed in with core subjects helped keep the class engaged and I truly felt like they were learning more about music and each of these countries at the same time. This is a skill I hoe to be able to incorporate in a class room of my own someday. I want to incorporate unique learning experiences to challenge and inspire my classes.
I also learned alot about what it means to really be prepared. The school we taught at was 30 minutes away from Auburn University, so there was no "going back" to get anything we forgot. Prior to each lesson we had to make lists of our supplies for the lesson plans as well as bring everything listed with us. Almost all of the lessons incorporated a music recording, but our class room did not have a projector or a speaker we could use. We had to make sure to bring a laptop or phone with a speaker to play the music on, and a backup in case the technology died or didnt work. We also didnt have very much white board space in the classroom so we had to think of ways to make our own posters. We basically had to assume the clssroom we were teaching in had nothing and we were responsible for ALL material. This taught me alot about how the more you prepare for a lesson the better it will be.
Lastly, teaching these lessons was a great teaching experience. As the lessons progressed I could feel myself being more comfortable standing infront of a group of children and teaching them.
It is unique experiences like these that better prepare me for the realities of being a teacher. From planning the lessons to implementing and adjusting them, I learned so much in just four short days.
