Prek & K Grade - Lesson 6A

• Music
• Age 5

Introduction (5 minutes)

Greet the students and introduce the K-Piano equipment and learning system.

Provide an overview of the lesson objectives and what students can expect to learn.

Class Expectations (5min)

• Read over classroom expectations for the Little Fingers class.
• Have students describe what these behaviors look like and don't look like.
• Example: A good choice is following directions. A silly choice is to be laughing at your friends.

Movement Activity

This movement activity at the beginning of class gets the wiggles out and helps mentally prepare students for the start of class.

Little Fingers - Lesson 1

Movement Activity Videos

• Choose a video from either 3 slides

Little Fingers - Lesson 1

Movement Activity Videos

• Choose a video from either 3 slides

Little Fingers - Lesson 1

Movement Activity Videos

Choose a video from either 3 slides

Vocal Exploration (3min)

 

"What is this a picture of?"

An elevator

"What does an elevator do?"

It moves people up and down in buildings

"I want you to point at the elevator. Use your finger and your voice to show the elevator is moving up."

Students move finger from low to high while making a siren sound going from low to high

"Now use your finger and voice to show the elevator is moving down."

Students move finger from high to low while making siren sound going from high to low

Try different combinations at various speeds. Make it fun!

Blank Slide

*next slide is for instructor reference only*

Rhythm Echoes

*instructor will stop sharing screen*

Instructor invites students to show an example of a steady beat. Pick one example for class to use.

"Ready and echo me."

Instructor reads rhythms four beats at a time using neutral syllable "bah." You may need to point to your self at your turn and to class at their turn as a reminder when to echo.

Students echo.

Once all rhythms are read, repeat using rhythm syllables (quarter note = ta, eighth notes = ta-ti; refer to rhythm syllable cheat sheet if needed)

Students echo. 

"Now I am going to do a challenge. Remember, I'm going to say the rhythms using 'bah.' When you echo, you are going to say..."

Ta and ta-ti

Instructor reads rhythms a third time, 4 beats at a time using neutral syllable "bah" while students echo using rhythm syllables "ta" and "ta-ti"

Preparing Rhythms Visually

"Now I want you to sing 'Snowflakes' with words."

Students sing

"Sing the song again, but this time, with rhythm syllables."

Students sing.

"Sing the song with rhythm syllables one more time while touching the hearts."

Students sing.

"What rhythm syllable did we use in this song?"

Ta

"How many heartbeats is ta?"

1

Practicing Aural & Preparing Visual

Play Eighth & Quarter Note Video

The instructor shows the first pattern in the video. Do not play the video yet! Invite students to read together. Assess for accuracy. 

The instructor continues onto the second rhythm in the video. Invite students to read together. Assess for accuracy.

Practice each rhythmic pattern in the video until completed. Once every pattern has been practiced without background music, play from the beginning of the video and assess the student's reading for accuracy. Remember to account for possible time lag.

Blank Slide

*next slide is for instructor reference only*

Body Piano

*instructor will stop sharing screen*

High/Low Patterns

*instructor viewing only*

"Stand up, use your body piano, and echo me."

Instructor uses body piano and sings each measure, one at a time, on neutral syllable "bum." Students echo each measure

Once all the patterns have been sung, repeat each measure but sing using solfege "sol and "mi"

"I just used two new words. What are they?"

Sol and mi

"Where did we put sol on our body?"

Forehead

"And where did we put mi on our body?"

Chin

"Is sol a high sound or a low sound?"

High

"And mi is a...?"

Low sound

"Now I have a challenge. I am going to sing 'bum.' Your job is to use your body piano and echo me using your solfege. For example, if I sing (instructor uses body piano and sings first measure using 'bum'), you will sing, 'sol mi sol mi.' Let's try it first.

Practice

If successful, move on to the next pattern.

Rhythm Improvisation on Xylos

"I am going to give you 8 beats. I want you to make up a rhythm using ta and ta-ti in those 8 beats."

Students improvise rhythms while instructor counts 8 beats on fingers.

"Make up another 8 beats."

Students improvise again while the instructor counts 8 beats on fingers.

"Practice one more time, and then we are going to try them on our xylophones."

Students improvise again while instructor counts 8 beats on fingers. 

"Take your fingers and place them on high and low on your xylophones. Remember, what color did we use for high?"

Dark green

"And what color did we use for low?"

Yellow

Instructor watches as students place fingers on xylophones.

When students are ready, instructor counts, "Ready and here you go!"

Students practice saying and playing rhythms with fingers on xylophones while instructor counts 8 beats on fingers.

"Practice one more time, and then I am going to choose some people to share."

Students practice while instructor counts 8 beats on fingers.

The instructor chooses 3-4 students to share their improvisations. 

Movement Activity

This movement activity at the beginning of class gets the wiggles out and helps mentally prepare students for the start of class.

Little Fingers - Lesson 1

Movement Activity Videos

• Choose a video from either 3 slides

Little Fingers - Lesson 1

Movement Activity Videos

• Choose a video from either 3 slides

Little Fingers - Lesson 1

Movement Activity Videos

Choose a video from either 3 slides

Lesson Recap

Recap with students what they learned.

• 
  
• Steady Beat
• Low and High Sound