lesson plan

Lesson Plan Overview: Little Fingers - Lesson 10

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Students will develop musical and physical coordination skills through engaging in rhythmic activities, body percussion exercises, rhythm play-along, hand signal demonstrations, and a fun freeze dance activity.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lessons, students will be able to:
  1. Students will identify and differentiate between musical notes "so" and "la" by listening and playing them on the xylophone.
  2. Students will understand the concept of ascending and descending notes, and demonstrate this understanding through musical practice.
  3. Students will learn to apply solfege singing (using "so" and "la") while playing corresponding notes on the xylophone.
These shorter lessons aim to reinforce what students have learned so far and prepare them for upcoming recitals.


Materials Needed
  • Music playlist for rhythm play-along and freeze dance
  • Percussion instruments or objects for body percussion (e.g., clapping hands, stomping feet)
  • Classroom space with enough room for movement
  • Song: My Heart's Song
  • Song: Clouds by Christina Rossetti 
  • The Floor is Lava: https://youtu.be/wbNAiN8FTfc
  • Party Freeze Dance: https://youtu.be/2UcZWXvgMZE
  • Super Yoga: https://youtu.be/ybPwuaGoa9E
  • Xylophones for Students
  • Xylophones for Instructor - https://playxylo.com/
Resources

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Lesson Plan Outline

If some classes do not complete this lesson in one day, do your best to cover as much as you can. When necessary, resume from where you stopped at the start of the next lesson.

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.
  • Review previously learned concepts. Heartbeat, Body Piano, and moving to Walk/Tiptoe
  • State the new learning concepts students will be able to build from lesson one and achieve in lesson two.
Class Expectations (5 minutes)
  1. Read over classroom expectations for the Little Fingers class.
Movement Activity - Video (5 minutes)
  1. Begin with a movement activity to allow students to practice listening, maintain a steady beat, and release excess energy before class. 
Body Piano (5 minutes)

*Instructor Reference Only
  1. If you are uncomfortable improvising, you may use the patterns on the next slide. Please ensure that you are singing in the key of C major to avoid confusing the students later on.
  2. Create 4-beat patterns using the syllable "bum" for notes do, re, mi, so, and la while mimicking playing a piano on your body. Students will then repeat the patterns using body piano.
  3. Generate 4-beat patterns using the solfege syllables (do, re, mi, so, la) and body piano. Students will echo the patterns back.
  4. Refer to the next slide for pattern ideas.
Rhythm Echo Challenge (8 minutes)
*Do not show slide. This is for teacher reference only*
  1. Instructor improvises 4-beat patterns using do, re, mi, so, and la and body piano, or use the reference provided.
Learn the Song - My Heart's Song
*For Instructor Reference Only*
  1. The instructor sings the whole song for students to hear once.
  2. Instructor: "I have some questions for you now. I am going to sing the song again, and when I'm finished, I want you to tell me what I have inside my heart." 
  3. The instructor sings the whole song again. Students answer after the instructor finishes the song.
  4. Instructor: "After I am finished singing, can you tell me what rhyming words you hear in the song?"
  5. The instructor sings the whole song again. Students answer (heart and art; bring and sing)
  6. Instructor: "After singing, tell me what feeling the song brings." 
  7. The instructor sings the whole song again. Students answer (joy)

Movement Activity - Video (5 minutes)
  1. Freeze Dance Video
  2. Students dance along to the video. 
  3. Draw students' attention to slow motion. 
Review Clouds Song
  1. The instructor sings the whole song for students to hear one time.
  2. Instructor asks Students if they remember the song. Have students sing the song with you. Then hear students sing song alone. 
  3. Review any sections that students need extra support in. Be aware of measure 3 that students clear feel the pick up eighth note.
The Song - First Two Measures

*For Instructor Reference Only*
  1. The instructor sings and plays the first two measures of "The Song" on xylophone.
  2. "Which note did I start on?" (so)
  3. "How many times did I play so at the beginning?" (3 - may have to sing and play first two measures again so students can count).
  4. "What note did I play after so?" (do)
  5. Have the students practice singing and playing sssd on xylophones with fingers in rhythm.
  6. Once students are comfortable singing and playing with fingers, add next part. "I want you to listen to the part 'inside my heart.' Are the notes moving higher or lower?" (instructor sings and plays the first measure again - higher
  7. "What notes did I play for 'inside my heart?'" (do re re mi)
  8. Students practice singing and playing the next part with fingers; add to the beginning - may add mallets if students are successful.
The Song - Measures 5-6

*For Instructor Reference Only*
  1. "There is another part in the song that has the same melody as the part we just played. Can you tell me what the words are to that part?" ("I love the joy that this song brings."
  2. Instructor sings and plays, student responds. "Were you correct?"
  3. "Now I want you to sing and play the parts you know with your fingers. I will show you an example."
  4. Instructor sings and plays the first 2 measures, only sings measures 3-4, sings and plays measures 5-6, and only sings measures 7-8. 
  5. Students repeat - may add mallets once successful.
Clouds Song Review
*For Instructor Reference Only*
  1. The instructor asks students to sing "Clouds."
  2. If students remember how to sing song, proceed to singing and playing the parts they know with fingers on the xylophone.
  3. If students are successful, proceed to measures 3-4
  4. "What note do we start on for 'when the wind stops?' I'll give you a hint: it's the lowest note we've learned so far." (do)
  5. "Does the melody move higher or lower?" (higher)
  6. "Let's see if you can figure out the notes for 'when the wind stops.'" Have students sing m. 3, if students are successful, give students a few seconds to see if they can figure out notes for m. 3. 
  7. "I want you to sing the notes to 'when the wind stops' starting on do." (do re mi so) - if successful, play on xylophone with fingers
  8. "Does the melody for 'you all stand still' move higher or lower? (lower)
  9. "Starting on so, see if you can figure out the notes for 'you all stand still.'" Have students sing m. 4, if students are successful, give students a few seconds to see if they can figure out notes for m. 4.  
  10. "I want you to sing the notes for 'you all stand still' starting on so." (so mi re do) - if successful, play on xylophone with fingers.
  11. "Let's see if we can play those two measures together without stopping." Instructor have students sing solfege to measures 3-4 first, if successful, have students sing and play using fingers.
Clouds Song Review Measures 5-6

*For Instructor Reference Only*
  1. The instructor sings measures 5 and 6. "Does part of that melody sound like something we've heard before?" (yes).
  2. "What are the words?" (When the wind blows) 
  3. "What part does it sound like?" (When the wind stops)
  4. Have students sing solfege to measure 5, if successful, play and sing solfege with fingers
  5. "Now, the next measure is a little different. Starting on so, I want you to see if you can figure out how to play "walk away slow." Have students sing measure 6 as a reminder, give students a few seconds to see if they can figure out solfege (so la so so)
  6. Have students sing solfege. If successful, have students sing and play with fingers.
  7. Add to measure 5
  8. Have students sing an entire song as a reminder. Then, have students sing and play the whole song using fingers. If successful, they may transition to mallets.
Conclusion: Movement Activity - Video (5 minutes)
If you have time, finish up with a movement activity.
  1. Have students follow along with the Super Yoga video.
Review (5 minutes)
Revisit what the student learned.

If some classes do not complete this lesson in one day, do as much as you can and resume from where you left off at the start of the next lesson.