First Grade - Lesson 3B

• 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)

Ask students "What kind of shapes do you see?"

*You will need to guide students to identify a line up, a line down, and a squiggle line*

Ask students to use their pointer finger and draw each line with you.

"Now you will use your finger and your voice when you follow the line"

Demonstrate the first line using a siren tone start low and slide up using your pointer finger and your voice. Exaggerate the siren as much as possible.

Do the same for all three lines having the voice follow the direction of each line.

Blank Screen

The instructor will stop sharing screen as next slide is only for instructor viewing

Body Piano

*instructor will stop sharing this screen *

Preparing La

*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

See next slide for continuation of this activity.

Tonal Echoes continued

*instructor viewing only*

Instructor uses body piano and sings each measure one-by-one using solfege and body piano

Students echo

"Time for our challenge! Remember, I am going to sing 'bum.' You sing sol and mi."

Instructor uses body piano and sings each measure using neutral syllable 'bum.'

Students echo using solfege.

High/Low Reading Activity

*Instructor will share this screen*

Students can start writing patterns for each other to sing. 

Pick one student to write a song using high and low procedure they have already learned.

Instructor drags dots to line. 

Invite the class to sing. 

Do this 3 times with a different student picking a new pattern each time.

Blank Screen

The instructor will stop sharing screen as next slide is only for instructor viewing

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.

See next slide for continuation of this activity.

Rhythm Echoes continued 

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

Students echo. 

Instructor reads each rhythm on neutral syllable "bah."

Students echo.

Instructor reads each rhythm with rhythm syllables "ta" and "ta-ti."

Students echo.

"Now it's challenge time! Remember, I am going to say 'bah.' What do you 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"

Rhythm Exploration on Xylos

"Now I am going to say a rhythm. I want you to echo me first."

Instructor improvises a rhythm or use a rhythm from slide 5

Students echo verbally

"Now I want you to say that rhythm and play it on any bar on your xylophone. For example..."

Instructor demonstrates saying rhythm and playing rhythm on xylo. 

Students echo. It is important for the students to say the rhythm as they play on the xylos. This ensures that they are not only playing the rhythm but internalizing the steady beat and listening to each other. 

Continue this exercise with 3 rhythms using quarter notes, paired eighth notes, and quarter rests. 

(Record this activity for student assessment):

Divide students into groups of 4-5 according to assigned color and number. 

Invite 2 groups at a time to demonstrate.

Stop recording once all students have been assessed.

Blank Screen

The instructor will stop sharing screen as next slide is only for instructor viewing

Song - Snowflakes

*instructor will stop sharing screen here*

Students sing song with words.

Students sing song with rhythm syllables.

Students sing first 2 measures using high and low.

Students will now sing and play first 2 measures on xylos.

"Does that part repeat anywhere else in the song?"

Yes

"So I want you to try to sing the song and play only that part when you sing, "snowflakes, snowflakes."

Students sing and play "snowflakes, snowflakes."

Instructor demonstrates singing and playing measures 3 and 4.

Students echo.

Put measures 1-6 together.

Instructor demonstrates measures 7-8. Students echo. 

Put whole song together. 

Extra challenge:

Split class in half. Half play steady beat on C. Other half play and sing melody. Switch groups.

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