20 Days of School LefT!!!!!

Yikes! It seems I just got back to school.. well.. I did, after a 3 month medical leave and I'm back with a wound vacuum, which has been fun to try to explain to the kiddos what that big black purse-looking thing is hanging on my hip! I was a little worried about it, but should have known; they are resilient and ignore it! We've been working on centers and today I had first grade and wish now that I had put the camera in my classroom in my purse to bring home! I snapped a few "priceless pics" today! SO funny! Today I had first grade so here are the centers we worked on: Heart Chart with Boomwhackers (which we did as a whole class first while I projected the chart and showed them what to do), Drawing Notes, Melody Harp (also called Music Makers or lap harps and this is their FAVORITE!!), Instrument Match Up and Free Play at a movement station (with cards showing various possible movement directions.. see earlier post using movement cards) and Free Play at glockenspiels in C pentatonic and also a floor piano (another favorite!). The kiddos were so upset when they had to line up and can't wait until next week when we do some more.. they LOVE them!

Music Centers

See my earlier post about centers. Here's a few more center ideas and some visuals for you to right click and save as and print! Drawing Notes Center sign and an extra blank sign: Here is the grid- we are using the 4x4 for this activity. I copied a bunch and put them in a folder and then in a large ziploc bbag with pencils included. Could easily put a few of them in plastic protective pages and add dry erase markers.! http://www.marthabeesmusic.com/the-mighty-music-grid.html Another activity with them is thanks to mrs. King's music room blog- GREAT ideas here, folks! This is a composition activity using the grids- I have yet to make the sign up for this one but will definitely be adding it to my bucket of centers! http://mrskingrocks.blogspot.com/2012/10/composing-for-instruments-in-1st-grade.html Heart Chart and Instrument Match Up See earlier post for heart charts! Instrument Match Up original idea is from here: http://www.katietraxler.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=466 Here is my version you can download, save, and print: Rhythm of Burgers and KABOOM! Sign Rhythm of Burgers is here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Music-Theory-12-RHYTHM-Worksheets Kaboom idea is here- I just wrote 2 music notes on the large foam popsicle sticks from Dollar Tree: http://secondgradestyle.blogspot.com/2011/12/money-money-money.html Boomwhacker Name That Tune (I hand wrote that title across the top of each page) and put each one in a plastic protective page. Write across the top so students know which way the music goes! These are just some of the centers I have had fun getting ready for! Enjoy!!

More Music Center Ideas

I found this idea on another blog but made the sheet myself- great idea; can't remember whose blog it was on.. I would love to give credit where it is due... I LOVE Boomwhackers and use them often even though I have a full compliment of Orff instruments... the kiddos love them, too! This is great creative composition practice! Here's what the direction sheet at the station will say: Heart Chart and Boomwhacker Station Each person in your group is responsible for 2 boomwhackers that are the SAME color- you may use red, orange, yellow, or green Boomwhackers ONLY!!! You have a 4 heart beat and an 8 heart beat chart included and dry erase markers. Start with the 4 beat heart chart. You can use quarter notes, eighth notes, or rests to compose your rhythm. Once you have worked TOGETHER to create your rhythm, you can play it on the boomwhackers. You will need to decide who plays what; do red and yellow play quarter notes and orange and green play eighth notes or does everyone play everything? Try it different ways and create new rhythms and songs! Another one I'm working on is called Kaboom, again, not sure who developed it, but it's another keeper: on popsicle sticks write 2 rhythmic notes (quarter note on one top, then immediately below it write a half note, etc.). I think I'll make about 20-25 sticks with various rhythms. On five or 6 sticks I'll write the word, "KABOOM". Here's what the instruction sheet for the station will say: Popsicle Stick Kaboom: You have a set of popsicle sticks with rhythms and on some of the popsicle sticks you will see the word, "KABOOM". You will need to work in a groupsof 2-4 people. When it's your turn, you pull out a stick. You add the rhythm values and tell the total number of beats (for example, a quarter note, TA, plus a quarter note equals 2 beats). If your group members agree with you, you get to keep the stick! If you pull a Kaboom stick you have to put all of your sticks back in the cup. Have fun with these- I'm developing a set of 5 stations for K/Grade 1 and another set of 5 stations for Grades 2-4. I also teach JrKindergarten, but they're a slightly different animal! Hee hee!

Music Math Cards

Well... back to school after spring break.. sort of. I've been out for 3 months, back for 2 weeks just half days and surgery again next Thursday- hopefully a minor one, this time! What a crazy school year! As promised, here are some of the center ideas I've been working on... These are a set of cards you can download, print, cut out and use to work on "musical math" or create a game where students work in groups and time themselves to see how quickly they can figure out the correct answer! Could also be used as a whole class competition; divide class in half and see how quickly students can get the correct answer. Play using "hangman" and see which group wins. Let me know how you use it!