Grade 4 Extra September Lesson
Teaching Procedures
Review “Black Snake”
Read about dynamics in the concept slides. Dynamics tell us if the music should be loud or soft.
mezzo piano mp means medium soft fortissimo ff means very loud
piano p means soft forte f means loud
pianissimo pp means very soft mezzo forte mf means medium loud
crescendo means to get gradually louder
decrescendo or diminuendo mean to get gradually softer
Review the game with “Black Snake”
Use different dynamics to help your classmate find the snake. Buy a rubber snake at a dollar store. Choose one student to hide the snake somewhere in the classroom in plain sight - not under or inside something. A second student is chosen to hunt for the snake. The class guides the “finder” to the snake by singing softly when they are far away from the snake and louder when they are closer. Remind the students to sing with a beautiful tone at all dynamic levels.
Option 2: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Black Snake”
Create a rhythm pattern using the names of snakes. For example: Cobra Moccasin Rattlesnake Viper.
Choose non-pitched instruments and play the pattern on instruments. Use the pattern as an ostinato while the song is sung or as an interlude between repetitions of the song.
Review “Chester”
This song is used to teach or review tempo terms. Play one verse or sing the song to the students. Teach them the actions for the song. Tell the students you’re going to try singing "Chester" at several different tempos. The actions get more and more challenging as the tempo increases. Repeat the song four times, getting faster each time. When you teach or review a musical term, add that term to your musical word wall.
Review the actions for “Chester”
Chester - left hand to chest
have you - point
heard about - cup ear
Harry - pull hair
just got back from the - slap back over left shoulder, then right shoulder
ar- - touch arm
-my - thumb to chest
I hear - cup ear
he knows - touch nose
how to wear a rose - with your left finger, circle an imaginary corsage pinned to your shirt
hip hip - hit left hip with left hand, then right hip with right hand
hooray - thrust fist into the air
for the ar- - touch arm
-my - thumb to chest
Option 2: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Chester”
Invite students to create 8-16 beat drumming patterns with rhythm sticks on the floor (or on beat boards) between repetitions of the song. If you don't have Orff instruments, you could choose a different unpitched instrument for each action (or pair of actions) in the song and perform the song using instruments instead of singing. This should be a challenging exercise at the faster tempos.