Skip to main content

Loading

+ + +

Looking to use Middle School Lesson 18A – song-based lesson in your Middle School classroom?

While teaching this learning module you will cover multiple concepts including: Beat, Melodic Direction (high-middle-low)

You'll also cover the themes of: Dreams

Middle School Lesson 18A – song-based lesson

Start
Extra Details +

Introduction

In this lesson, you will:

  1. Teach “Hold Onto Your Dream”
  2. Learn the choreography for “Hold Onto Your Dream”
  3. Do the choreography for “Hold Onto Your Dream”
  4. Review “I Have a Dream”
  5. Optional: Teach the Orff arrangement for “I Have a Dream”
  6. Review “Paper Scissors Rock”
  7. Play the “Paper Scissors Rock” game
  8. Teach “It’s a Whacky Kind of Sound”
  9. Create a rhythm composition
  10. Play the rhythm composition as the B section
  11. Optional: Play “It’s a Whacky Kind of Sound” on Boomwhackers

Extension:

Musicplay is a menu. The teacher is not expected to teach every song or activity. Choose the songs and activities from the list that will best fit your schedule and the needs of your students.

Objectives

  • I can sing independently or in groups with accurate intonation and rhythm
  • I can move alone and with others to a varied repertoire of music using integrated movement such as hands and feet moving together.
  • I can play classroom instruments independently or in groups with accurate intonation and rhythm.
  • I can create simple accompaniments through composition.

Teach "Hold On To Your Dream"

Copy Link
Song Used: Hold On To Your Dream

Hold On To Your Dream, a new original by John Jacobson, is uplifting ballad for young singers encouraging them to follow their dreams even in the face of adversity.

This song is part of the musical American Song: A Patriotic Celebration by John Jacobson.

Learn the choreography for "Hold On To Your Dream"

Copy Link
Song Used: Hold On To Your Dream

Video not working? Try a different video source.

Do the choreography for "Hold On To Your Dream"

Copy Link
Song Used: Hold On To Your Dream

Video not working? Try a different video source.

Review "I Have a Dream"

Copy Link
Song Used: I Have a Dream

If your students can read the rhythm of the melody, read it together. Then read the words in rhythm. If your students can read do-re-mi-so-la, have them read the melody. If this is too difficult, teach the melody of the song by rote.

Optional: Teach the Orff arrangement for "I Have a Dream"

Copy Link

Teach the Orff parts, starting with the BX/BM.
- BX/BM – you could use the words “This is a day to reflect” to teach the rhythm.
- Sing and play.
- Teach all the parts using movement and/or body percussion and then transfer it to the instruments. (For example – AX/AM – circle with your arms on 1-2-3-4-1, then say “let’s play” and pat legs.)
- SX/SM/SG – snap the part. Tell the students to snap after the word dream. On bar 4, snap on beat 3.
- Add the wind chime part if you have them.

Review "Paper Scissors Rock"

Copy Link
Song Used: Paper Scissors Rock

Paper Scissors Rock is a truly universal children’s game. When the author was in China in 1991 she saw children in a rural area playing it. Pansy Wynne is a Chinese Canadian from Brunei. She played this game as a child in Brunei. The song is sung and chanted.

Play the "Paper Scissors Rock" game

Copy Link
Song Used: Paper Scissors Rock

On the words gu loong gu loong pssh, the children roll arms and end up by showing paper, scissors or rock. The first two times it is done, it doesn’t count. The third time a winner is declared. The play continues.

Video not working? Try a different video source.

Teach "It's a Whacky Kind of Sound"

Copy Link
Song Used: It’s a Whacky Kind of Sound

Have students sing this song in AABA form and create an 8-measure rhythm sequence to perform with Boomwhackers®, rhythm instruments or body percussion.

Create a rhythm composition

Copy Link
Song Used: It’s a Whacky Kind of Sound

To start, have students write rhythms using note squares. When they have successfully written and performed rhythms using note squares, they can transfer what they have learned by writing rhythms on the beat charts. Then they can copy their rhythm onto the four measure staff below. There are many ways to play a rhythm composition. Just a few ideas are given here:
1. Play the rhythms on instruments. A rest must always be silent. You could show a rest with a movement.
2. Play all the quartre notes one way and the eighth notes a different way.
3. Assign different instruments to each measure. Try a variety of combinations and choose the one you like the
best. Play the measures one after the other OR play all the measures at the same time.
4. Play the pattern as a rhythm canon. Divide into two groups. Group 1 begins and plays the composition twice.
Group 2 begins when group 1 finishes the first line and plays the entire piece twice.
5. Play the fourth measure as an ostinato. Begin and end with the ostinato alone. Continue the ostinato while the
other instruments play the composition.
6. Try having two groups play their creations at the same time.

When groups have decided how to perform their compositions they should present them to the class. You can choose one of the compositions to use as the B section in the song “It’s a Whacky Kind of Sound”. To facilitate
this activity you can use the worksheet below.

Play the rhythm composition as the B section

Copy Link
Song Used: It’s a Whacky Kind of Sound

Video not working? Try a different video source.

Optional: Play "It's a Whacky Kind of Sound" on Boomwhackers

Copy Link
Exit Fullscreen