The audio and PDF instructions are available in the unit: Basketball Performance Ideas.

If you don't have basketballs consider teaching the cup game for "Stars and Stripes Forever".

Play along with the cup game notation video.

Read the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae to the students. Discuss how they might arrange the poem if they were setting it to music.

Listen to the setting of the poem by Craig Cassils. Ask the students to describe the music and think about why the composer made the choices he did.

- Is it fast or slow?
- Is it loud or quiet? Does it get louder?
- Why do you think the composer wrote it like this?
- What instruments were chosen for the orchestration?
- Why do you think a trumpet solo was added at measure 39?
- Why do you think the composer chose to repeat the first part of the poem in the song?

Extension: How would you set it to music? Add choreography? Add rhythm band? Add ukulele/guitar chords?

Play on a bucket or desk with the song "Nothing but Peace".

Learn to play part one. This is played with verse 1.
Practice this pattern until you are confident. This first pattern is tricky!
Replay the video as needed.

Learn to play part 2 of the song. This is played with verse 2.
Practice this pattern until you are confident.
Replay the video as needed.

Learn to play part 3. This is played with verse 3.
Practice this pattern until you are confident.
Replay the video as needed.

Play buckets with the entire song "Nothing but Peace".

Desk option: If you don't have buckets, you can drum on the desk.

click = click sticks
rim = edge of the desk
top = top of the desk
side = side of the desk