Concepts and Activities in Fourth Grade General Music
1. Singing on pitch in class songs, solo, unison, and rounds
Curwen hand signs with sol-feg singing
Songs including but not limited to:
The Very First Day of School, America the Beautiful, America, Wee Willie Winkie, Breezes Are Gently Blowing, A Turkey Knocked at My Backdoor, The Star Spangled Banner, Who Has Seen the Wind?, Alfred the Alligator, To Stop the Train, This Train, Shake the Papaya Down, Funga Alafia, Garnet Valley Elementary School Song
2. Playing classroom instruments for experience and assessment
barred instruments (xylophones, metallophones) playing steady beat, drones, and ostinatos to accompany class songs
recorders, proper playing technique, notes B, A, G, E
Djembe drums, holding and playing, African and Calypso rhythms and songs, improvisation solos and playing together in drum circle
improvisation, short phrases, question and answer phrases
3. Reading notation
review of known rhythms (quarter, eighth, sixteenth, half, whole, rests, eighth--two sixteenths, two sixteenths--eighth), adding dotted quarter and dotted half notes
reading notation from the staff B, A, G, E for recorder
dictating rhythms
4. Cultural and historical experiences in music
American culture: The Star Spangled Banner, singing from memory with appropriate voice, learning history
(see links below for more)
Underground Railroad: This Train, spiritual, improvisation in singing, hidden meanings in slave songs
Ludwig von Beethoven: life, music, video "Beethoven Lives Upstairs," overcoming disability
Djembe drumming, styles of other cultures
5. Analyzing music
unison vs. round: A Turkey Knocked at My Backdoor, speech pattern "As I Went Up the Apple Tree"
high vs. low notes, all songs
isolate and identify rhythmic and sol-feg patterns from class songs
form: ABA, AB, introduction, coda
pitched vs. unpitched
6. Moving and playing on the beat
keeping steady beat solo and with group, playing instruments, singing in a round
moving to the beat, walking, body percussion, clapping rhythmic patterns
Practice singing The Star Spangled Banner, click here:
Some of Mrs. DeMarro's favorite Star Spangled Banner performances:
