Week Twenty Two in Review (Feb. 8 - Feb. 12)

Greetings from the music room! It was a another exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights:

Kindergarten students pretended to build a snowman as they learned a new song entitled Snowman Joe. The melody of this song is built on the major scale and allows students to feel the rise of each pitch as they slowly build their snowman. Students also feel the melody's decent as the snowman melts to the ground at the end of the song. Additionally, students began taking turns playing the steady beat on a drum during the song Punchinella. This song and its activity are currently being used to assess student development in the skill area of steady beat. Students also learned the song The Monkey Stomps His Feet. Students enjoyed stomping around the room to the steady beat and creating many other ways for the monkey to move. Lastly, students learned a series of movements for the song Jump, Jim Joe. Students worked with a partner in order to jump, shake their heads, nod their heads, and tap their toes.

First grade students worked hard to decode the rhythm of the song Pease Porridge this week! On Monday, students were given beat charts and asked to place pom-poms on all of the silent beats (the beats with quarter rests). On Friday, students were give the beat charts once more, but this time were instructed to find all of the beats with rests and eighth notes. Students used stick notation, a type of musical short hand, to write quarter notes, quarter rests, and eighth notes. Students then checked their work as a class using the interactive white board. I was so proud of the first graders this week; they have made such progress in rhythm reading and writing just since December! Additionally, students learned the song Hot Cross Buns and discussed its origins as a street cry. Students learned playing a fun elimination game which requires students to sit down if they are pointed to on a silent beat (rest).
 

This student is pointing to each heart beat while singing Pease Porridge. The pom pom indicates that there is a rest on that beat.

Students shared their answers on the interactive white board and each student checked their work.

These students are writing the rhythm to Pease Porridge using stick notation, a type of musical short hand.

These students have completely written the rhythm.

This student is proud to show off his excellent work!

 
Second grade students reviewed new melodic note la by playing a game called poison pattern. In this game, one melodic pattern is designated as the poison pattern. Students are to echo sing all patterns except for the poison pattern. If the students are successful, then they earn one point for their class. If the students are not successful, if they sing the poison pattern, then the teacher gets one point! Mrs. Aaronson was happily defeated in this game! Students also reviewed half notes by playing xylophones along with the song Let Us Chase the Squirrel. Some students played half notes on the bass xylophones and bass bars while other students created the sound of the squirrel going up and down the tree by playing glissandos on glockenspiels. Lastly, students sang King's Land while playing its game. This song will be used next week to begin introducing melodic note do.

These students are playing the half note pulse on barred instruments to the song Let Us Chase the Squirrel.

Third grade students learned three songs for preparing low la this week: I'm Gonna Sing, Sally in the Kitchen, and Big Fat Biscuit. Students learned I'm Gonna Sing by snapping, clapping, patting, and stamping as directed by the words of the song. After learning the song Sally in the Kitchen and discussing the meaning of its words, students were challenged to pat an ostinato (a repeating pattern) of half notes and quarter notes. Then students transferred this pattern to xylophones and created an introduction and a coda for the song. Students further explored musical form, including introduction and coda, through the song Twelfth Street Rag. Students learned rhythmic patterns for the introduction and coda as well as the four other sections of this song. After students were secure in each section, they performed the whole piece along with the recording.

Fourth grade students completed their recorder unit this week. Although this is the end of the formal unit, students will have recorder days twice a month for the remainder of the school year. These recorder days will allow students to continue to develop their note reading skills and allow them to test for their next recorder karate belt. Students will be informed in advance of recorder days. To finish the recorder unit, students reviewed the notes of the treble clef staff as well as the fingerings for all known recorder notes. Students took a written assessment on the notes of the treble clef staff and the recorder fingerings. It has been a real joy to watch the students' progress in note reading over the last three months!

Fifth grade students reviewed the proper technique for shaping vowels "ah, eh, long e, long o, and oo". Students also reviewed Annie Kids songs N.Y.C. and Easy Street. In addition to working on trouble spots, students were challenged to sing these songs along with the accompaniment tracks. Students also began working on Annie Kids songs Hard-Knock Life and Never Fully Dressed without a Smile.

Week Twenty One in Review (Feb. 1 - Feb. 5)

Greetings from the music room! It was a another exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights:

Kindergarten students learned a new song this week appropriate for Valentine's Day, A Tisket, A Tasket. Students kept a steady beat on various parts of their bodies while they listened to a recording of this song as sung by Ella Fitzgerald. Students then learned a chase game that can be played with this song and continued to keep a steady beat on their bodies. Students also practiced moving fast and slow as they sang the song Paige's Train. Students played a game in which they had to listen to the song and change their movements (fast or slow) to match the music. Students also began using their bodies to explore high, middle, and low space (preparation for introducing the difference between high and low sounds) by moving to the French composer Camille Saint-Saens' composition The Aquarium. The video linked in this paragraph was played on the interactive white board while students moved around the room, exploring the space, like fish in the ocean. After students returned to their seats, Mrs. Aaronson blew bubbles around the room to really make it feel like we were under the ocean!

First grade students are making fantastic progress in their rhythm reading skills! Students were formally introduced to quarter rests this week by reviewing last week's activity to The Muffin Man. To reinforce this new concept, students were introduced to a new song, Pease Porridge, and were asked to find the location of the silent beats in this new song. In addition to finding the rests, students also successfully discovered the location of all of the song's eighth notes. Students also continued to practice sol and mi by reviewing the song Snowflakes from last week. After mid-winter break, students will begin preparing to learn melodic note la! Additionally, students explored their voices by following a bouncing balloon. When the balloon rose into the air, students performed an ascending glissando. When the balloon fell towards the ground, students performed a descending glissando. Students also enjoyed passing the balloon around the classroom. 

This student removed a quarter note from a plate and placed a quarter rest in its place!

Second grade learned two new concepts this week! Students were formally introduced to melodic note la. After learning this new note, students were asked echo sing several melodic patterns and to color notes on the staff different colors depending on their placement on the staff. La was colored yellow or green, sol was colored blue or purple, and mi was colored red and pink. Students also learned that two quarter notes tied together (one sound over two beats) can also be written as a half note. Next week, students will practice half note by playing half notes on xylophones while singing the song Let Us Chase the Squirrel. Students also began learning the song King's Land and it's game. This song will be used to prepare students for learning melodic note do.
 

While drawing tied quarter notes, some of the students turned them into smiley faces.

Third grade students discussed the purpose of introductions and codas this week. Students reviewed the song Rocky Mountain and added a series of body percussion movements to the song. After becoming secure in these movements, students were asked to perform the song in ABA form complete with an introduction and a coda. During the A section, students sang the song while performing the movements. During the B section, students sang the song in their head while performing the movements. For the introduction and the coda students clapped a rhythmic pattern of quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests. Students also practiced singing and identifying melody notes do re mi sol and la. After students sang a series of four melodic patterns written on the interactive white board, students were asked to listen to the teacher sing and then identify the correct answer. This game was played in two ways. First, the teacher sang the patterns using solfege syllables. Second, the teacher sang the patterns on a neutral syllable. Students did remarkably well with this activity. As a result, students will begin preparing to learn melodic note low la next week.

Fourth grade students focused on red belt song, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star this week. While studying this song, students were asked to discover the repetition within this song as well as the location of new note F#. Students were reminded that songs Amazing Grace and Ode to Joy are to be learned on their own if they would like to test for the rank of black belt. Students will be able to test for belts all next week, but after mid-winter break students will only play recorder in class approximately once every two weeks. Students were also given a study guide for the note names of the treble clef staff as well as all of the recorder fingerings that we have learned during the recorder unit. Students will be assessed on their ability to identify notes on the treble clef staff and recorder fingerings on Thursday of next week.

Fifth grade students added 'shape the vowels' to their list of vocal techniques this week. Students were introduced to the five major vowels of singing "ah, eh, long e, long o, and oo." Students then practiced making the correct shape of these vowels for singing and practiced the 'long e' vowel in a modified version of the song Apples and Bananas. Students learned the folk song Great Big House in New Orleans and discovered that it could be sung as a partner song with Little 'Liza Jane. Partner songs are songs that can be sung at the same time and create pleasing harmonies. Students practiced singing each of these songs while the teacher or a group of other students sang the other song. Singing partner songs prepares students to sing independent harmonies, a skill they will need in order to successfully participate in middle school choir. Students also began learning N.Y.C. and Easy Street for the Annie Kids production in March. 

Week Twenty in Review (Jan. 25 - Jan. 29)

Greetings from the music room! It was a another exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights:

Kindergarten students learned a new song entitled Punchinella. This song is being used to help students learn to keep a steady beat. Students took turns joining the teacher in the center of the circle and creating different ways to show the steady beat on their bodies. This song will be used later to allow students to take turns playing the steady beat on a drum. The song Mother Goonie Bird was also used to provide students with further opportunities to practice performing a steady beat. Students reviewed the vocal exploration song Herman the Worm and created new lyrics for it. Students also began learning a song entitled Paige's Train through a story about two little girls that took a trip to the Detroit Zoo. This song is being used to help students differentiate between and perform fast and slow movements. Additionally, students were introduced to the fingerplay Five Little Mice on the Pantry Floor. This fingerplay is being used to help students explore their voice and to encourage finger independence.

These are the lyrics that one of the Kindergarten classes created for Herman the Worm. The original creatures are on the left and the student's ideas are on the right.

First grade students began learning a new song called Naughty Kitty Cat which was used to begin introducing quarter rests. This song is about a naughty kitty cat who got caught licking the butter dish. It contains a fun chase game! Students were led to discover that some of the song's beats are silent. Following this activity, students practiced saying "yum" for each of eight muffins on the interactive white board. This was performed as the B section for the song The Muffin Man. One by one each muffin was removed leaving a beat of silence in its place. Next week, students will be formally introduced to quarter rests! Students began learning the song Snowflakes, a song for practicing sol and mi. It was very exciting to watch students learn the melody on their own! Students volunteers took turns singing each measure after only being given the starting pitch! In addition, students  explored the full range of their voices by echoing patterns played on a slide whistle. 

Second grade students made great progress this week! Students discovered the presence of quarter rests in the song Naughty Kitty Cat and next week students will be asked to decode and write the rhythm of this song. Students reviewed the melody of the song Plainsies, Clapsies by writing the solfege (sol, mi, and 'high') on the board. In addition to using hand signs, student were asked to show the contour of the song by placing their hands on their head for high, on their shoulders for sol, and on their middle for mi. Students also decoded the teacher's hand signs after being given a starting pitch! In other words, students read music by watching the teacher's hands, hearing the music in their heads, and then singing it. I was incredibly impressed with the students' mastery of this! Next week, students will be formally introduced to 'la'. Students also reviewed the presence of one sound over two beats and practiced reading two quarter notes tied together. Next week, students will be formally introduced to half notes.

Third grade students decoded the melody to do-re-mi-sol-la song Ida Red. Students were led to discover the location of do and then asked to fill in the remaining notes. After writing in the solfege syllables, students were asked to sing the song using solfege and hand signs. Students also began learning a song and dance called The Noble Duke of York. Mrs. Aaronson learned this particular variation of the song and dance while at the Michigan Music Conference last week. This song and dance will be used to reinforce AB form. Students also read the rhythm to the song King's Land and enjoyed playing a memory game. After each repetition of the rhythm, two beats were erased until the entire song vanished. At the end of the game, the students performed the rhythm of the song completely from memory.

Fourth grade students continued to focus on the blue belt song, Oh, When the Saints this week. Students also learned a new note, F#. Next week, students will begin learning Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and will begin preparing to finish the recorder unit. After mid-winter break, recorders will be used only occasionally in class. Students will be informed in advance of recorder days and will be allowed to test for more advanced belts on these days. Students are to learn brown belt and black belt songs, Amazing Grace and Ode to Joy on their own. Students will complete several assessments in the next two weeks including an assessment on naming the notes of the treble clef staff and an assessment on identifying recorder fingerings. 

Fifth grade students added 'flop and drop' to their list of vocal techniques this week. Students were encouraged to drop their jaw when they sing and learned a vocal exercise for this called 999 Nuns. Students were encouraged to combine all of the vocal techniques they have learned thus far in the exercise from last week, How Blue is the Sky. Students also learned the song Little 'Liza Jane. This song provided students with opportunities to practice their vocal techniques and review the rhythms learned earlier this year (syncopation and dotted quarter note with a single eighth note). Students were asked to count and clap the measures containing these 'new' rhythms. Afterwards, students learned a patting and clapping pattern and performed it with a friend. Lastly, students continued to practice the solfege and hand signs for the major scale. As students became more confident in their ability to sing and sign this scale, students were asked to perform it alone. Students were also challenged to sing and sign the scale from memory.

Week Nineteen in Review (Jan. 19 - Jan. 22)

Greetings from the music room! It was a another exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights:

Kindergarten students learned and reviewed songs entitled Just from the Kitchen, Wheels on the Bus, Johnny Works with One Hammer, and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. Students also practiced keeping the steady beat with substitute teacher, Mrs. Davis, while Mrs. Aaronson attended the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

First grade students reviewed writing sol and mi on the staff this week. After the teacher sang a four-beat pattern, students were asked to write it on a music staff using pom-poms. Students also learned songs Juba, Draw Me a Bucket of Water, and Hop Old Squirrel with substitute teacher, Mrs. Davis, while Mrs. Aaronson attended the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

Second grade students began learning a new song called Naughty Kitty Cat which will be used to practice quarter rests. This song is about a naughty kitty cat who got caught licking the butter dish. Students enjoy the fun chase game that accompanies this song! Students also decoded the melody (sol, mi, and unknown 'high' note la) of the song Plainsies, Clapsies. Additionally, students learned songs Owisana, Makoway, and Miss Mary Mack with substitute teacher, Mrs. Davis, while Mrs. Aaronson attended the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

Third grade students reviewed do-re-mi-sol-la song Ida Red and its game. Students also practiced writing do-re-mi-sol-la on the staff using laminated music staves and dry erase markers. Students were asked to write patterns provided by the teacher and encouraged to create their own patterns if they finished early. Many students quickly completed the assignment and did a terrific job creating their own do-re-mi-sol-la melodies. Additionally, students explored their voices by following a bouncing balloon. When the balloon rose into the air, students performed an ascending glissando. When the balloon fell towards the ground, students performed a descending glissando. Students enjoyed passing the balloon around the classroom. 

These students are writing the melodic pattern do re mi re do.

This student has written the melodic pattern do re mi sol la.

These students have written the melodic challenge pattern do re mi sol la sol mi do!

 Fourth grade students reviewed the purple belt song, Old MacDonald and began learning the blue belt song, Oh, When the Saints. This new song contains notes 'high' C and D. This song also allows students to learn about the function of a musical tie. Its function is to combine the note value of two notes of the same pitch. Students were encouraged to look for patterns within this song and to practice it in small sections. Students also enjoyed sampling a few levels of a recorder game on joytunes.com. These games are best enjoyed by a single player and a link has been added to the fourth grade recorder tab of this blog. Students need to create an account and have access to a computer with a working speaker and microphone in order to enjoy these games.

Fifth grade students added 'open the throat' to their list of vocal techniques this week. Students were led in a discussion about the importance of breathing silently and keeping the back of the mouth and throat open. Students learned a new vocal exercise called How Blue is the Sky. Students also reviewed the song We Shall Overcome and its significance to the Civil Right's Movement. Students also listened to the first verse and chorus of the song Lift Every Voice and Sing and similarly discussed its significance. Students reviewed the solfege and hand signs for the major scale. Additionally, students learned songs Hi, My Name is Joe and Obwisana with substitute teacher, Mrs. Davis, while Mrs. Aaronson attended the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

Week Eighteen in Review (Jan. 11 - Jan. 15)

Greetings from the music room! It was a another exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights:

Kindergarten students focused heavily on steady beat this week. First, students learned a new song called Circle 'Round the Zero which allowed students to take turns being the leader and practice walking a steady beat. Then students learned a patting and clapping pattern to Chinese Dance from the Nutcracker. During this activity, students were assessed on their ability to keep a steady beat. Students will be graded on their ability to keep a steady beat on their report card later this month. Progress on this standard will also be reported at the end of the second semester in to show student development in this skill area. It is common for Kindergarten students, at this point in the school year, to still be developing their ability to keep a steady beat.

First grade students enjoyed learning a new song called What Shall We Do When We All Go Out? During this song, students walked around the room to the steady beat while looking for friends with which to act out a chosen outdoor activity. After singing the song, students then worked with their friends to act out activities such as making snow angels, sledding, and building a snow fort while the teacher accompanied the students on the piano. Students also reviewed the lines and spaces of the staff and learned to write short sol and mi melodic patterns on the music staff. Additionally, students explored the upper range of their voices in a fun activity which involved shooting an imaginary basketball into an imaginary hoop. Students made the sliding sound (descending glissando) of the ball going through the hoop and down to the ground. Students also reviewed the sol and mi song Snail, Snail through a parachute game. 

This student has correctly written the pattern sol-mi-sol-sol-mi.

These children have also correctly written this pattern, yet on a different set of lines.

 

This student is writing a sol-mi pattern on the interactive white board.

Second grade read the rhythm to Rocky Mountain this week and practiced tying two quarter notes together to make a note which lasts for two beats. Later this month, students will learn that a half note is another way to show that a note that lasts for two beats. After speaking the rhythm, students were divided into three groups: tambourines (quarter notes - ta), rhythm sticks (eighth notes - ti-ti), and drums (two beat notes - ta-a). Students did a remarkable job at playing their instrument at the correct time and in the correct rhythm. Students also reviewed sol, mi, and the new unlabeled high note (la) using the song Plainsies, Clapsies. First students were asked to determine the location of the lowest notes (mi). Then students were asked to find the location of the highest notes (unlabeled la). Finally, students were asked to label the remaining notes as sol. Additionally, students practiced reading rhythm flashcards over a recording with a strong steady beat.


Third grade students learned a new do-re-mi-sol-la song entitled Ida Red. Students enjoyed learning the game for this song which involves two students racing around the outside of a circle and exchanging envelopes. Students also worked on developing the upper range of their singing voice through a vocal exploration exercise. In this exercise, students were asked to mimic the contour (the ups and downs) of roller coasters and water slides with their voices. Students also continued to practice singing melodic patterns containing melodic notes do re mi sol and la from flashcards. Lastly, students completed a rhythm reading assessment by reading rhythm flashcards while a funky blues background track was played.

Fourth grade students learned the purple belt song, Old MacDonald Had a Farm, this week. This song uses the notes B-A-G-E-D. The most difficult thing about this song for many students is creating a good sound while playing E and D. The trick to playing these notes with a good sound is to be sure that all finger holes are covered securely and to blow gently and with warm air - as if fogging up a window. Next week, students will be introduced to new concepts, such as ties, that are in the blue belt song Oh, When the Saints.

Fifth grade students added 'conserve your air' to their list of vocal techniques this week. Students practiced stretching their air over a long phrase through an exercise entitled One Man and His Dog. Students were challenged to make it through the continuously lengthened second phrase without taking a breath. Students were also introduced to solfege (do re mi fa sol la ti do'), a series of solmization syllables invented over one thousand years ago. Students sang a C major scale using these syllables, learned the hand signs for them, and transferred them to a written C major scale. Additionally, students listened to the beginning of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech We Shall Overcome, discussed the significance of this speech, and listened to Pete Seeger's recording of a song by the same name, We Shall Overcome. Students were then led to make connections between Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech and the song. Additionally, students sung the canon Oh, What a Wondrous Thing in two and three parts.

Week Seventeen in Review (Jan. 4 - Jan. 8)

Greetings from the music room! It was a another exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights:

Kindergarten completed a variety of loud and quiet assessments this week. As a class, students echoed the teacher's loud and quiet voice while singing the song Oh My, No More Pie. After it was clear that all students understood that the goal of the activity was to echo the teacher loudly or quietly, students were invited one-on-one to sing loudly or quietly into a 'microphone'. Students also played a loud and quiet guessing game in which each student was given the opportunity to play on a drum. Students were secretly asked to play loudly or quietly. After performing the given dynamic on the drum, the whole class was invited to guess the chosen dynamic. Additionally, Students began learning a new vocal exploration song, Herman the Worm, and a new song and dance entitled Bobalinka. The purpose of Bobalkina is to introduce students to line dancing and reinforce the concept of steady beat.

First grade students enjoyed keeping the steady beat and naming gifts that they received over the holidays in a chant called The Holidays Are Over. After naming different gifts that they had received, students turned the names of those gifts into quarter notes and eighth notes. For example, teddy bear became two eighth notes and one quarter note. I-pad became two quarter notes. Students used four different gifts to create an eight beat rhythm chain. Then students played those rhythms on rhythm sticks while speaking the rhythm syllables ta and ti-ti.  Next, students reviewed the melodic notes sol and mi by singing the song Lucky Me. Finally, students moved around the classroom while singing Lucky Me; students played the eight beat rhythm chain on rhythm sticks at the end of the song. Students also began learning to write sol and mi on the music staff.

Second grade students enjoyed keeping the steady beat and naming gifts that they received over the holidays in a chant called The Holidays Are Over. Students also reviewed the presence of one sound over two beats by discovering the location of long notes (half notes) in the song Rocky Mountain. Students reviewed that it is possible to tie two quarter notes together to create a note that lasts for two beats. Additionally, sstudents played a snowball tossing game while singing the songs Snail, Snail and Plainsies, Clapsies. The goal of this snowball tossing game was to assess whether students can sing in-tune and match pitch. Students also began preparing for a rhythm reading assessment by reading flashcards while a funky blues background track was played.

Third grade students worked in both large and small groups to show the duration of quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes. After students created a movement for each note value, then they performed the appropriate movement based on the teacher's drumming. For example, if students decided that they would jump for quarter notes, then each time the teacher played quarter notes the students jumped. Students reviewed melodic notes do re mi sol and la this week by placing notes on the staff and by reading a series of flashcards. Students also played a snowball tossing game to the song Pease Porridge. The goal of this snowball tossing game was to assess whether students can sing in-tune and match pitch. Students also began preparing for a rhythm reading assessment by reading flashcards while a funky blues background track was played.

Fourth grade students learned to play new notes high C and high D on the recorder. Students also continued to test for their green belt (It's Raining) and practice notes E and D. Students also practiced these notes by playing a poison pattern game. In this game, one rhythm was designated as the poison pattern. Students  echoed (on the recorder) every pattern that the teacher played except for the poison pattern. This fun game allowed students to practice playing a variety of notes. Students were also introduced to improvisation through Duke Ellington's C-Jam Blues. Students learned a short two-note pattern to play along with the recording. After several repetitions of this pattern, students were invited to improvise on the notes B and A. Several students volunteered to improvise and some even used more notes than B and A!

Fifth grade students began a unit on vocal techniques. Students were lead through several posture and breathing exercises which included stretching, hissing for 16 or more counts, and working with partners to go through a posture and breathing check-list. Students also learned about breath support by watching a short physics video on how a ball can stay afloat in a steady stream of air. This video was connected to the importance of maintaining a steady stream of air when singing. Students were also introduced to the purpose of written music (to show contour and duration) by studying a  Gregorian chant. Students were asked to follow along with this ancient piece of music and to compare it to modern music. Next week students will begin learning about solfege including its purpose and history.

Week Sixteen in Review (Dec. 21 - Dec. 22)

Greetings from the music room! It was a short yet exciting week of singing, moving, and playing instruments! Here are some of the highlights:

Kindergarten students did not have class this week.

First grade students enjoyed moving to Trepak from The Nutcracker. Students learned a variety of movements that portrayed the music as well as the overall form of the piece. Students also explored quarter notes and eighth notes by saying the names of toys (airplane, rocking horse, and bike, toy soldier) rhythmically while playing instruments such as the tambourine, the cowbell, the woodblock, and the vibraslap. Students also reviewed a song for learning quarter rest, Naughty Kitty Cat, and its game.

Second grade students did not have class this week.

Third grade students moved to March from The Nutcracker by creating their own movements in a question and answer format. Students also reviewed new melodic note la and it's placement on the music staff. Additionally, students learned a new la song, King's Land, and its game. This song will be used to reinforce the distance (a step) between melodic notes sol and la. Students also decoded the rhythm and solfege to the song Pease Porridge. First, students were asked to put a series of four rhythm flashcards in the correct order order. Then, as a class, students discovered that the solfege for the first card was sol-mi-mi-sol. Lastly, students were asked to work with a partner to decode the solfege for the remaining three cards.

These ladies have put the rhythm flashcards in the correct order!

This group is almost finished. Only one more measure to go!

Fourth grade students reviewed the green belt song It's Raining and continued to practice new notes E and D. Students learned how to use a Chromebook in order to test for their next recorder karate belt. Tests recorded by students on the Chromebooks are able to be viewed and graded by the teacher at the end of the day. The use of the Chromebooks in this manner allows students to work at their own pace while allowing the teacher to be available to assist students who have questions or need help during class time.

Fifth grade students finished watching the musical Annie.