Over the last few weeks I've been sharing the songs and dances my K-6 elementary students have performed in our annual International Music Festival, and today I'm compiling them all for easy reference! If you're looking for something to add to your concert, informance, or your general music classes, I highly recommend all of these!
In each of these lists I've noted the specific grade level I use each piece with as well as a brief description of what students do/ how I arrange the song, but obviously these can be adapted for different grade levels, equipment/ instruments, etc so I highly recommend looking through all of them to see what might fit your needs.
Kindergarten / 1st grade: Native American, Bolivia, Colombia, and Syria
2nd / 3rd grade: Maori New Zealand, India, and Philippines
4th / 5th / 6th grade: Japan, Korea, Mozambique, and Brazil
I hope you find some new songs and dances to teach your students! If you're unsure about how to teach music from unfamiliar cultures, or want to see more of my lesson plans with music from around the world, check out all my posts on the topic here. If you have any questions or other songs you'd add to the list, leave a comment below! I love hearing from you!
I am so excited to be able to share this new lesson plan that I came up with for the end of the school year with my most challenging 4th and 5th grade classes that I knew were not going to want to listen to ANYTHING I had to say or want to do anything that felt like "work", but also would dissolve into chaos if we were just playing freeze dance or something the whole period. I already have so many ideas for ways to adapt this game for band, orchestra, or choir classes in middle or even high school, and it's a great way to review rhythm notation and music vocabulary for whatever they're working on! Introducing: the Team Rhythm Challenge!
I knew I needed to come up with a lesson that would be engaging, require as few directions from me as possible, have some level of friendly, low-stakes competition, and also get the kids to work together in teams. What I came up with was the idea of the Team Rhythm Challenge, and it kept even my most difficult classes engaged the entire lesson on their very last day of music class before summer (so I think that's saying something).
Setup
Before class, I set out a music stand at the end of each row of seats. My students sit in 6 rows that I label as "color teams" (read more about all the ways I use them in this post) so each team got one music stand at the end of the row. I rarely use music stands in my general music classes- they're mostly in the room for the band and orchestra to use- so this immediately piqued their interest when they walked in and saw something new. I also had a scoreboard at the front of the room to keep track of points, so they knew something was about to go down!
Process
The primary goal was for me to give as few verbal directions as possible, so that I wouldn't have to bother getting their attention. I put the basic directions on the board, told them at the beginning that they will win the most points for their team if they paid attention, then breezed through the game without stopping to wait for anyone. They figured out pretty quickly that they would lose if they weren't paying attention, so they did!
The basic idea of the game is that each team has a rhythm that they have to count, then count and clap, then count and clap with a dynamic marking, then play with the same dynamics on an instrument, then play as an ostinato with a track. They get 1 minute to practice with their team before each level, and they can earn 1 point for doing it correctly. The team with the most points at the end wins the challenge. Here's a sped-up re-enactment of how I ran it to avoid verbal directions as much as possible and keep things moving quickly:
There are so many ways to adapt this game and customize it for whatever vocabulary and notation students are reviewing! I will definitely be keeping this for right before breaks with my older students. If you want the full details on all the different ways to play the game, plus all the slides and print-outs I used, you can get those here.
What are your most successful lessons for the end of the school year with upper elementary/ middle school classes? It can be tricky to find something that they will get excited about but this one was a huge success! If you have any ideas or questions please leave a comment below.
I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done but it is a lot to put together! Although for the most part each grade studies the same culture each year to fit in with the skills and concepts they are learning in general music, each year I change at least some of the pieces so it's never the exact same program. Here are the performance pieces I have used over the years with my upper elementary grades- each of these would work well as part of any concert, informance, or program on their own, or you can use this list to put together your own International Music Festival!
I'm listing the pieces by culture/ country below, with the grade level I used them with in parentheses. Obviously many of these could be done with different grades as well, not just the ones I use them with!
Japan (4th grade)
Akatonbo (students sing the song, first together and then in a round, while playing different triple meter ostinato patterns on various instruments- I use things like finger cymbals, tone blocks, hand drums, and metallophones- along with other color instruments in between sections- I use ocean drums, wind chimes, etc)
Sakura (students sing the song while some play different ostinato patterns on percussion and barred instruments and some play harmony on recorder- link includes arrangement)
Tokyo Ondo (students stand in a circle (or two concentric circles if the group is large) and do the Tokyo Ondo dance with this track)
Korea (4th grade)
Arirang (students sing the song, first together and then in a round, while playing different triple meter ostinato patterns on various instruments- I use things like finger cymbals, tone blocks, hand drums, and metallophones- along with other color instruments in between sections- I use ocean drums, wind chimes, etc)
Buchaechum (students each hold 2 fans and do some basic moves with the linked recording)
Timbila (students gradually layer in repeated lines similar to the linked recording on bass, alto, and soprano xylophones)
Bombela (students sit in a circle and pass beanbags on the beat while singing, each verse the passing pattern gets gradually more difficult)
Brazil (6th grade)
Batucada (students stand in rows by instrument and step in place on the beat while playing some characteristic ostinato patterns on guiro, tamborine, tube shaker, tubano drums with the carrying strap, and agogo bells)
Escatumbararibe (students sit in a circle and do the cup passing game demonstrated in the linked video while singing the song)
Tambores (students stand in rows facing a partner and sing while doing the clapping game demonstrated in the linked recording, with 3 different versions gradually increasing in difficulty)
If you have other songs or musical performances you've done representing these cultures, or other ways you've used these songs, I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below! I've split up my lists of performance pieces I use in my K-6 International Music Festival into grade spans- here are the pieces I use with K-1/ early childhood, and here are the pieces I use with 2nd and 3rd grades. And if you are thinking about putting together a similar program, you can find all the information on what I do and how I do it, from logistics to teaching to stage setup, in this post:
I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done but it is a lot to put together! Although for the most part each grade studies the same culture each year to fit in with the skills and concepts they are learning in general music, each year I change at least some of the pieces so it's never the exact same program. Here are the performance pieces I have used over the years with my middle elementary grades- each of these would work well as part of any concert, informance, or program on their own, or you can use this list to put together your own International Music Festival!
I'm listing the pieces by culture/ country below, with the grade level I used them with in parentheses. Obviously many of these could be done with different grades as well, not just the ones I use them with!
Maori New Zealand (2nd grade)
E Papa Waiari (students sit in rows facing a partner and do a different tititorea stick pattern with each verse, stopping to sing the last repeated line with the recording before changing patterns)
Hine E Hine (students stand spread out, each holding one poi rope, and do some basic repeated moves with the poi with the recording, singing along with the repeated A section)
Tutira Mai (students stand in rows and sing while doing the motions as shown in the linked video)
India (2nd grade)
Kochu Poocha (students stand and sing while doing the motions as shown in the linked video. I've also had them sing while doing a clapping pattern facing a partner)
Chakkardi Bhammardi (students stand in a circle each holding 2 sticks and do the stick game as shown in the video)
Philippines (3rd grade)
Tinikling (students stand in rows between jump bands and do the basic tinikling step with the music as shown in the video, with one student holds the bands on each end of each pair of bands, sitting on the floor as shown with the poles)
Bahay Kubo (half of the students sing the chorus while the other half plays a harmony line on recorder, then they swap parts)
Magtanim Ay Di Biro (students sing the song while doing motions to show the lyrics, similar to the linked video, in the A section, then face a partner and do a simple clapping pattern with the beat for the B section)
If you have other songs or musical performances you've done representing these cultures, or other ways you've used these songs, I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below! I've split up my lists of performance pieces I use in my K-6 International Music Festival into grade spans- here are the pieces I use with K-1/ early childhood, and check back for the pieces I use with upper elementary/ middle school. And if you are thinking about putting together a similar program, you can find all the information on what I do and how I do it, from logistics to teaching to stage setup, in this post:
I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done but it is a lot to put together! Although for the most part each grade studies the same culture each year to fit in with the skills and concepts they are learning in general music, each year I change at least some of the pieces so it's never the exact same program. Here are the performance pieces I have used over the years with my youngest grades- each of these would work well as part of any concert, informance, or program on their own, or you can use this list to put together your own International Music Festival!
I'm listing the pieces by culture/ country below, with the grade level I used them with in parentheses. Obviously many of these could be done with different grades as well, not just the ones I use them with!
Native American (Kindergarten)
Water Song (students play the steady beat on rhythm sticks and turn each of the 4 directions to sing it 4 times)
Navajo Happy Song (students sit in rows with their feet under them and their knees touching to do the different patting patterns mentioned in the link while singing)
Sioux Epanay (students do a basic intertribal step in a circle while a few students play the steady beat on a gathering drum in the middle of the circle)
Bolivia (1st grade)
Mi Gallito (students face a partner and do a simple 3-beat clapping pattern while they sing- I have them clap their own hands, touch the backs of one hand with their partners', then palms of the same hands, then repeat with the other side)
La Mariposa (students do a circle dance with a recording while each holding a scarf and singing along on the chorus- the link has a full explanation of the moves that they do with each part of the song as well as links to recordings)
Carnavalito (students do the dance in rows with a recording)
Boquita Colorada (I have done this 2 ways- 1) students do the line dance with the recording and sing with the "lai lai" section, or 2) students play simple ostinati on percussion instruments like shakers, rhythm sticks, guiros, and drums)
Colombia (1st grade)
Vallenato (students play simple ostinati on percussion instruments like drums, guiros, and ridged rhythm sticks with the linked recording)
Syria (lower elementary self-contained special needs)
Tiri Tiri Ya-as Fura (non-verbal students do motions to show the lyrics of the song with the steady beat of the recording)
Fiane Sheschra (students play different ostinati for each section of the music on hand drums with the recording)
It would be too much to put everything in one post so check back for future posts with lists of performance pieces I use with older grades in my K-6 International Music Festival! If you have other songs or musical performances you've done representing these cultures, or other ways you've used these songs, I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below. And if you are thinking about putting together a similar program, you can find all the information on what I do and how I do it, from logistics to teaching to stage setup, in this post:
I have discovered a new favorite lesson activity to add to my list of things to do at the end of the school year, especially with the younger grades but honestly with the older ones too: the stretchy band! If you're looking for engaging activities to keep students from bouncing off the walls that can also be used to review musical concepts at the end of the school year, I highly recommend these.
I bought a stretchy band years ago with the intention of using it with my Kindergarten and self-contained classes, and then proceeded to leave it sitting in my classroom until this year. Every time I had the idea that maybe I would pull it out and use it, I just didn't feel confident that I had a clear idea of how to actually do it! If you're like me and haven't used a stretchy band in class before, I can assure you it is just as fun as they say it is and these activities are all beginner friendly. If you don't know what a stretchy band is, here is one you can get from Bear Paw Creek.
To get set up, I have students sit in a circle on the floor and tell everyone to keep their hands in their lap, then I get out the stretchy band and lay it out flat in a circle inside where they are sitting before having everyone grab the part in front of them with two hands and hold it down in their laps. I have 3 rules for using the stretchy band safely:
1) keep two hands on the band until I tell you to let go
2) don't jerk it around
3) stay sitting (not lying down) while holding it
1. Stretchy Band Song
For first time users I think this is the best one. The song explicitly tells you what to do with the band so you can focus on making sure students are using it correctly and not worry about remembering the words to the song or what comes next- just turn on the recording and follow along! It's also a great way for students to quickly experience the different ways you can use the band so it's a great way for them to practice using the stretchy band as well. Of course once they've learned the moves you can have everyone sing along as well. This activity is really a way to practice how to use the stretchy band and showing steady beat.
2. Put It In
This song is a good next step for younger students, and besides using the basic movements as the first song and continuing to review steady beat, it also gives students the opportunity to create and improvise by coming up with their own additional verses. I don't use a recording for this one- I sing while the students move when I first introduce it, then I teach students the song and we all sing together, stopping to choose new verses after each repetition of the chorus.
3. Show Form
Here is where I have really found the stretchy band to be versatile and effective for a broad range of ages: I've realized it's a fun and easy way to review form by doing different moves for different sections. I've done this with songs that we sang earlier in the school year, or with listening examples with older students. For example I used the stretchy band with "Shoemaker's Dance" with 1st grade to review same and different sections by having students wind, pull, and tap on their knees with the A section, and pass the band around the circle with the B section. I used it with "Sleigh Ride" with 5th grade to review Rondo form by having students move the band up, down, left, and right on the beat for the A section, move in and out on the beat for the B section, and tap on their knees with alternating hands and pull back for the whip, then pass around the circle for the C section. You can really do this with any form and it's a great way to mix it up at the end of the year.
4. Show Rhythm
The stretchy band is also a fun way to review rhythms at the end of the year too- take any song that you used to introduce or practice new rhythm elements during the year (or teach them a new one) and add a specific motion with the band that shows that rhythm that you do every time you sing it. For example I reviewed half notes with 2nd grade with "Who's That" by having them slowly lift the band up and then down with each pair of half notes, I similarly had 3rd grade students lift the band slowly up and down with the pair of whole notes at the end of "I Got a Letter", and had 4th graders tap on their knees with alternating hands to show the sixteenth notes in "Ding Dong".
There are plenty more fun ways to use the stretchy band, but those are my favorite ways to use it with different grade levels at the end of the school year! If you're finishing out the school year right now like I am I hope this helps give you some fresh ideas to close out the year.
I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done. It's very rewarding and a lot of fun but it also took a lot to figure out how to put together a production where every student in the school is performing for each other, including singing, instruments, props, and more! If you would like to try doing something similar in your school, here's everything you need to know about how I do mine.
In this post I'm sharing an overview of all the pieces that come together to make this production a reality. I'll be putting together more detailed posts on specific steps in the process in the future, and I'll link those in the relevant sections below as they're published, so keep an eye out for those coming soon!
1. Program
The basic idea of the program is for each grade to share a couple of songs/ dances from a specific country/ people group. This idea came up initially because I have always done an in-depth unit in the spring on a specific culture's music in each grade- I choose the country of focus and the specific literature they learn based on the music curriculum goals. This blog post explains how I design those units, along with the specific lesson plans I use for each grade. Although I don't completely change the program each year, I do try to make sure I don't do the exact same program 2 years in a row- usually there are a few songs that stay the same and the rest of them are either a different culture altogether or different songs from the same culture.
2. Planning the logistics
The biggest puzzle for me was figuring out the logistics of how to manage all the instruments and equipment and set up the performance to flow smoothly between grade levels. I've found having everyone sit in the gym in a round, going in grade level order around the perimeter of the gym with everyone facing in, works best. Each grade sits in the formation of their first song to watch the grades before them so when it's their turn they are ready to go, and I leave the middle of the gym open for some songs/ dances that need more room.
To make that setup work, I try not to have any grades sharing instruments/ supplies. I write down the number of students in each grade and how many of each prop/ instrument I will need for their performances to make sure I have enough and figure out what instruments to use for the different grade levels' song arrangements. Some years I've borrowed instruments from my colleagues to make sure I have enough, and some years I've changed the instrumentation of a song (like using rhythm sticks instead of tone blocks, or using a different type of drum) so that there are enough to go around.
3. Teaching
In the 4-6 week units leading up to the International Music Festival, students learn about a much bigger picture of the music and the culture itself (see this blog post for more details). But in terms of the actual performance literature, I always make sure I've figured out the logistics and supplies mentioned in the previous point before I start teaching, and plan instrumental arrangements and physical setup based on those logistics.
With entire grade levels performing, I usually try to have a few students from each class playing each instrument. I try to make my arrangements based on how many of each instrument I have, adding or changing parts to fit the number of students in that grade. If I don't have enough for the whole grade to play together, I'll have each class take turns playing, but I try to make it flow together in one cohesive performance by having students hand over to the other class one instrument at a time while the other instruments are playing etc. Whatever we're doing to put the classes together, I make sure to practice it that way in their music classes so they know what to do.
I also think through the physical setup based on the space they have in the gym, and have them practice performing in that setup, whether that's who is in which row, or who is partnered with who. I have found I can do things to save space (which is always at a premium with our average size gym) like having students perform a circle game or dance in concentric circles, so I always make sure to practice everything that way in class as well.
The other element I make sure to rehearse in class is the transition between songs and how to get ready to begin and end their performance. Depending on the grade level they are usually using different instruments/ props/ formations for their 2 songs, so it's important to talk through and practice actually moving between the 2 formations, switching props, etc, including where they will get everything from during the performance and where they'll put everything after they're done.
4. Setup
The most labor-intensive part of putting on the festival is physically setting up the space. I preset all the props and instruments in the gym the night before and morning of the festival so that when each grade walks in, they can go to their area, get their supplies/ instruments, and be ready to go. Obviously every year is a little different depending on what students are performing, but here's a view of what my setup looked like this year as an example:
5. Communication
Because of space I didn't invite families to come to the festival until last year, but it has been awesome to be able to invite families the last couple of years. We set up chairs all around the perimeter of the gym, up against the wall, and families sit in any of those seats so they're behind the students (I try to point out to them that they should probably sit on opposite side from their child so they can see their performance from the front).
The biggest factor in making sure everything goes smoothly during the festival is letting all the staff know in advance what the setup will look like and what supplies/ formation each grade level will have. I set up a google doc with a map of where each class sits and a brief description of what they will be doing and what instruments/ equipment they need and when ("2nd grade will be sitting in 2 rows, each student facing 1 partner, with a pair of sticks in front of each student and a poi rope behind each student. Please help collect the sticks back in the box when students stand up and move to the center with their poi."). I include specific, concrete things staff can do or keep an eye out for so they know how to help. In our school all non-homeroom teaching staff are assigned to a homeroom to sit with and help with at all assemblies, so they stay with the same class for the festival as well. I try to make sure it's nothing staff need to feel like they're having to prepare for, but feel like they know how to help guide students correctly so it's not chaotic when there's only one of me to help get them set up in the beginning.
I hope this helps you think through your own production and maybe consider doing an International Music Festival yourself! I know other music teachers have done similar events, and I'd love to hear what you do and how you organize yours in the comments as well. I will be sharing more details in future posts but if you have any questions please leave those in the comments as well!
After teaching elementary music for almost 2 decades there are a lot of things that I can do on autopilot. I definitely have to think about a lot less things than I did my first year of teaching! But I also would get completely bored if I didn't mix things up, and of course every year bring fresh challenges and ever-changing students to teach. Here are the new things I did this school year that I loved.
1. Djembe storage
I found myself with a very good problem this fall: I got one more set of the rainbow-colored djembes I love to use with my younger students to get a class set, and the storage setup I had been using no longer fit the extra instruments! My solution: by storing half of them upside down, they take up less shelf space and I can fit them all neatly in the same shelves.
2. Teaching passing games
I was so thrilled with this idea I already wrote an entire post on the topic but honestly, this has been maybe the most exciting new idea of the year for me. After years of struggling to get students to be successful with passing games, I realized that if I have them start in small groups and then gradually increase the group size until they are doing it with the full class, they are much more successful! Read about the full strategy and how I run it in my classes in the post below:
3. "Hip and Hop Don't Stop"
I excitedly bought this book several years ago knowing it would be perfect to teach fast and slow in place of the tired old tortoise and the hare story, and just never got my act together and it sat in my closet. This year I finally pulled it out and put some lessons together and they went just as well as I thought they would, PLUS I was able to bring some hip-hop skills into my Kindergarten curriculum in an authentic way. Click below to see the lesson plans I used:
4. Algonquin Water Song
Finding Native American music I can comfortably and confidently teach my students has always been challenging. When I came across this song that was specifically written to be sung by anyone, whether indigenous or not, that is also simple to learn, I was thrilled. I used it this year with Kindergarten, including for their performance in my annual International Music Festival, and it has been the perfect addition to our repertoire. Click below to learn more about the song:
5. "I Got a Letter"
This song is actually an old favorite from my first couple of years of teaching that I brought back, but the lesson plans I did to build community at the beginning of the year while introducing new rhythms to my 3rd graders were new, and they were so successful my students still talk about those lessons. Click below for the full lesson plans:
6. Taking personal days for myself
Some of you are probably going to shake your head in disbelief, and some of you are going to nod in understanding. This year, my 18th year of teaching, was the first time I took a personal day for myself. Don't get me wrong, I have used my personal days in the past, but only to take care of my kids when they've been sick or needed to go to the doctor. This year I felt myself getting pushed to the brink of burnout and I took a personal day to rest. I took another half personal day the afternoon after my morning concert to avoid pushing myself too much as well. I think this is a testament both to just how taxing this school year has been for me, but also to what I'm learning from the younger teachers entering the profession. I think there is definitely a balance we need to strike, but us "veterans" can learn a thing or two from the new teachers about keeping an eye on our own mental health and giving ourselves a break when we need one.
Of course there are lots of other small things but that's a roundup of the highlights of new things I've tried this year in my classroom. What about you? If you haven't already, I encourage you to reflect on the new things you've tried this year, whether they were completely successful or not. It makes me feel proud to realize all the new things I've tried this year and now I'll remember to keep the successes for next year! Maybe you'll find some inspiration from my list to try in your classrooms next year. If you have any new ideas you've tried this year please leave them in the comments so we can all get fresh ideas from each other too!
The last couple of years I have finally found some successful lesson plans for introducing and practicing dotted quarter - single eighth note rhythms I like using with my 6th graders. This is a pretty advanced rhythm pattern and it has taken me a long time to find lesson activities that help students successfully read and perform the rhythm while also having fun! Here is the lesson I use to introduce this rhythm pattern to my 6th graders in the fall that helps them be successful with it the rest of the school year.
By the time I introduce dotted quarter and single eighth notes in 6th grade, they already know quarter notes, eighth notes, the single eighth- quarter- eighth "syncopa" pattern, and dotted half notes, so they have all the building blocks to understand the concept. But I've found it's still quite challenging to get students to really be fluent with the rhythm and be able to decode it from notation as well.
The biggest key to success has been finding a song that gets students to feel the beat while performing and hearing the rhythm pattern over and over, and for that I have found "Acitrón de un Fandango" (aka
"Al Citron") to be the key to success. If you haven't heard of this Mexican passing game song, you can read more about the song, including the various versions of the lyrics and translations, here. This is a clear recording by native speakers (although honestly I don't play any recordings with my 6th graders because they're more likely to roll their eyes if I do). The basic idea is to pass something around the circle on the beat until you get to the last 3 beats of the verse, where you tap back and forth before passing- here's a video showing the game:
As with most singing games with upper elementary/ middle school grades, I start by challenging them with the game first before I have them sing. First I have them practice passing bean bags or rhythm sticks around the circle on the beat while I sing. Once they can do that and they've heard the song a few times, I tell them to tap back and forth on "triqui triqui tran", and continue to have them focus on just passing. Once they can do that, we go back and I up the ante by telling them they have to be able to sing while doing the passing (this way they are less focused on being self conscious about singing and more focused on showing off that they can beat the challenge)- I teach them the song and then we add it back to the game. Obviously once they can do that then we repeat it and try to increase the speed, then we make it a game where if you mess up, you sit out, and the circle gets smaller until there are only 2 students left standing!
As a sidenote: I finally this school year figured out how to make this game, and all the other passing games I've used in the past, successful again after finding them frustratingly difficult post-pandemic. I wrote an entire post about my process here but basically I found that having them practice the passing game in smaller groups first and then gradually making the circles bigger works. Now I am enjoying teaching passing games like this one again!
Once they have sung the song many times and felt the beat with it in their bodies, I ask students to tell me how many beats the word "un" is in the first line where we sing "un fandango". I have them pat the beat while I slowly sing it so they can see where the notes fall with the beat, and eventually they figure out that it is 1.5 beats long. Then I introduce the dotted quarter note, reminding them what they learned about how dotted notes work when they learned dotted half notes in 4th grade. From there it's an easy final step to figure out how many beats the next syllable is and recall the single eighth note they learned in 5th grade with the "syncopa" pattern.
Once they've been introduced to the notation and they've thought through how many beats each note is in the melody, I have half of the class pat the beat while the sing, while the other half of the class claps the rhythm while they sing. Once they can do that, we remove the singing so they are just clapping and patting.
Over the next few lessons we practice the rhythm and notation more with other songs and with rhythm play-alongs that include the new rhythm. My favorite videos to use for this are:
Of course there are lots of other great songs with dotted quarter/ single eighth notes that we use to practice them throughout the year, but this is definitely my favorite song to use to introduce them and it has finally helped my students be successful with the new rhythm! What is your favorite song for introducing this tricky rhythm pattern? I'd love to hear more of your favorites in the comments below. And if you want to see my favorite lessons for teaching other specific rhythmic elements, you'll find them all in this post:
Has anyone else found passing games harder and harder to teach the last 5 years or so? I don't remember it being this difficult for students to grasp when I started teaching, but the last several years it has been a struggle for my students to successfully do passing games and honestly, most of the time I've ended up having to move on without the class ever fully being able to do it correctly, which just leaves us all frustrated. This school year after talking to some of my elementary music colleagues I tried a new strategy to scaffold my instruction for passing games and it has been highly successful! I'm so relieved to have a way to make passing games fun and successful again.
I have always loved including passing games as part of my elementary music lessons (I have a few of my favorites at the end of this post if you're interested). They are a great way to reinforce steady beat and meter, get older kids to sing while they're distracted with a different challenge, and foster teamwork. But the last several years I went from looking forward to teaching them to dreading them because every time it seemed like the lessons would end in frustration! My colleagues and I were commiserating about this back in the fall and together we came up with an idea to help students be more successful, and it has turned out to be genius.
I still start teaching passing games by showing them the movements/ song with all the students facing me and mirroring my movements. It's important for them to practice doing the movements and the song without the added confusion of having the people you're facing across the circle doing it "backwards", or the risk of the people next to you doing it wrong and messing you up!
The next step has been the key to my students' success: instead of moving to a circle with the full class to learn how to do it as a passing game, I have them get into small groups of 3-4 students (in my case, my color teams) and practice doing it in a tiny circle with just their small group. I am able to walk around and correct students without trying to correct the whole class at once, and once students in a group can all get it they can play without having to wait for the whole class to figure it out.
I tell students when they start that they get to "level up" whenever they complete a level. Leveling up is just adding another group to theirs! So when I see 2 small groups are successfully doing the passing game, I tell one group to join the other to make a larger circle and try again. Adding the level of competition is definitely motivating for everyone, and the students who struggle are a lot less embarrassed and catch on more quickly because they don't have the entire class yelling at them for messing them up.
Because I can identify the students that are struggling more easily in small groups, I can not only help them more easily without correcting them in front of the whole class, but I can also strategically place myself next to them when they level up to the full class circle. I also have found the stronger students will do the same thing and intentionally put themselves next to the ones who are always late to pass etc to help keep them on the beat.
This has been a complete game-changer and I'm so happy to bring the fun back to our passing games again! If you haven't done them before I highly recommend giving some of these a try with your upper elementary students- because they reinforce steady beat they are a great way to experience new meters and rhythms or just add some interest to a song you want them to sing.
I've done plenty of others but those are some of my top favorites! If you want to see the full lesson plans for these, you can find them in the Organized Chaos General Music Curriculum. If you have other favorite passing games, or teaching hacks that have helped your students learn them, please leave them in the comments!
I love finding upbeat, school-appropriate, modern songs to use in my music classes for dance parties, slideshows, field day, and general merriment, and these last few years it has felt especially important to share with all the stress and negativity we're all dealing with. Here are my new picks for this year- be sure to check out my posts from previous years to find more awesome music my students and I love linked at the end of this post!
This year, along with other random songs I've picked up this year, I've also included some songs from the 2025 MIOSM® song bracket because my students young and older can't seem to get enough of them! Don't miss the playlist at the end of this post that includes these songs plus all of my picks from previous years' playlists (this is year 10 of me putting these together, so there are a lot)! Can you believe this is our 10 year anniversary of the Organized Chaos Dance Playlist?!?
To make it easier to find all my dance party playlist songs in one place, I've put together a YouTube playlist with all of the songs from all of my previous year's lists including this one! Here's the link to the playlist.
If you've missed my playlists from previous years you can see those posts below! Happy dancing :)
I love teaching form. I didn't think much of it at the beginning of my teaching career, but it has become one of my favorite areas to explore with students because there are so many opportunities for creativity, and it's one of the easiest places to incorporate almost any genre of music. Today I want to share some of my favorite 5th grade lessons on Sonata form.
I actually introduce Sonata form with the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". This video actually shows each of the sections on the screen which is very helpful. Afterwards we review the order of the sections they saw/ heard, and I introduce the term Sonata. I like showing them a more modern example first so they immediately understand how this form has been used in so many different genres! Once they know what Sonata form is, I show them the very beginning of this visualization of Beethoven's Piano Sonata 29. My 5th graders learn basic piano, so they get excited to see a "legit piano song". Once we listen to the first part of it I pause the video and have them look at the colored sections to see the big picture and identify the Sonata form visually (if I had more class time we would listen to the whole thing- I usually post the link in Google Classroom so they can watch the rest later on their own!).
Once they have heard a few different examples and identified what Sonata form is, I ask students to identify the sections aurally in "Blackbird" by the Beatles. Again, I like showing students examples of how the form is used in different genres in different time periods! I have them identify the sections as they hear them by showing them the sign language sign for A and B and have them hold up their hand with the corresponding letter when they hear each section.
Once students have identified the form, I show them how the beginning of the melody in Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" is actually a mini Sonata in terms of phrase structure. I make sure to clarify that form does not really refer to phrases, and explain that we are simply using the shorter phrases to be like "sections" as a way to practice playing a Sonata in shortened form. They learn how to play the first 2 phrases on the piano, then they use the same 5 notes to create a B section phrase, which the notate in treble clef, and then perform it as a "mini Sonata".
It always surprises my students to find out how prevalent Sonata form is in different genres, and they love being able to "remix" Ode to Joy to play on piano! What lesson activities do you use to teach Sonata form? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments. You can get all of the detailed lesson plans, materials, and slides for these lessons in the Organized Chaos 5th grade curriculum! And if you want to see my general strategies and lesson ideas for teaching form, as well as my lesson plans for teaching other specific forms including theme and variations, rondo form, etc, head to this blog post.
After introducing the basic idea of form, same and contrasting sections, etc in the younger grades, I introduce specific forms from Western classical music in the upper grades, relating it to how it is used in modern music as well. I teach Rondo form in 5th grade, which is easy to relate to many contemporary musical genres and is a great way to have students respond to and create with 3 or more contrasting sections. Here is an overview of the lessons I use to teach Rondo form.
1. Identify Rondo
I introduce Rondo form by having students follow along with this simple cup routine to go with "Sleigh Ride". I always like to have students experience the form first, usually through some type of movement, and then have students recall what they did in what order to help them discover the order of the same and contrasting sections. Because the routine is so simple my 5th graders are able to quickly pick up the moves for each section and do it in one run-through so they get the idea without taking too much class time to rehearse anything, and because the song is familiar for many of them they can recall the order of the sections more easily afterwards.
After doing the cup routine I have them tell me the order in which they did the different cup moves for each section, review how to label same and contrasting sections with alphabet letters, and identify the ABACABA form, and I introduce the term "Rondo". I explain at this point that Rondo form has the repeated A section interspersed with any combination of 2 or more contrasting sections. Once they have the basic idea of what a Rondo is, I show them another quick example, like this one.
2. Perform in Rondo
Once they have a basic understanding of what a Rondo is, I use this rhythm playalong video to have them practice actually performing a Rondo (I love this one for my 5th graders specifically because it includes the eighth/ sixteenth note combination rhythms they are learning as well!). I have them practice counting and clapping the rhythm patterns in each of the 3 sections, then I hand out 3 different instruments to each student (simple, small instruments that I have class sets of, like egg shakers, jingle bells, and rhythm sticks) and assign each instrument to one section. They set all the instruments down in front of them and I tell them they need to read the rhythms and also think ahead to know which instrument to play when! It keeps them thinking about Rondo form and helps them experience it more concretely.
3. Create in Rondo: Class Composition
The next step with learning about any musical form is to create! I start in 2nd grade having students create contrasting sections for a given A section as an introduction to creating contrasting sections to arrange in a specific form, so I start with the same task here. I pick a short song and have them all learn it- I like to use something silly so the 5th graders aren't as self-conscious about singing, like my current favorite, the chorus from Jack Black's "Peaches" (which, bonus, ties in with the next composition project). Once they know the song, I have them work together to create 2 short, simple sections to use as the B and C for our Rondo. With the "Peaches" song for example, I have them list other Mario character names and we "rap" them on the beat for the B section, then they choose a few simple instruments and play the rhythm of one of the melodies from the Mario soundtrack for C. Once we have our 3 sections we review the order we need for a Rondo and perform it as a whole song.
4. Create in Rondo: Individual Composition
Once they understand how to create contrasting sections and arrange them in Rondo form, we jump into creating a Rondo from scratch. I actually use the video game composition project (get all the materials and directions for that project here) for this. Students come up with a concept for a game that has 3 scenes or levels, with one of them being the "home" or "main" scene that the player returns to and the other 2 being sort of "side quests". Then they create music that evokes the image of each of the 3 scenes, and put them together in Rondo form.
There are certainly a lot of other great lesson activities and examples I've used over the years to introduce Rondo form, but those are the lessons I'm currently using! If you want to see the detailed lesson plans along with all of the visuals and materials for the lessons, you can find them in the Organized Chaos 5th grade curriculum. What other lessons do you like to use to teach Rondo form? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments! And if you want to see my general strategies and lesson ideas for teaching form, as well as my lesson plans for teaching other specific forms including theme and variations, sonata form, etc, head to this blog post.
.jpg)
.jpg)
