Lesson Planning

1-2s – Week 1 (Sample)

Learn:

Materials Needed: chickitas/egg shakers, assorted instruments, sound device

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+ Hello and Welcome 2 min

Key: D Kind: routine Tonality: major Meter: duple
Activity: greeting song with bouncing, clapping, tapping
Objective: The children will respond actively to music by clapping, tapping, rocking, etc. to the beat. The children will sing a greeting song fostering routines and strong social connections.
S&S: Vocal–5, Beat/Rhythm–2, Creative Movement–1
Musical activities:

Sing the song inserting each child’s name where indicated. Suggested accompaniment: piano, guitar, ukulele, tambourine or clapping hands.

Move around the circle making eye contact with each child when their name is sung. Use a “hello” hand movement when singing the children’s names. Return to clapping hands or your instrument when all the children’s names have been sung.

Invite the children to sing, clap, bounce or tap along to the beat encouraging an active response to music.

Extra repetitions? Reinforce body awareness by singing, “Hello to my nose, hello to my hands, hello to my toes, too.”
Teacher Notes:

+ Apple Tree 3 min

Key: -- Kind: small movement Tonality: -- Meter: duple
Activity: finger play, high and low voice play, moving in high, middle and low space
Objective: The children will move in high, middle and low spaces using small movement activities. The children will use vocal play to begin feeling the full range of their voice from low to high.
S&S: Vocal–2, Creative Movement–3
Musical activities:

Use vocal play to transition to this rhythmic rhyme.

Slowly stretch hands up over head while simultaneously creating a vocal ascending sound using “oo” or “ah”. Bring hands down creating a vocal descending sound using the same syllable.

Repeat #2 several times. Incorporate vocal babble from the children into the voice play for reinforcement of vocal flexibility.

Swing up-reached arms side to side for the first two phrases of the rhyme on the macrobeat (big).

With clasped hands at torso, shake back and forth on the microbeat (little) to mimic shaking a tree.

Move up-reached arms down while wiggling fingers on “Down came the apples.”

Rub tummy on “Mmm, they were good.”

Repeat this rhyme several times for the benefits of repetition. Encourage the children to move with you.

Rhythm patterns Tap your lap to the macrobeat when the patterns begin saying, “Be my echo.” Musically-competent teachers can create their own 4-beat patterns. Presentation ideas: music play
Teacher Notes:

+ Twinkle Little Light 5 min

Key: E Kind: prop Tonality: major Meter: duple
Activity: shakers, microbeat, macrobeat
Objective: The children will move to macrobeat and microbeat using egg shakers or other shaking instruments. The children will sing nonsense syllables.
S&S: Instrument Play–1, Beat/Rhythm–4, Vocal–4, 6
Musical activities:

Distribute shakers. Turn on

Raise arms up over your head rocking side to side to the macrobeat (big) throughout the opening “Twinkle, Twinkle” introduction.

Shake to the microbeat (little) throughout one repetition of the song.

Transfer the beat to your knees, toes or tummy, etc. switching to macrobeat (big) on the repeat.

Select a new movement and alternate between the microbeat and macrobeat with each new repetition. Choose a new shaker variation at the start of every microbeat. The children can be a springboard for new variations. Observe carefully.

Repeat step two for the final repetition. Turn off the music and continue a cappella.

Incorporate more variations with the shakers replacing lyrics with nonsense syllables in subsequent repetitions addressing the limited language of this age group.

Collect shakers.

Tonal patterns Sing tonal patterns while collecting shakers to allow the children the opportunity to hear and spontaneously respond to them. If using the recorded patterns, the teacher can be the echo. Musically-competent teachers can create their own patterns in E major. Presentation ideas: music play
Teacher Notes:

+ Twist All Day 5 min

Key: Dm Kind: large movement Tonality: harmonic Meter: duple
Activity: large movement
Objective: The children will move freely to the beat using suggested large movement ideas such as twisting, bouncing, flying, spinning or dancing.
S&S: Beat/Rhythm–2, Creative Movement–1
Musical activities:

Everyone stands up.Turn on

Twist, bounce, fly, spin, dance, etc., into the lyrics. Use one large movement throughout an entire verse. Be sure to use movements encouraging movement in the entire body responding to both macrobeat (big) and microbeat (little). Variations: large movement

All sit down at the end of the song.
Teacher Notes:

+ Starry Night 5 min

Key: Dm Kind: prop Tonality: harmonic Meter: triple
Activity: assorted instruments
Objective: The children will improvise using an instrument of their choosing from an array of assorted instruments. The children will use elements of beat and rhythm to create their own accompaniment.
S&S: Instrument Play–4, Beat/Rhythm–2, Creating Music–5
Musical activities:

Distribute instruments. Turn on

Children choose an instrument playing freely to build confidence in improvisation and movement to the beat and rhythms.

Collect instruments.
Teacher Notes:

+ It’s Time to Say Goodbye 3 min

Key: C Kind: routine Tonality: major Meter: triple
Activity: farewell song; sway left and right; clap
Objective: The children will actively respond to this triple meter song by clapping, tapping, rocking, etc. to the beat. The children will sing a farewell song supporting routines and community.
S&S: Vocal–1,5, Beat/Rhythm–2, Creative Movement–1
Musical activities:

Sing a cappella while clapping your hands or sing accompanied with piano, guitar or ukulele encouraging the children to sing along.

Sway left and right to the triple feel while singing all of the children’s names where indicated.*

Limited time? Sing goodbye to the boys, girls, teacher(s) and then into “So long, farewell, I enjoyed my time with you.” Finish with the balance of the song.
Teacher Notes:

Thank you for visiting Classroom Jamboree™ – Lesson Plan 1.

The full Classroom Jamboree program includes 30 plans for each age grouping. There are 90 plans in all for a complete year of musical fun and learning in the classroom. Email director, Barbara Lysenko, for more information and an appointment to learn more. Barbara@KidsMusicRound.com