Grade 4 : Composers Guided Research Project (2017/2018)

Students will work in groups of 3 members. Each group will have a group leader. The group leader will communicate with the teacher and oversee the project flow. The group members will be responsible for the following:

1. Research and compile information to share about the composer
2. Include one song by your composer to play during presentation
3. Create a PowerPoint representing the composer
4. Research instrument used by the composer, as well as famous songs
5. include any other background information (history, regions, influences, etc) for the composer
6. Present the data to the class

Class 1

• Students will be assigned to groups and a group leader will be appointed
• Students will select a composer to research
• Students will fill out their presentation rubric

Class 2

• Students will research information for their project
• Students will record informational facts about their genre onto their presentation note

Class 3

• Group leaders will provide an update on groups progress

Class 4

• Each group will create a short PowerPoint presentation to share with their class
• The presentation should conclude with a listening example from the composer

Class 5

• Students present composer PowerPoint to their class

Class 6

• Students will play a game of 'Name that Composer', featuring songs from all 4th-grade composer research presentations

List of composers:

• Adele
• Louis Armstrong
• Johann Sebastian Bach
• Ludwig Van Beethoven
• Irvin Berlin
• Leonard Bernstein
• Georges Bizet
• Johannes Brahms
• John Cage
• Ray Charles
• Kelly Clarkson
• Frederic Chopin
• Aaron Copland
• Duke Ellington
• George Gershwin
• Elton John
• George Fredric Handle
• Joseph Haydn
• Beyonce Knowles
• Scott Joplin
• Francis Scott Key
• Franz Liszt
• Paul McCartney
• Felix Mendelssohn
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Carl Orff
• Dolly Parton
• Franz Schubert
• Camile Saint-Saens
• Clara Schuman
• John Philip Sousa
• Igor Starvinsky
• Taylor Swift
• Pyotr Llyich Tchaikovsky
• Carrie Underwood
• Guiseppi Verdi
• Antonio Vivaldi
• John Williams
• Pharrel Wiliams

Hand Staff

The hand staff or, the Guidonian hand—was first used by Guido D’Arezzo (c. 991-c. 1033). You can use your hand staff to practice saying and remembering the letter names of the lines and spaces of the staffs. If you hold up one hand and turn it sideways, the five fingers on that hand represent the five lines of a staff. And, if you spread those five fingers apart slightly, then the gaps between those fingers represent the four spaces of the staff.

REMEMBER THAT WE ALWAYS COUNT LINES AND SPACES AND SAY THE LETTER NAMES OF THE LINES AND SPACES FROM THE BOTTOM UP, NEVER FROM THE TOP DOWN!!! 

The Grade 3 students had a wonderful time in class designing their own Guidonian Hand. Here are some of their beautiful work!

Grade 4 (Lesson 3/2015/2016) : Music tells us about history.

Enduring Understanding

Music literacy skills make it easier to learn music that we can perform alone and with others.

Essential Questions

• How can reading music help me make music with others?
• How do we know how music sounded before audio recordings?
• What do I need to know to create music and share it with my friends?

Performance Task

With a partner, create and notate a short composition in ABA form of at least two measures for each section and play or sing it using solfege for your classmates. Use rhythms and pitches you have studied in class.

Understand and read rhythmic notation

Notes: (symbols for sound) 

• Quarter note (ta)
• Eighth notes (ti-ti) - double and single
• Half note (ta-a or two--)
• Dotted half note (ta-a-a or three--)
• Whole note (ta-a-a-a or four---)
• Sixteenth notes (ti-ki-ti-ki) and combined with eighths (ti-ti-ki or ti-ki-ti)
• Dotted quarter note (tum)
• Dotted quarter/eighth (tum-ti)
• Dotted eighth note (tim)
• Dotted eighth/sixteenth (tim-ki) 

Rests: (symbols for silence)

• Quarter
• Eighth
• Half 
• Whole

Rhythm Syllables 

Tie (contrast with slur)

Understand meter in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4

• Strong and weak beats
• Accent
• Bar Lines
• Measures 
• Time Signature
• Conducting Patterns
• Pick-up notes/incomplete measures

Skills

• Read and decode rhythmic notation and speak or perform it on classroom instruments.
• Write rhythmic notation from dictation.
• Write rhythmic notation in a template of beats.
• Add bar-lines for a rhythm, given the time signature.
• Recognize meters in 2, 3, 4.
• Use conducting patterns in 2, 3, and 4.

The Staff

The staff consists of five lines and four spaces. Each of those lines and each of those spaces represents a different letter, which in turn represents a note. Those lines and spaces represent notes named A-G, and the note sequence moves alphabetically up the staff.

Treble Clef

There are two main clefs with which to familiarize yourself; the first is a treble clef. The treble clef has the ornamental letter G on the far left side. The G’s inner swoop encircles the “G” line on the staff. The treble clef notates the higher registers of music, so if your instrument has a higher pitch, such as a flute, violin or saxophone, your sheet music is written in the treble clef.  Higher notes on a keyboard also are notated on the treble clef.

We use common mnemonics to remember the note names for the lines and spaces of the treble clef. For lines, we remember EGBDF by the word cue “Every Good Boy Does Fine.” Similarly for the spaces, FACE is just like the word “face.”

Bass Clef

The line between the two bass clef dots is the “F” line on the bass clef staff, and it’s also referred to as the F clef. The bass clef notates the lower registers of music, so if your instrument has a lower pitch, such as a bassoon, tuba or cello, your sheet music is written in the bass clef. Lower notes on your keyboard also are notated in the bass clef.

A common mnemonic to remember note names for the lines of the bass clef is: GBDFA “Good Boys Do Fine Always.” And for the spaces: ACEG, “All Cows Eat Grass.”

Note Duration and Reading Rhythms

Grade 4 (Lesson 2/2015/2016) : Transcript of Music Composition

'Who We Are' 

• Create your own music compositions
• Write your time signatures
• Write down the notes on staff paper
• You must use quarter notes, half notes, eighth notes and quarter note rests
• Play it from the score and ask yourself:

1. Does it sound right?
2. Are you missing any notes?
3. Did you write down a different rhythm from your original tune?

• REPEAT EVERYTHING AGAIN to create new material for your song
• Make sure you have the right number of beats in each measure. Add rhythm and make sure you have the correct number of beats in each measure
• Play on the xylophone a piece of music that you have composed
• Make sure you follow these steps to write down your music accurately!

Grade 4 (Lesson 1/2015/2016): Exploring the Families of Instruments

Objective

Students will learn about the families of instruments and conclude by constructing a model instrument from one of the families studied.

Learning Outcomes

Students should learn specific sounds made or created by each of the five families of instruments. They will make a drum and play the instruments as a group activity.

Materials

Students will need materials based on how complex they wish to make their project.

Lesson

1. Each student will write a short paragraph describing their favorite musical instrument. After writing the paragraph, the student will draw a representation of the instrument

Welcome Back (2015/2016)

Welcome back, Music Cave students!  I am so excited for a new school year and to be writing in my blog again. 

The new National Core Arts Standards, which were just released in June 2015 focus on creating music, performing music, responding to music, and connecting music to other experiences.  Feel free to read more about the new standards here, or just admire the posters below.

Now that the room is ready, I look forward to seeing all of the Music Cave students in music class and to meeting their families at the RAS Open House on Thursday, August 20, 2015 from 3.30pm to 5.00pm.

Happy Singing!

Grade 4 - Lesson 2 (Q4) (Classical Composers)

Classical Composers Research and Timeline Presentation

Students will work in groups. The timeline presentation of composer research will be scheduled for the week of May 8.

Project Details

Each group will research the various musical eras and create a timeline.

• Baroque
• Classical
• Romantic
• Modern

Choose one composer and present interesting findings (not dry recitation of facts and dates) biography. Research the life and music of your assigned composer or historical music period. Students will present their findings about the composer, including three major musical pieces, favored musical instruments and musical style.

Create one large, colorful, and detailed poster OR PREZI showing the following information IN YOUR OWN WORDS! 

For composers:

a. Year of birth, birthplace (city and country)
b. Year of death (city and country) if not alive
c. Location where most music was writtend. 3 important and interesting facts about the composer's life that significantly affected their music.
e. What instrument or instrument group is composer most known for writing? (Ex. string quartet, solo piano, symphony, band, etc.)
f. Focus piece of music (Listed in Group Section):

i. What style of music was it?
ii. What instrument group performed the work?
iii. Date written
iv. Date of first performancev. 2 paragraphs of interesting facts and information about the piece musically (Do not list the types of instruments used or other general information. What makes the piece unique or different?)

g. Create a musical timeline featuring 5 of the composer’s most important works, the 3 important and interesting facts about the composer’s life, and birth and death dates. (TIMELINE should be a snapshot of all your researched information) 

For historic musical periods:

a. dates of historic musical period (ex. 1300-1500)
b. countries and/or cities where most music during period came from
c. 3 most important musical developments during the time period (Research in depth before choosing the 3 most important)
d. 3 of the most important composers from the time period and why were they so important or influential (Most important or influential means they or their music are unique in some way. Do not list general information that’s not unique or different.)
e. most prominent instruments played during this time period
f. Most famous piece of music written during this period: 

i. What style of music was it?
ii. What instrument group performed the work? 
iii. Date written

iv. Date of first performance
v. 1 interesting fact about piece musically (Do not list the types of instruments used or other general information. What makes the piece unique or different?)

g. Create a musical timeline featuring 5 of the period’s most important works, the 3 most important musical developments. (TIMELINE should be a snapshot of all your researched information)

Each member of the research group is responsible for researching all information. Each member must participate in the oral presentation for the group. 

Present an oral presentation of your poster to the class

• Each member must present at least 1 element from the poster.
• Speak clearly and project your voice so everyone can hear you.
• It’s important each member appear engaged so the audience understands the importance of the information being given.
• The group must demonstrate a sense of teamwork and collaboration.
• Presentation should be 2-5 minutes in length.

Grade 4 - Vocal Lesson (Level 1)

At Level 1, you can learn about pitching and how to swing notes. You’ll perform one songs and build on your vocal skills.

Choose your song from the song list, including one of the Technical focus songs that develop particular skills.

1. Using their singing voice, students will sing correct pitches, rhythm and tempo, with expression and appropriate vocal technique.
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the criteria that are used to evaluate vocal performance by evaluating their own performance. 

• Use an Ipad to record yourself singing
• Take note of your pitching and enunciation
• Memorize the lyrics of the song and be ready to perform to the class
• Use appropriate breathing techniques when singing

Grade 4 - Lesson 1 (Q4) (Create a Jingle for your Zoo)

• Using GarageBand, record a song, or jingle, advertising your zoo exhibit

 What is an "EXHIBIT"?

     publicly display a work of art or item of interest    

     

     What is a "JINGLE"?

is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses.    The jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans.

• Your advertisement should be about 30 seconds long and should persuade others to see your new zoo exhibit.

• Don’t forget to mention what new animal they will be able to see.

• After recording your advertisement, save it on Google Drive so that you can share it with me.

Standards Addressed

• Working independently or collaboratively and within teacher guidelines, create and notate a melody to convey extra musical ideas such as a ballad or story, using audio recording, graphic notation, or standard notation as appropriate. Create a simple accompaniment for the work.

• Use voices and instruments to create appropriate sound effects or accompaniments to a poem or short story.