Mrs. L’s Thanksgiving lesson: drmfs and introducing note values

This lesson is available as a simplified PDF. Click here.

Teaching fa and sol, reviewing drm and introducing note values using Thanksgiving-themed songs and visuals

  1. Welcome Song (“Delicious Music“)
  2. Review the school song. Learn or review a portion or all of the song for 3-5 minutes.
  3. Nature/history/life connection: Discuss any changes in the weather, etc. or other events leading up to Thanksgiving vacation. It rained and then hailed the day I taught, so I had the children make a pitter patter sound, patting their hands on their thighs lightly, then faster, mimicking how the rain comes down faster, then louder and faster, pretending how it began to hail, then going in reverse order back to pitter patter. We then had a brief discussion about learning to listen to music in nature. I asked them what makes music in nature. They answered wind, rain, crickets, birds, and a turtle. I said that they would need to be a very good listener to hear the turtle! Other answers might have been thunder, leaves rustling, etc. Welcomed every answer and connect it back to learning to listen and observe. 
  4. Review drm and “Hot Cross Buns.’ Ask them which hand signs and note names they remember from last week. Play these on the bells and review them as you play. Go slowly at first, then faster and faster. Do ascending (drm) first several times, making it a little game to go faster, and then descending the same way. As you sing “mrd” ask them what it reminds them of, and then sing and sign “Hot Cross Buns.” You could ask them if they are going to have special rolls for Thanksgiving.
  5. Over the River and Through the Woods.” Sing the song while reading from a picture book of the song. Many children are familiar with the song. Some are not. After singing it through once, sing the notes of the first line aloud. Open the bells set and start to play, beginning with sol. (ssssmrsss, etc.) Then point to sol and tell them it’s name, and fa and tell them its name. Play the first line again having them sing the new notes with you. Teach them the signs for these notes and sign/sing the first line. (ssssmrsss sd’d’d’tls). (As shown in the photo above, we use this version of the book at our school: Over the River and Through the Woods: A Thanksgiving Poem by Lydia Maria Child and illustrated by Christopher Manson.) 
  6. Apple pie and note values and “I Am Like an Apple Seed” song. Hold up a green apple (Granny Smith—if you’ve got one—or any other variety if not) and a pie dish. Ask who loves apple pie at Thanksgiving. Tell them that when they help make apple pie next week that you hope they might think of something. Hold up the Song Seed© version of “I Am Like an Apple Seed” and/or “Hot Cross Buns” and ask them what is different about the notes besides their colors. (Size or how long you sing them, etc.) Hold up the apple slice chart and explain that the large circle is like a whole apple. If you cut a whole apple in half, you have 2 halves, right? If you cut it in half again, you have a (you can ask the children to fill in the blank by pausing and seeing if anyone knows) quarter, and in half again, you get an (pause) eighth of an apple. Each of these apples is half as big as the one before it. Notes are like this. Some are long, some are short, some are very short, and some are the shortest. Tell the children you are going to “sight read” (explain that that is what you call singing a song from a piece of sheet music for the first time) this song. Hold up the “Apple Seed” song and sing it. Sing and sign it. Teach them the words. Ask the teacher to be your metronome and clap one beat for the small notes and tell the children to listen and count how many claps the bigger notes at the end get. Sing it once while they are listening and then count it while singing the notes and count “1-2” at the notes at the end of the song. Tell them that the small notes are half as long as the larger ones in this song. Go back to the apple slices page and remind them that each each or note is half the size as the one before it. Invite them to think about this as they help someone make a pie for Thanksgiving.
  7. Music composition. Tell the children you are going to write an “apple pie” song for Thankgsiving. Give them a line of lyrics (make one up) and then ask for suggestions for one more line of lyrics. (There isn’t necessarily time to write an entire song. It’s just the process of creation and composing that we are modeling.) Then ask for volunteers to suggest a Solfa note for each word/syllable. Write the abbreviation for each note above the word or syllable. After composing one line, sing and play it on the resonator bells for the children to hear. Then compose the second line and play it. Then sing the entire song all together while playing it on the bells. Invite them to compose a song over the holiday.
  8. Sing “Adios, Amigos.”

Teaching Tip:

Sometimes I write my lesson plan on the board before I begin teaching.

Mrs. B’s Week 6

Week 6  (For a printable PDF of this lesson, go here.)

The physical, mental and emotional effects of music

Welcome:  Delicious Music Theme Song

Getting to Know You:  Hyrum, Rayn, Sailor, Joohno, Jack

Activity:  Music makes you feel different emotions:  happy, sad, scared, excited.  Listen to music and see how you feel:

1.  Excited:

Play: La Polka Militaire

Sing:  Jingle bells (use bells)

2.  Sad:

Play:  Moonlight Sonata

Sing:   if you chance to meet a frown

3.  Scared:

Play:  Pawnee Attack

I’m a mean old witch

I’m a mean old witch with a hat

And I ride on a broom with my cat

And my shoes are pointed and my chin is too

And you better watch out cause I might scare you

I’m a mean old witch with a hat.  Boo!

4.  Happy:

Play:  Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious

Sing:   If you’re happy and you know it

Discussion:  Music can make you feel so many emotions so always be careful to listen to music that makes you feel good and happy and avoid music that is harmful.

Goodbye:  Adios Amigos

Mrs. B’s Week 10: Thanksgiving, drmfs Review

Week 10 (For printable PDF of this lesson, go here.)

Thanksgiving Week

Welcome:  Delicious Music Theme Song

Review:  Anyone remember d,r,m,f,s signs?

Activity:  Feed the pig

1.  If You’re Thankful and You Know It Clap Your Hands – What are you thankful for toss?

2.  Who am I? (Mary Had a little lamb) – Use d,r, m, f, s bells

See my feathers colored bright, colored bright, colored bright (rpt) what a pretty sight.

See my tummy big and fat, big and fat, big and fat (rpt) what do you think of that?

See my head look all around, look all around, (rpt) for corn down on the ground.

See me as I strut and saw, strut and sway, strut and sway (rpt) gobble, gobble, gobble.

3.  A Thanksgiving Song (row, row, row your boat)  – Eddie Spaghetti

The Pilgrims sailed away, far across the sea

They came to America so they could be free

The Native Americans helped them plant the corn

Then they shared a great big feast, Thanksgiving Day was born!

4.  Thanksgiving Day Is Here (The Wheels on the bus)

The turkey on the farm says, “gobble, gobble, gobble” (rpt.) Thanksgiving Day is here

The farmer on the farm goes chop, chop chop, (rpt.)  Thanksgiving Day is here

The turkey on the farm says “Please help me! (Rpt.) Thanksgiving Day is here

The children on the farm say “Come and hide.”  (Rpt.)  Thanksgiving Day is here

The people of the farm eat Kentucky Fried Chicken, (rpt.) Thanksgiving Day is here

5.  I’m Thankful (Row, row, row your boat) – Pizza Contest

I’m thankful for my friends and my family.

I’m thankful for the food I eat

I’m happy to be me!

Mrs. B’s Week 9

Week 9 (For a printable PDF of this lesson, go here.)

Solfa: d-r-m-f-s

Welcome:  Delicious Music Theme Song

D-R-M Review:

1.  review signs

2.  someone write song

3.  learn words to hot cross buns

4.  sing solfa hot cross buns

Teach F-S:

1.  teach signs

2.  someone write song

3.  learn words to banana split

4.  sing solfa banana split

Fun Song:  We Are the Explorers  (Willy the worm)

Goodbye:  Adios Amigos

Mrs. B’s Week 8

Week 8 (For a printable PDF, go here.)

Notes/Solfa

Welcome:  Delicious Music theme song

Introduction:  We have learned so much in music.  We’ve learned about:  vibrations, how you can make music with your body and that makes you special.  We’ve talked about how music can make you feel all kinds of emotions like happy, sad or scared.

Today we are going to learn how we make music using notes.

1.  Show piano sheet music that is simple and music that is complex.  Point out notes.

2.  In Delicious Music we are not going to learn note names but learn about something called Solfa.

Video:  Show Sound of Music clip

Solfa:  Learn first three solfa pitches and signs (d, r, m).  Put notes together you can make a song.

Solfa Game:  Magnet d, r, m circles on board put into different order and sign and sing made up song.

Sing:  We are the Explorers

Goodbye:  Adios Amigos

Mrs. B’s Week 7

Week 7 (For a printable PDF of this lesson, go here.)

Halloween Fun

Welcome:  Delicious Music Theme Song

Activity:  Draw an object

1.  I’m a Mean old Witch with a Hat (witch) – ghost measure

2.  Those Bones (skeleton)

“These bones, these bones, these dancing bones

These bones, these bones, these dancing bones

These bones, these bones, these dancing bones

We’re doing the skeleton dance.”

3.  5 Creepy Spiders (spider) – tune:  3 blind mice -Echo game

5 creepy spiders.  Five creepy spiders

See how they crawl.  See how they crawl

Crawl crawl craw.  Crawl crawl crawl

Five creepy spiders.  Five creepy spiders

4.  Knock Knock, Trick of Treat (ghost)

Knock Knock, trick or treat. Who are you?

I’m a ghost.  I’m a ghost.

Knock Knock, trick or treat. Who are you?

I’m a scary ghost.  Boo!

5.  Go Away! Tune:  (monster) she’ll be coming around the mountain – animal sounds

Go away scary monster, go away.

Go away! (repeat)

Go away spooky witch, go away

Go away! (repeat)

6.  Can You Make a Happy Face? (pumpkin) Tune:  London Bridges – what jack o’ lantern did you carve?

Can you make a happy face?  Happy face, happy face?

Can you make a happy face?  Jack o’ lantern

Can you make an angry face….

Can you make a scared face….

Can you make a sad face….

Week 8

Notes and pitch

Introduce Solfa and sing garden style music

Mrs. B’s Week 5

Week 5 (For printable PDF, go here.)

You are Unique

Welcome:  Time for Some Delicious Music

Getting to Know You:  Alice, Conner, Canyon, Macey

Activity:  Marvin the Monkey

Everything about you is unique!  The way you look, your voice and everything about you makes you unique and special.  Marvin the Monkey has things posted all over him that make him unique.

1.  Eyes –  Two little Eyes

Two little eyes that blink, blink, blink

Two little eyes that see;

Head and shoulders, knees and toes;

And many more things make me

Tra la la la la la

Two little eyes that see,

Two little eyes that blink, blink, blink,

And many more things make me.

2.   Mouth – Vibrations are unique to you

ipad experiment

Blindfold teacher to see if she can pick out who’s speaking

Sing:  The Explorers

3.  Knees –  Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

4.  Daniel tiger – You are Special

You are my friend you are special

You’re one of a kind.

You’re special.

Discussion:  How do you take care of your unique body?

Goodbye:  Adios Amigos

Mrs. B’s Week 4

Week 4  (Printable PDF here)

Fall Fun:  Scarecrow poster

Welcome:  Delicious music theme song

Activity:  Pick a part of the poster and build a scarecrow.  Each piece has a song and occasionally an activity to go with it

1.  The Explorers

2.  Bells:  Adios Amigos (one person plays it on the bells)

3.  In the leafy tree tops (use legato / staccato signs)

4.  It’s Autumn time (use animal sound signs)

5.  Hinges (from children’s primary songbook)

6.  Leaves are falling all around (use eddie spaghetti poster)

Goodbye Song:  Sing Adios Amigos

Mrs. B’s Week 3: Vibrations and Waves

Week 3 (For printable PDF, go here.)

Vibrations and Waves

Welcome:  Delicious music theme song

Getting to know you:  Pick four more children to share something about themselves and play a song on the bells.

Activity:  Learn about what makes sound.  Sound is vibrations that go to my ear and sends a message to my brain making sounds that I can hear.

Demonstrations: (classrooms may be stocked with the first two items)

1.  Vibrations:  pluck an elastic around a bread pan to show vibrations

2.  Vibrations create airwaves:  hit one pan next to another pan that has cupcake sprinkles on top and watch the sprinkles move.

3.  Feel vibrations:  comb and wax paper activity

a.  give everyone a plastic comb (I found packs at the dollar store)

b.  cover the comb with a small square piece of wax paper

c.  blow into the wax paper to feel the vibrations

d.  blow to the tune of “adios amigos” together

Video:  Evelyn Glennie – deaf percussionist who plays by feeling the vibrations through her fingers and body (7:25 minutes found on freedeliciousmusic.org)

Song:  The Explorers

Goodbye Song:  Sing Adios Amigos

Mrs. B’s Week 2

Week 2 (For a printable PDF of this lesson, go here.)

The Story of Music

Welcome:  Sing theme song and teach next line.

Getting to know you:  Pick four more children to share something about themselves and play a song on the bells.

Activity:  Mr. Potato Head activity

1.  We are going to learn about music today by using our bodies.

2.  Mr. Musical Max is missing body parts.  Pick a part and tell us how you would use that body part to make music.

a.  Hands:  How would you make music with your hands?  Clapping

1.  make rainstorm using hands (small pitter – patter to loud rain).  Use signs for kids to show loud and softs of rain.

a.  principle – loud and soft in music.

b.  Mouth:  How do you make music with your mouth?  Singing

1.  teach first two lines of school song.

a.  principle – all bodies are different so everyone has a unique sound.

c.  Feet:  How can you make music with your feet?  Stomping

1.  Sing:  “if you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet”

2.  Show clogging shoes and demonstrate sounds made by feet.

a.  principle – music makes us feel happy and is made up of rhythm and beats.

Coloring books:  Books to take home and color that talks about some things we learned about today.  Color and read it with family.

Goodbye Song:  Sing Adios Amigos