Season One: Bonus
End of Year Ideas
Here are some tried and true classroom ideas that I've used at the end of the school year. Some I'm still figuring out how to do better and others I've done many times. Hope you find at least one gem that you can use in your room to keep your sanity while continuing the music making with students to the end. Finish well friends!
** Review songs, games, books, and activities from throughout the year
Go through your lesson plans for the year and select material to review with students. Spend time singing songs together, reading/singing books, and performing folk dances. If it's a beautiful day outside you could even bring a ukulele, guitar, or nothing at all - simply go outside and play circle games or folk dances. If you need music to accompany, bring a device and portable speaker. This is a great way to review all the song material that you've enjoyed together throughout the year.
**Teach song material that you didn't get to during the year
In other words, test out some of the ideas that you have for next year. This is something that I often do with my oldest grade level. You want it simple enough that they can grasp the concepts and material easily, but not so simple that it's too boring. I wouldn't try a kindergarten idea out with fifth graders. It can be a great way to process how you want to teach a new piece by trying it out with your older students. Let them know that they are your test group (they love knowing you're trusting them with something different) and that you want their feedback. Then ask them for it! What was easily understood? What was hard about the piece? What ideas might they have for it? I will often try out new barred piece melodies that I've wanted to teach to students, but hadn't done before. This gives me a safe way to 'fail' if it isn't learned well and a chance to work out any kinks that may come up. It allows me to try something new without any pressure of an upcoming performance or informance. And it allows students to explore a new piece. They can even take it further with composition or creating a second part for the melody that isn't on the page. Allows for some creativity and exploration for everyone.
**Music Bingo
Many variations out there! For a free rhythm bingo, use my Google Slides. Simply print them and use them! I'm hoping to get an instrument bingo created as well and will put that out here once it's ready.
**Rhythm Chairs
Great idea for reviewing rhythms and all you need are students and chairs. There are many ways to do this activity. The goal is to recreate the 4-beat pattern that is clapped. Each chair represents a beat and students represent the parts of the beat. Every group will need four chairs (four beats)
Option One: You could divide the class into two groups. You clap a rhythm (such as ta ta ti-ti ta). The groups have a specified amount of time to have students either standing behind or sitting in the chairs to represent the pattern that had been clapped. It would look like this:
C1- 1 student C2 - 1 student C3 - 2 students C4 - 1 student
If they have created the correct pattern, their team earns a point. To use a quarter rest, simply leave the chair empty.
Option Two: Divide students into smaller groups and do the same thing.
Be aware that you will need to clap rhythms that allow for the size group that you have. If students are in a group of 8, you can't do four sixteenth notes on each chair because you won't have enough kids.
**Alphabet Game
Students are grouped into pairs or trios. They list the alphabet letters on the left side of their paper. You give them a category and they have to come up with an answer that fits that category using the letters - only one answer per letter of the alphabet. Here is a Google Doc answer sheet if you prefer to already have the alphabet written out.
For example, if the category is famous musicians they might write:
A- Alanis Morisette
B- Billie Eilish
C- Cat Stevens...
Then put on a timer for anywhere between 2-5 minutes. Students earn one point per correct response. It depends on how much time you have dedicated to this activity - shorter does work, but they won't get as much filled in. At the end of the timer, you can either gather up their answers and give them a new piece of paper to do a second round (during the second round, you grade the first round and give one point per correct answer). Or you can ask them to share out in class - one group at a time. Do this for as many rounds as you like!
Category Ideas:
Famous Musicians
Instruments
Song Titles
Movie Titles
Composers (hard one!)
Famous Duos or Trios
Tv Show Titles
** Classroom Inventory
Ask students that you can trust to take inventory of the classroom supplies or instruments. Use this Google Sheet to write down information.
**Rhythmic Dictation
Like the telephone game, but with tapping rhythms.
Students sit in lines, all facing the same direction. Each group is a single line. There are a variety of ways to do this one.
Variation One:
The student at the back of the line turns over a rhythm card. They tap the rhythm on the shoulder of the student in front of them and it's passed to the front. The student at the front of the line then writes the rhythm they felt. If it's the same, the team gets a point.
Variation Two:
Teacher taps the same rhythm on the back/shoulder of each person at the end of each line. The rhythm is passed up to the front person, who writes the rhythm they felt. If the rhythm is correct, the team gets a point.
Variation Three:
A rhythm is passed up the line - either by the teacher or with a card. The person at the front of the line spells out the rhythm using popsicle sticks. If correct, the team gets a point.
**Summer Theme
a. Love the Summer - cute song from Music K-8
b. Create a summer thunderstorm with body percussion - great example here.
c. Create word chains
-A section: write a short poem about summer (you do this or have students work together to create one)
-students brainstorm things they do or enjoy in the summer
-put the words together to create a word chain
-perform with body percussion, rhythm sticks, found sounds (kitchen items)
-perform as a rondo form
End of Year Ideas
Here are some tried and true classroom ideas that I've used at the end of the school year. Some I'm still figuring out how to do better and others I've done many times. Hope you find at least one gem that you can use in your room to keep your sanity while continuing the music making with students to the end. Finish well friends!
Go through your lesson plans for the year and select material to review with students. Spend time singing songs together, reading/singing books, and performing folk dances. If it's a beautiful day outside you could even bring a ukulele, guitar, or nothing at all - simply go outside and play circle games or folk dances. If you need music to accompany, bring a device and portable speaker. This is a great way to review all the song material that you've enjoyed together throughout the year.
**Teach song material that you didn't get to during the year
In other words, test out some of the ideas that you have for next year. This is something that I often do with my oldest grade level. You want it simple enough that they can grasp the concepts and material easily, but not so simple that it's too boring. I wouldn't try a kindergarten idea out with fifth graders. It can be a great way to process how you want to teach a new piece by trying it out with your older students. Let them know that they are your test group (they love knowing you're trusting them with something different) and that you want their feedback. Then ask them for it! What was easily understood? What was hard about the piece? What ideas might they have for it? I will often try out new barred piece melodies that I've wanted to teach to students, but hadn't done before. This gives me a safe way to 'fail' if it isn't learned well and a chance to work out any kinks that may come up. It allows me to try something new without any pressure of an upcoming performance or informance. And it allows students to explore a new piece. They can even take it further with composition or creating a second part for the melody that isn't on the page. Allows for some creativity and exploration for everyone.
**Music Bingo
Many variations out there! For a free rhythm bingo, use my Google Slides. Simply print them and use them! I'm hoping to get an instrument bingo created as well and will put that out here once it's ready.
**Rhythm Chairs
Great idea for reviewing rhythms and all you need are students and chairs. There are many ways to do this activity. The goal is to recreate the 4-beat pattern that is clapped. Each chair represents a beat and students represent the parts of the beat. Every group will need four chairs (four beats)
Option One: You could divide the class into two groups. You clap a rhythm (such as ta ta ti-ti ta). The groups have a specified amount of time to have students either standing behind or sitting in the chairs to represent the pattern that had been clapped. It would look like this:
C1- 1 student C2 - 1 student C3 - 2 students C4 - 1 student
If they have created the correct pattern, their team earns a point. To use a quarter rest, simply leave the chair empty.
Option Two: Divide students into smaller groups and do the same thing.
Be aware that you will need to clap rhythms that allow for the size group that you have. If students are in a group of 8, you can't do four sixteenth notes on each chair because you won't have enough kids.
**Alphabet Game
Students are grouped into pairs or trios. They list the alphabet letters on the left side of their paper. You give them a category and they have to come up with an answer that fits that category using the letters - only one answer per letter of the alphabet. Here is a Google Doc answer sheet if you prefer to already have the alphabet written out.
For example, if the category is famous musicians they might write:
A- Alanis Morisette
B- Billie Eilish
C- Cat Stevens...
Then put on a timer for anywhere between 2-5 minutes. Students earn one point per correct response. It depends on how much time you have dedicated to this activity - shorter does work, but they won't get as much filled in. At the end of the timer, you can either gather up their answers and give them a new piece of paper to do a second round (during the second round, you grade the first round and give one point per correct answer). Or you can ask them to share out in class - one group at a time. Do this for as many rounds as you like!
Category Ideas:
Famous Musicians
Instruments
Song Titles
Movie Titles
Composers (hard one!)
Famous Duos or Trios
Tv Show Titles
** Classroom Inventory
Ask students that you can trust to take inventory of the classroom supplies or instruments. Use this Google Sheet to write down information.
**Rhythmic Dictation
Like the telephone game, but with tapping rhythms.
Students sit in lines, all facing the same direction. Each group is a single line. There are a variety of ways to do this one.
Variation One:
The student at the back of the line turns over a rhythm card. They tap the rhythm on the shoulder of the student in front of them and it's passed to the front. The student at the front of the line then writes the rhythm they felt. If it's the same, the team gets a point.
Variation Two:
Teacher taps the same rhythm on the back/shoulder of each person at the end of each line. The rhythm is passed up to the front person, who writes the rhythm they felt. If the rhythm is correct, the team gets a point.
Variation Three:
A rhythm is passed up the line - either by the teacher or with a card. The person at the front of the line spells out the rhythm using popsicle sticks. If correct, the team gets a point.
**Summer Theme
a. Love the Summer - cute song from Music K-8
b. Create a summer thunderstorm with body percussion - great example here.
c. Create word chains
-A section: write a short poem about summer (you do this or have students work together to create one)
-students brainstorm things they do or enjoy in the summer
-put the words together to create a word chain
-perform with body percussion, rhythm sticks, found sounds (kitchen items)
-perform as a rondo form
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