Describing Fall Leaves Through Words and Music
Initial Publication Date: August 3, 2009
Summary
In this three-lesson unit, pairs of students will collect 5 fall leaves outside. In the classroom, students will brainstorm words that describe their leaves, and the class will choose 6 words that will serve as sorting categories. Students will sort their 5 leaves into the chosen categories. Students will divide into six groups according to the leaf categories. They will choose instruments that they feel go with the descriptive word, and then experiment with ways to play their instrument that will be descriptive of their leaf category. The class will create an improvisational, descriptive song about the leaves. The class will be video-taped as they perform so that they can review and reflect upon the processes and results of their work.
CollapseLearning Goals
The students will observe the ways that leaves are the same and different. Students will describe leaves by how they look, feel and sound.
Students will make decisions about how to sort their leaves by a dominant characteristic.
Students will improvise on musical instruments in a way that they feel describes a dominant leaf characteristic.
(concepts: improvisation, dominant characteristic, )
Vocabulary words will be discovered through class discussion - they are descriptive of leaf characteristics.
Students will make decisions about how to sort their leaves by a dominant characteristic.
Students will improvise on musical instruments in a way that they feel describes a dominant leaf characteristic.
(concepts: improvisation, dominant characteristic, )
Vocabulary words will be discovered through class discussion - they are descriptive of leaf characteristics.
Context for Use
This is an early elementary activity designed to incorporate the outdoor classroom with the music classroom during the early fall season. These music classes meet for 55-minute sessions weekly. This will be a 3 - 4 week unit. There will be additional activities included in each of the weekly music classes during this unit. The unit is highly adaptable to various class sizes up to about 30 first - second grade students. Students should be able to stay within boundaries given by the teacher and follow outdoors walking directions given by the instructor.
Description and Teaching Materials
Objectives:
The Students will use words to describe how their leaves look, feel and sound.
Students will use science words in a song to describe properties of leaves
Students will improvise sounds on instruments within a 16 beat format that will describe the science words they have selected.
Materials:
Outdoor setting for collection of leaves
Space/area for sorting and storing leaf collections
A variety of musical instruments
Product:
Class musical composition which may be video-taped for class review.
Classroom Arrangement:
Students will work in small groups of 2 as they collect and sort leaves.
Students will choose the small group in which they will play music; there will be six groups
Procedure:
Day 1 Introduction:
Students will warm up with a song about the seasons that incorporates fall leaves.
Students will discuss how to take a leaf-collecting walk, correct procedures and rules for safety and consideration of plants and property.
Body:
Students will choose a partner to walk next to, line up and go leaf collecting. They are to choose 5 leaves that seem interesting per pair of students.
Students return to the room and sit down on the floor with their partners. They are to talk about the leaves and think of words to describe their leaves. The group will share their word ideas and Teacher will write them on tag board. After the group-share time, the class will vote on 6 words to describe the groups of leaves they will be sorting.
Six large sheets of construction paper will be placed around the room to be used as sorting-mats with the designated student-generated label by each.
Conclusion::Students will sort their leaves onto the mats according to their descriptive properties.
The mats will be stored carefully until the following week.
Class will sing the Autumn song and then line up for dismissal.
Day 2: Second Week:
Introduction: Students will sing their fall song and review the leaves and description words they generated the previous week. After the students have read the words, they will match pitches in singing the words as a student helper holds up an appropriate leaf example from each set.
Body:
The sorting mats (with no leaves) will be placed in areas around the room and students will be instructed to choose one of the mats to sit by for creating music about that specific type of leaf. There are to be no more than 5 students at any one mat.
Selected instruments will be discussed and set out for the students to use during their musical compositions.
The students in each group decide what instruments they will play and how they will play them to describe their leaves. When they have discussed; students from each group will be allowed to get the instruments for their group to practice music- making that sounds like their leaves appeared.
A video camera on a tripod will be turned on.
The teacher plays and sings the A section of the compositions which students will join in singing as they become comfortable. The B section of the song will be done by each of the student groups in turn. A good melody to use for this part of the lesson is the Traditional song "Mary wore a Red Dress." The lyrics can be changed to something like: Our leaves look bumpy, bumpy, bumpy – Our leaves feel bumpy, this is how they sound:
Conclusion:
Students put away materials and return to seats. Students sing their fall song and are dismissed.
Day 3: Third Week
Introduction: Students review their previous work, sing the Autumn song and practice matching pitches with the science words.
Body: Class discusses the skills needed for a review of previous work that has been video-taped: listening without singing along, looking for good singing skills and instrument-playing skills. There is no pointing or laughing or talking as we watch.
Conclusion: After we watch the video, we discuss the form of the music, things we noticed about the music, and what parts of the music were particularly descriptive of our leaves.
Materials:
Outdoor setting for collection of leaves
Space/area for sorting and storing leaf collections
A variety of musical instruments
Product:
Class musical composition which may be video-taped for class review.
Classroom Arrangement:
Students will work in small groups of 2 as they collect and sort leaves.
Students will choose the small group in which they will play music; there will be six groups
Resources:
Fall Song: North Winds Blow, Music by Zoltan Kodaly, words by Ivy Rawlins
Share The Music Grade 1, McGraw Hill Publishing
Mary Wore a Red Dress, Traditional song to be adapted for this activity.
The Students will use words to describe how their leaves look, feel and sound.
Students will use science words in a song to describe properties of leaves
Students will improvise sounds on instruments within a 16 beat format that will describe the science words they have selected.
Materials:
Outdoor setting for collection of leaves
Space/area for sorting and storing leaf collections
A variety of musical instruments
Product:
Class musical composition which may be video-taped for class review.
Classroom Arrangement:
Students will work in small groups of 2 as they collect and sort leaves.
Students will choose the small group in which they will play music; there will be six groups
Procedure:
Day 1 Introduction:
Students will warm up with a song about the seasons that incorporates fall leaves.
Students will discuss how to take a leaf-collecting walk, correct procedures and rules for safety and consideration of plants and property.
Body:
Students will choose a partner to walk next to, line up and go leaf collecting. They are to choose 5 leaves that seem interesting per pair of students.
Students return to the room and sit down on the floor with their partners. They are to talk about the leaves and think of words to describe their leaves. The group will share their word ideas and Teacher will write them on tag board. After the group-share time, the class will vote on 6 words to describe the groups of leaves they will be sorting.
Six large sheets of construction paper will be placed around the room to be used as sorting-mats with the designated student-generated label by each.
Conclusion::Students will sort their leaves onto the mats according to their descriptive properties.
The mats will be stored carefully until the following week.
Class will sing the Autumn song and then line up for dismissal.
Day 2: Second Week:
Introduction: Students will sing their fall song and review the leaves and description words they generated the previous week. After the students have read the words, they will match pitches in singing the words as a student helper holds up an appropriate leaf example from each set.
Body:
The sorting mats (with no leaves) will be placed in areas around the room and students will be instructed to choose one of the mats to sit by for creating music about that specific type of leaf. There are to be no more than 5 students at any one mat.
Selected instruments will be discussed and set out for the students to use during their musical compositions.
The students in each group decide what instruments they will play and how they will play them to describe their leaves. When they have discussed; students from each group will be allowed to get the instruments for their group to practice music- making that sounds like their leaves appeared.
A video camera on a tripod will be turned on.
The teacher plays and sings the A section of the compositions which students will join in singing as they become comfortable. The B section of the song will be done by each of the student groups in turn. A good melody to use for this part of the lesson is the Traditional song "Mary wore a Red Dress." The lyrics can be changed to something like: Our leaves look bumpy, bumpy, bumpy – Our leaves feel bumpy, this is how they sound:
Conclusion:
Students put away materials and return to seats. Students sing their fall song and are dismissed.
Day 3: Third Week
Introduction: Students review their previous work, sing the Autumn song and practice matching pitches with the science words.
Body: Class discusses the skills needed for a review of previous work that has been video-taped: listening without singing along, looking for good singing skills and instrument-playing skills. There is no pointing or laughing or talking as we watch.
Conclusion: After we watch the video, we discuss the form of the music, things we noticed about the music, and what parts of the music were particularly descriptive of our leaves.
Materials:
Outdoor setting for collection of leaves
Space/area for sorting and storing leaf collections
A variety of musical instruments
Product:
Class musical composition which may be video-taped for class review.
Classroom Arrangement:
Students will work in small groups of 2 as they collect and sort leaves.
Students will choose the small group in which they will play music; there will be six groups
Resources:
Fall Song: North Winds Blow, Music by Zoltan Kodaly, words by Ivy Rawlins
Share The Music Grade 1, McGraw Hill Publishing
Mary Wore a Red Dress, Traditional song to be adapted for this activity.
Teaching Notes and Tips
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Assessment
Assessment:
Assessment Rubrics:
For a grade of 4:
Student is able to participate in the sorting of leaves into appropriate groups.
Student is able to participate in the selection of a science word to describe their leaves.
Student is able to play an instrument during the specified time during the song.
Student plays their instrument in an appropriate style for the selected word.
For a grade of 3:
Student meets three of the four requirements listed above.
For a grade of 2:
Student attempts to meet at least three of the above requirements.
For a grade of 1:
Student needs constant encouragement and/or assistance in order to participate.
Assessment Rubrics:
For a grade of 4:
Student is able to participate in the sorting of leaves into appropriate groups.
Student is able to participate in the selection of a science word to describe their leaves.
Student is able to play an instrument during the specified time during the song.
Student plays their instrument in an appropriate style for the selected word.
For a grade of 3:
Student meets three of the four requirements listed above.
For a grade of 2:
Student attempts to meet at least three of the above requirements.
For a grade of 1:
Student needs constant encouragement and/or assistance in order to participate.
Standards
Discipline: Science: Nature of Science and Engineering
A. Substrand: Practice of Science
1. Benchmark: Know that describing things as accurately as possible is important in science because it enables people to compare their observations with those of others.
Music:
A. Perform on instruments
B. Create a musical composition through improvisation.
A. Substrand: Practice of Science
1. Benchmark: Know that describing things as accurately as possible is important in science because it enables people to compare their observations with those of others.
Music:
A. Perform on instruments
B. Create a musical composition through improvisation.