Episode #104: Energizing Your Older Students

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT Episode #104: Energizing Your Older Students

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In this episode, Tanya and Carrie talk about ideas for energizing older students for the second half of the school year. We give some ideas of units to consider to allow older students to have more focus and independence through active music making. We also provide some ideas for favorite singing games for older students.

Units to consider:

• Group Drumming
• Favorite resources:
• Kalani Music
• World Music Drumming
• Music History/Appreciation through contemporary music: use specific rhythmic or melodic patterns that occur throughout multiple genres and time periods to connect musical ideas.
• Ukulele
• Favorite resources:
• Little Kids Rock
• Ukulaliens YouTube channel
• Dr. Jill Reese YouTube channel
• Guitar
• Favorite resources:
• Little Kids Rock
• Keyboards
• Favorite resources:
• Little Kids Rock
• Soundtrap
• Favorite resources:
• Afternoon ti podcast episodes:
• Chrome Music Lab and Soundtrap
• Soundtrap Rap Project
• Soundtrap Mini Project
• Soundtrap Project #4: Student Podcast Project
• Soundtrap Project #3: Found Sounds Project
• Soundtrap Project #2: Fictional Character Theme
• Soundtrap Lesson #1: Poem
• Ensemble Work: Combine multiple instruments plus singing and movement to create a performance piece for a concert or continuation ceremony.

Favorite singing games for older students:

Double This, Double That

                        pat legs2x   

Hand clapping in a circle

on the beat:

For “double,” pat legs twice

For “this,” high-5 neighbors' hand on either side

For “that,” tap closed fists together in front of body

(hand clapping can also be with partners and students can create their own repeating motions for "this" and "that")

Students learn chant with "this" and "that" initially. Then class chooses a compound word like "snowball" and practices inserting the first word of the compound word for "this, this" and the second half of the compound word for "that" "that":

    Double double snow, snow,

Double double ball, ball,

Double snow double ball

Double double snowball.

Students stand in a circle and each has a turn inserting their own compound word.

(Individual speaks the blue and red words and the whole class speaks the black words:)

    Double double snow, snow,

Double double ball, ball,

Double snow double ball

  Double double snowball.

*It can be helpful to have the class generate a list of compound words for students to choose from.

More steady beat practice:

Perform the chant around the circle with a rhythm/beat track from GarageBand, Soundtrap, or other source.

 

Little Sally Walker

Know Better, Do Better

Use caution with the use of the word "America" or "American" when describing people, places, and things that are from the United States of America. Remember that "America" can also describe people, places, and things from Central America and South America as well as other countries in North America other than the United States. This is very important when considering the wide range of music that comes from various countries and regions in Spanish-speaking communities in Central and South America. Always be specific when talking about musical origins with your students. Thanks to Dr. Rachel Gibson for this important reminder! We also highly recommend Dr. Gibson's latest publication, ¡Canta Conmigo!

Work Smarter, Not Harder

When using Google Chrome, there is a built-in QR code display that you can use to provide your students with a code to a specific website. You can display the QR code for students to scan immediately, or you can download the QR code to print or add to a document.

Coda

Tanya recommends the movie and musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Carrie commends the TV show The Great on Hulu

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