I would like my students to move from creating a “class composition,” such as this one:
to creating their own individual composition. When we write a song as a class, I try to include all students in decision-making processes, but I know that it is not as meaningful or engaging as if the students were working individually or in a small group.
The 3rd Grade Music Grade Level Content Expectations say that students should “create through exploration, improvisation, and composition rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments, answers that are rhythmic and melodic, melodic embellishments for a familiar song, and an instrumental song with lyrics.” I feel that a project in which students create a complete original song would be going above and beyond these GLCEs. Another GLCE is that students “Use a variety of traditional and non-traditional sound sources and electronic media when composing, arranging, and improvising appropriate to 3rd grade.”
In short, I would like my students to be able to apply basic concepts of rhythm and melody to facilitate a deeper understanding of the creative process of composing, using current music technology.
At the conclusion of the unit, all of my 3rd Grade students should be able to give accurate responses to the following music-related questions:
and the following technology-related questions:
The 3rd Grade Music Grade Level Content Expectations say that students should “create through exploration, improvisation, and composition rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments, answers that are rhythmic and melodic, melodic embellishments for a familiar song, and an instrumental song with lyrics.” I feel that a project in which students create a complete original song would be going above and beyond these GLCEs. Another GLCE is that students “Use a variety of traditional and non-traditional sound sources and electronic media when composing, arranging, and improvising appropriate to 3rd grade.”
In short, I would like my students to be able to apply basic concepts of rhythm and melody to facilitate a deeper understanding of the creative process of composing, using current music technology.
At the conclusion of the unit, all of my 3rd Grade students should be able to give accurate responses to the following music-related questions:
- What are lyrics?
- What is rhythm and how is it organized?
- What is melody and how is it created?
- What is accompaniment?
- What is style or genre?
and the following technology-related questions:
- What technology did you use to create your own songs?
- How did technology allow you to collaborate with your classmates during the project?
- What kinds of decisions did you have to make while writing your own songs?
- What are some rules to follow when working online?
- What is another website or kind of technology that will be easier to use after doing this project?