The Pumpkin in the Dark

Hello!   When I began Arts Bridge, the Kindergarten class was learning about pumpkins in science class and preparing for a shadow puppet show they would perform for their parents on October 31st.  My classroom teacher asked if I would help out  by teaching them a few of the songs they will sing for the puppet show.  The next two posts are my lesson plans for helping them learn th

Lesson Plan

Grade: K

Time: 20 minutes

Materials: N/A

Musical Concept: Timbre

Musical Element:  One instrument may make many different sounds

Musical Concept: Duration

Musical Element: Beat

Musical Skills: Singing, Movement

Utah Music Standards:

K.M.P.3.a: Explore the range and various qualities of the voice.

K.M.P.3.e: Perform steady beat with body percussion or un-pitched percussion.

Objectives:

1. Students will explore the range of their voice through vocal play.
2. Students will practice using their four voices - talking, singing, yelling, and whispering.
3. Students will practice keeping the steady beat through various movement activities.

Procedure:

1. Hello There
1. Introduce myself to the students.  I'm going to come and play music with you guys!
2. To start, I'm going to teach you a Hello Song that we'll sing when I come.
3. First I'm going to sing, then it will be your turn to sing.
4. Sing through the whole song once, with the call and response.
5. Now we're going to do the same thing again.  This time, listen for what the song says we're going to do together when I come.
6. Did you here what the song said?  "Sing and be happy."
7. This time when we sing, we're going to sing the last part together.  It goes….  Let's try it one time together.
8. Then sing the whole song again, singing the last phrase all together.
2. 4 types of voices:
1. There are many different kinds of sounds our voice can make. Some of these voices are a speaking voice, a yelling voice, a whisper voice, and a singing voice.
2. Let's practice the first line of our hello song in all 4 of those voices.  I'll have a turn and them you'll have a turn.
1. Speaking
2. Yelling
3. Whisper
4. Singing
3. Vocal Play:
1. Boys and girls, can you make your voice sound just like mine?
2. Do a series of vocal play exercises.
3. Can anyone raise their hand and tell me what type of voice you think we're using when we gooo way up high?
4. The Pumpkin in the Dark:
1. We're going to learn a new song about pumpkins!
2. Sing and place icons on the board.  On "high-ho on halloween" swing finger in the air.  Gesture with palm open on the last phrase.
3. This time, help me keep the beat while I sing the song. Patchen.
4. Let's march!  Stand up!
5. This time, do you think you can help me sing "High-ho on halloween."
5. Play the game:
1. Get into math position.  Boys and girls, watch closely.  If you can, march to the beat while I sing.
2. The pumpkin has until the end of the verse to find a friend to be the ghost.  The pumpkin takes the ghost's spot in the circle.  Then the ghost has until the end of the ghost verse to find a friend to be the witch.
3. Demonstrate:  I'll be the pumpkin.
6. Briefly show students the lap mat and let them know that it will in a center for them this week.