Lesson Plan - UF Music Education E-Portfolios

Lesson Plan #3
I. Movement Activity: “Monster Mash” (5-8 minutes)
a. Activity Description:
Children will demonstrate steady beat as they learn and perform the motions to the song.
b. Procedure:
Teacher will play music as children enter class room.
Ask the students to think about how a monster moves. Select a few children to demonstrate how they would
walk, move their arms, nod their heads, bend, etc.
Teacher will play music and lead children through motions. (When you hear the music, roam around the room
like a monster, and when the music stops freeze. When the music begins again, you are a new monster) (This
may be repeated depending on time.)
o After activity, ask a few questions to describe the monster voice in the recording, man or woman, high
or low. What kinds of monsters are described in the song?
II. Halloween word rhythms: (8-10 minutes)
a. Activity Description:
Children will perform quarter, eighth, and half notes on different instruments.
b. Procedure:
Teacher will divide children into three groups. Group 1 will use drums, group 2 rhythm sticks, and group three
jingle bells.
Teacher will demonstrate steady quarter notes and speak “pumpkin” on drum to group 1 and have students join.
Teacher will demonstrate “candy corn” eighth note rhythm on sticks to group 2 and have children join.
Teacher will demonstrate “ooooh, ooooh” half note rhythm with bells and have group 3 join.
Teacher will lead group 1 in keeping the beat, followed by the addition of groups 2 and 3 one at a time.
Teacher will have children change groups twice and will repeat the exercise.
Reflection/Discussion: What kinds of notes were used in this exercise? Half Notes, Quarter Notes, Eighth Notes.
III. Movement Activity: “Night on Bald Mountain” (5-8 minutes)
Children will listen to piece and remember feelings associated with piece.
After listening, ask “what kinds of feelings do you feel during the piece, happy, sad? How does the piece end? Could
you create a story to the song? “Possible scenario; Evil Creature and his minions come out during one night and dance
on a mountain peak. At dawn, the ghosts and goblins disappear and the sun comes out.”
IV. Song: “America” (8-10 minutes)
a. Procedure:
Teacher will review song by leading class in echo/ response.
All together, the class will sing the song.
Class will sing “America” with accompaniment CD
V. Closet Key Game (8-10 minutes)
a. Procedure:
Review by singing song through to class.
Have the class join in singing.
Review the rules to the game.
Play game several times and assess students’ pitch accuracy.
VI. Critical Thinking: (3-5 minutes).
“When we sang the closet key song, how do you know you are singing the right notes?”
What did we learn today? (possible answers: monster mash, Halloween rhythms, America: patriotic.