Saturday, December 7, 2013

Third grade lesson using music and art

Another classmate of mine, Jessica McCarthy, created this lesson plan that incorporates music and art together.  It is ideal for 2nd and 3rd graders.  You can find her lesson plan here.


Telling Time lesson with Music

My classmate Sarah Charlesworth created this awesome lesson on telling time, and incorporating music into it as well.  I thought it was great and wanted to share it.  

Title of the learning plan: Classroom Clock
Grade/Period: 3rd
Date: 11/6/13
Materials/Equipment Needed:
-12 white pieces of paper labeled from 1 to 12
-7 clock pictures
-Time Cards varying with all different types of time
     -(I.e., 10:00, 12:55, Noon, 7 o’clock, 6:35, A quarter past one, Half past three)

Iowa Core Curriculum Standards and Benchmarks or Standards
3.M.D.1
     Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes.

National Music Standard
     Singing along and with others, a varied repertoire of music

Learning Goals (students understand that:)
TLW be able to demonstrate their knowledge of telling time by using their arms as the hour and minute hands to fill in the student made clock when given the time on a card at least four out of five times.
TLW be able to perform their singing voice by repeating the Clock Song when the teacher points to them 85 percent of the time.
TLW show a positive attitude towards their class by willingly helping classmates during the Classroom Clock activity 100% of the time.

Success Criteria (“I Can” statements)
I can identify the minute, hour, and second hand.
I can tell time when using an analog clock
I can sing-a-long to a song

Procedure (include a suggested time allocation for each part of the procedure for lesson pacing) 
a) Introduction (attention getter, anticipatory set)
Ask students to clear their desks and move them to the side of the room and then have the Students gather at the front of the room.
      (Play transition song on the computer)
                                                                                                                                                                                   (1 min 30 sec max)
1. Ask students how many hands are on a clock?
       -Hour, minute, second
2. Ask how long does it take the hour hand to move one full circle?
       -60 minutes
3. Ask how long does it take the minute hand to move one full circle?
       -60 seconds
4. Show the students what an analog clock is.
5. Show the students what a digital clock is.
2. Ask a student to come up and identify the hour hand on an analog clock.
3. Ask a student to come up and identify the minute hand on an analog clock.
4. Ask a student to come up and identify the second hand on an analog clock.
   (Call on students who are raising their hands quietly)
                                                                                                                                                                                                     (3 min)
5. Tell students you are going to show them pictures of different times on a clock, and if they are able to tell what time it is on that clock raise their hand to answer.
      (Call on students who are raising their hands quietly)
6. Go through all seven pictures of the clocks.
      (Call on a different student for each clock)
7. Review The Clock song (to the tune of Wheels on the Bus)
The hands on the clock go round and round, round and round round and round. 
The hands on the clock go round and round. To tell us the time. The short hand on the clock
Goes from number to number, number to number, number to number. The short hand on the clock
goes from number to number. To tell us the time. The long hand on the clock
goes around by fives, Around by fives, around by fives. The long hand on the clock
goes around by fives. 
To tell us the minutes.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      (4 min)
b) Activities/Steps (note technology used)
1. Explain directions before moving students around
        “We are going to make our own Classroom Clock! We will take turns switching off from being the numbers on the clock or being the minute and hour hand of the clock. When you are the Classroom Clock you will move to the center of the room and form a circle. I will give you a number 1 through 12 that follows the order of an analog clock. Those who will be playing the minute and hour hand of the clock; I will chose two of you at a time and give you a card that has a time one it. You are to go into the middle of the circle and use your arms or legs to make that time. While you are making that time with your body the rest of the class will sing the Clock song. Once we finish the Clock song I will choice a student who is also being the minute and hour hands to tell us what time they have made.”
 1. Pick 12 students to be your Classroom Clock and 12 to play the hour and minute hand on the clock.
       (Have the Classroom Clock students make a circle in the middle of the room by holding hands)
       (Have the students making the time sit in the front of the room)
                                                                                                                                                                                              (2 min max)
2. Give the Classroom Clock students the numbers 1 through 12 in order of an analog clock and instruct them to sit down.
3. Choose two students to make the time on the clock.
4. Give them their time card.
5. Have the class sing The Clock song.
6. Pick a student to guess the time they have made.
7. Repeat until all students have made a time and been the Classroom Clock.
                                                                                                                                                                                                    (15 min)
c) Closure (reviewing learning, summarizing, assignments)
1. Collect numbers and cards from students.
2. Have students gather back in the front of the room.
3. Review Analog and Digital Clocks.
       (Ask students to provide you with examples of where we would see an analog clock or a digital clock)
4. Ask students why do we know this is the hour hand?
5. Ask students why do we know this is the minute hand?
(5 min)
d) Assessment (how you will determine that students have met the success criteria)
Teacher will do a visual assessment of the students while they are making the Classroom clock to see if they are meeting the success criteria.


Evidence of addressing diversity (e.g.: cultural, gender, linguistic, religious, sexual identify, socio-economic, etc.)
When making pairs to make the minute and hour hand of the Classroom Clock, pick students at random and place a boy and girl to work together.

Differentiation for cognitive, affective, psycho-motor needs
Psycho-motor: Do the lesson plan by making a digital clock where students need to use their bodies to make the numbers of the clock.

Teacher Reflection/Focus (ways you’ll determine the success of the learning experience for learners and for you; changes you would make another time; subsequent shifts in your thinking)

After having the opportunity to teach a section of this lesson I started to think about ways in which I could improve this lesson. One, instead of solely teaching an analog clock when we do the role playing exercise of making a Classroom Clock, I would like to incorporate a digital clock as well because with a rise in technology you often see time expressed in a digital way. If I was to use a digital clock I would like to have students use their bodies to form the numbers of a digital clock. I would also give the students the times on a clock in a word fashion rather than numerical to make it a little more challenging for them. Another aspect I would like to make a change to would be singing The Clock Song every time a student has to make the clock. It seemed as I was presenting it that students were finishing figuring out the time they were given way before the rest of the class was finished singing the song. I am thinking about singing the song as more of an attention getter and closure to the activity or finding a shorter song to use as the timer for the activity. I do not want to get rid of the song all together because I really enjoy how the song is not only easy to follow along and fun but it provides a good way for students to remember how the hands on the clock operate.




Thursday, December 5, 2013

Integrating Music into a Reading Lesson



Title of the learning plan: Learning synonyms with game
Grade/Period:3-4
Date:
Materials/Equipment Needed
Synonymn video
Exit Slip
Synonymn game

Iowa Core Curriculum Standards and Benchmarks or Standards
Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical
meanings (synonyms). (L.4.5.)

Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. 

Learning Goals (students understand that:)
I will understand that a synonymn means a word that means the same thing as another word
I will be able to know what a synonymn of a word is when I hear it
I can give at least 2 examples of synonmns.

Success Criteria (“I Can” statements)

I can demonstrate my understanding of synonyms by answering 3 of the 4 questions correctly on my exit slip. 

Procedure (include a suggested time allocation for each part of the procedure for lesson pacing) 

a)  Introduction (attention getter, anticipatory set)

Play synonymns video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apr7fAHChOM.  Before playing video say, “we will be watching a short video on synonyms.  This video also has a fun beat to it that I want you all to go along with.  It goes stomp, stomp, clap.”  Demonstrate the stomp stomp clap and have kids follow, then start the video.  Also when it is the kids turn to say the synonym, point at them so they know that it is their turn.

After video, ask students what a synonym is, and then give some examples.  Take answers from 3 students. 

b) Activities/Steps (note technology used)

Play synonymn game with synonymns used in the video.
Go over the instructions for the synonmyn game and then play.
  1.  Tell students that “I am going to hand each of you a card.  One person has the first card, it says first card on it. They will start reading their card and they will say a word.  Then the person who has a synonmyn of that card will read their word and so on. 
  2. Show an example of what the cards will be like on a smart board. Have this written on the board.  “I have first card, who has fast?”  Then say “I will look at my card which says “quick” and I will read it because I know that quick is a synonmyn of fast, it means the same thing.  My card says, “I have quick, who has small?”  Then ask class what a synonym of small would be.  Then say that the person with that word will start reading their card, and we will continue around the room until every card has been said.
  3.  Tell the person who has the first card to raise their hand.  Have that person read their card and start the game.  Walk around room and help students when needed. 

c) Closure (reviewing learning, summarizing, assignments)

Say, “you all did a great job learning synonymns today! Can anyone tell me what a synonymn is?  What are some examples of synonymns?  Take answers from at least three students.  Then give student exit slip with the questions…

  1. What is a synonymn
  2. What is a synonymn of beautiful?
  3. Write two words that are synonymns.
  4. What might an antonym be?
  
d) Assessment (how you will determine that students have met the success criteria)

Teacher will see that students have met success criteria by seeing that he or she got 3 out of the 4 questions correct on his/her exit slip.


Evidence of addressing diversity (e.g.: cultural, gender, linguistic, religious, sexual identify, socio-economic, etc.)
Call on the same number of boys as girls

Differentiation for cognitive, affective, psycho-motor needs
For those who are having trouble understanding synonyms, help them individually.  Give enough scaffolding and ask them what a synonymn is and what an example would be.  Then ask them to think of one on their own.  Give them enough guidance until they can do it on their own
For those who understand synonmns well, have them help others in the class who may be struggling. 

Teacher Reflection/Focus (ways you’ll determine the success of the learning experience for learners and for you; changes you would make another time; subsequent shifts in your thinking)

I will see how well the kids understand the game when I give instructions, and that will let me know if I need to be clearer with my instructions or not.

Listening Maps

Music is a great way to get kids engaged in the classroom.  One particularly fun way to use music in the classroom is through listening maps.  A listening map allows kids to follow along to the music with pictures, lines, shapes, and really any other object.  They can relate the sound of music to the pictures.  Having them follow along with the listening maps can help them become more astute listeners, and then a follow up activity can be having them pick a song and make one on their own!  See if you can follow along with this one.




Click here to open Listening Map PDF