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Composition and Instrumental Lesson Using Click, Clack, Boo!
By Creating Musical Literature
Play and compose using this Halloween classic from Doreen Cronin! Using the words "crunch", "creak", "tap" and "quack" in the story, have students play a variety of instruments (hand-held percussion) along with the verbs while you read! Then print, cut out, and laminate the composition cards and have the students compose their own musical soundscapes!
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The "Big Kid" Rhythm Bundle (Grades 3-6) **30% OFF!**
By Jason Litt
Included in these rhythm bundle are 25 resources that you can utilize in grades 3-6. Games, dictation, worksheets, races, and more are in this bundle as the resources discuss longer rhythmic patterns, sixteenth notes, triplets, and long durations of rests.
Definitely a semester filler in here, terrific for reinforcing your 2nd half of the year with some of your upper grades, and with 30% off when bundled together, it's a sale you can't beat!
By Jason Litt
For your printouts and powerpoints, this pack of notation has everything -- Wholes, Halves, Quarters, Eighths, and Sixteenths. The notation is vectorized and transparent, so it will fit alongside any background in powerpoint There are word files with notation templates included as well, if you'd like to print multiple of one note You can use these to make flash cards, rhythm building, and much more!
By Jason Litt
Use these notation printouts for students to compose their own rhythms. Included are Wholes, Halves, Quarters, and Eights, along with their corresponding rests. All notes have borders which can easily laminated then cut
By Jason Litt
Working on aural theory with your kids? With "Rhythm Mixup" students shuffle up notecards with quarter notes, 2-beamed eighth notes, half notes, and quarter rests to reflect the musical example being played! We start off the first lesson (level 1) with a brief overview of rhythm from Quaver's Marvelous World of Music, and then head right into rhythm mixup. Students will lay out their notation cards (you can either print these out or have the students draw them on a whiteboard, etc), and then a musical example will be played. Students will have to put the notes in the order that they hear the music example -- hence, the "mixup"! Level 2, goes into quarter rests and the students will have to place it appropriately (hint: it's never at the beginning or end of the phrase!) :) Students identify rhythms upon hearing them and use their aural skills to dictate where each rhythm is placed. Make sure to play these several times, especially for the younger ones so they can check their work! Designed in Powerpoint 2007, all animations and transitions should work on machines that support it. A file is included for instructions on how to install fonts. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me. Have fun!
By Jason Litt
Based off the hit Windows 3.11 game we all knew and loved, Rhythm Sweeper is a progressive game where one slip can end you up on the dreaded mine! This will have your kids reading and mastering rhythms in NO TIME! Students will see a grid of 40 squares on the home page. Each square contains either a link to a rhythm.... or a mine :) I select one student at a time to pick a number. I'll then click on the number and it'll advance to the designated slide. If it's a rhythm, we add that rhythm to the Building Board on the home page. The teacher will click "Back to Game and Building Board" and put the rhythm they just received on the board. As for the rhythms they earned, you can cut out rhythms, write them in dry erase, or have a student keep tabs on the side. Students will now say, sing, or play the rhythm back. Then we repeat! See how it gets progressive? ;) ...until the mine! There are 5 mines in each game, and once the mine is hit, it's GAME OVER! At the end, you can tally up how many beats the class amassed (which is great if you can allow student to add it up as the game has half, quarter, and pairs of eighth notes). Compete against other classes, or themselves! There are 10 files in the pack and each one is completely different (all the rhythms are mixed up and of course, so are the mines) Have fun with this! I keep lively music in the background and have the kids on lummi sticks to play the rhythms back. Let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment!
By Jason Litt
Based off the hit Windows 3.11 game we all knew and loved, Solfege Sweeper is a progressive game where one slip can end you up on the dreaded mine! This will have your kids reading and mastering solfege in NO TIME! Students will see a grid of 40 squares on the home page. Each square contains either a link to a solfege syllable.... or a mine :) I select one student at a time to pick a number. I'll then click on the number and it'll advance to the designated slide. If it's a solfege syllable, we add that solfege syllable to the Building Board on the home page. The teacher will click "Back to Game and Building Board" and put the solfege syllable they just received on the board. As for the solfege syllable they earned, you can cut out the included syllables (make a bunch of copies!), write them in dry erase, or have a student keep tabs on the side. Students will now sing the solfege syllables back in order. Then we repeat! See how it gets progressive? ;) AND what a great way to do a composition. Heck, you should get your piano involved too! ...until the mine! There are 5 mines in each game, and once the mine is hit, it's GAME OVER! At the end, you can tally up how many syllables the class amassed. Compete against other classes, or themselves! There are 5 files in the pack and each one is completely different (all the syllables are mixed up and of course, so are the mines) Syllables included are DO, MI, SOL, and LA. Have fun with this and let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment!
By Jason Litt
Get your kids reading notation with this rockin' assortment of body percussion! Each line is denoted with with claps (A part), snaps (B part), pats (C part), or stomps (D part) and the notation is displayed in color coded boxes. Students play these body percussions back after the teacher counts them in. In the package is a powerpoint file and PDF, and contains 20 different slides of 4 beat and 8 beat passages with quarter, eighth note, and rest patterns. Ideas include splitting the class into 4 parts, having the students switch body percussion, or even having students use an IWB to drag the body percussion signs around. The uses are endless. Put some rhythmic music on in the background to get things rollin'. Have a great time with this and if you have any question please feel free to leave a comment!
Who am I -- Identifying Music Terminology!
By Jason Litt
Was that Presto or Largo? Staccato or Tenuto? Forte or Piano? Use "Who am I" to reinforce the music terminology you've been working on in your class! After a brief review, 6 musical examples will be played with all examples ascribing to either Presto or Largo, Staccato or Tenuto, and Forte or Piano. Students can do this in a variety of ways: -- On whiteboards and dry erase markers -- Through collaborative grouping or partner activity (using pre-cut cards as an idea -- On a SMARTboard or brightlink -- As a race (maybe boys vs girls, side A vs side B) After the example is played, you can advance the slide in the powerpoint to reveal the answer! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment in the Q&A or email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com!
It's just Formality! - Identifying Form in Music
By Jason Litt
Introducing your students to musical form? It's just Formality may be the answer! After a short introduction and review about musical form (with a video illustrating musical examples), 8 form examples are played Students are to identify the form by using the letters "A", "B", and "C". Some are easy, but some can get really challenging! They'll see a blank slate on the screen with the number of letters in the form. All form examples are a maximum of 3 measures (so you can even teach this to your little ones!) Students can write it on whiteboards, use cut out cards, use an interactive SMARTboard/Brightlink pen, collaborative grouping -- it's up to you! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the Q&A section or email me: jasonlitt@gmail.com Have fun!
Out of the Box! (Playing accessory percussion)
By Jason Litt
Got a box full of percussion instruments? Work on rhythm reading together with the kids in creative fashions! In "Out of the Box!", 4 separate lines hold 4 different classroom instruments -- tambourines, rhythm sticks, hand drums, and maracas. These instruments are all assigned different 4 beat rhythms and focus on quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, and more techniques throughout the presentation. To get everybody playing, shaking, and grooving, I place four stations throughout the room filled with the associated instrument. I then have a group of students rotate through the instruments throughout the activity so they can all get a feel of each instrument (no more "you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit...") Win-win! You can run in the way you wish! You can have the students perform an ostinato by repeating the 4 beat measure, or have them read it in a canon, or just do it all together as suggested! Or... you can have students write their own composition if you have an interactive whiteboard! How cool! Included are the powerpoint file (completely editable and expandable with images embedded in) and PDF file as a static presentation. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them. Have a great time!
By Jason Litt
A time tested rhythm builder in the elementary classroom are popsicle sticks, and this activity, "Stick it to Rhythm!" will reinforce quarter and eighth note rhythms. After a brief review on quarter and eighth note rhythms, students are allocated a set of popsicle sticks. After they make space for themselves on the floor, the teacher will play each example (8 in this pack!) and students have to dictate the rhythm using their popsicle sticks (don't worry, instructions on how to do eighth and quarter notes are embedded in the powerpoint) After letting the students decipher the rhythm, the teacher advances the slide to find out the correct rhythm played in the example. This works great for your youngest grades and all examples are MM 95bpm and under. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave it in the Q&A section or email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com!
Boomin' Whackin', Fun ain't Lackin'
By Jason Litt
10 original compositions for the Boomwhackers that will reinforce all of your great teachings! All arrangements are an 8.5 x 11 PDF which can be projected on a whiteboard, IWB, or printed out for student use Each colorful arrangement uses the 1 octave C diatonic scale of the boomwhackers and each piece focuses on a specific trait, tailored to meet the needs of your students. The pieces are as follows with their specific role: Boom n' Roll - Tremelos/Rolls/Whole Note Durations Boom Sneak Boom - Grouped Eighth Notes and Rests C it and Hear it! - C diatonic scale Variations Dynamically Boomed - Forte and Piano switches Grow n' Go - Crescendos across 1 and 2 measure phrases Legend of the Eighth Engine - Eighth Notes and Subdivision Plastic Jam Op. 2016 - Melodies, Intervals, and Chords Riders of the Boom - Melodic Direction and Sequencing The Boom Room - Arpeggios and Chords The Rest Tests - Counting Quarter Note Rests Tempi is completely up to you! Each arrangement is 20 measures long (after 2 repeats) and includes boomwhacker notation and color on a treble clef staff, which are easy to read large print. A background percussion track has been included, but do not be hesitant to include your own (or use classroom instruments!) Enjoy these arrangements, Boomwhacker enthusiasts!
SOL-FISH - FISHING FOR SOLFEGE!
By Jason Litt
We reinforce tons of Sol-Mi patterns in early elementary music. How about the kids dictate it through Sol-Fish? Each student receives a "Fishing for Solfege" printout which is a fish bowl with 2 spaces - the top space reserved for the SOL and the bottom space reserved for the MI Ten examples will be played and students will have to decipher where the sol's and mi's are after listening to them. They do this by putting bingo chips on the Sol or Mi spaces. After students lock in their guess, advance the slide to reveal the answer! You may do this through the printouts, or you can make it an interactive game with your whiteboard, the possibilities are endless! All sound files are embedded in, so you'll need to manually click each "speaker" icon to play each example. Have a great time with this, and let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
By Jason Litt
Shaun the Sheep hits theaters this summer, and there's no better way to work on Solfege than "Sol Mi Sheep - Level One!". In Sol Mi Sheep, Shaun the Sheep, the Lambs, and the Farmer, help the kids identify where the Sol, Mi, and La lines are on the staff in a game format. Characters are placed on different solfege levels and students will sing back the solfege syllables as they see them. If the class masters the solfege example, the slide will advance and the high score will continue to elevate. Each character has an independent rhythm -- Shaun is a quarter note, the lambs are a pair of eighth notes, and the farmer is a quarter rest. The way I construct the lesson is I have all classes participate and record the highest score at the end of the lesson. I run this exercise about 2 or 3 minutes (it helps if you have a percussive background track running around 90-110 bpm) and let the students keep adding to their score. You'll notice that the more the activity progresses, the solfege examples become more lengthy and difficult. I keep track of the scores on a different powerpoint so the kids can see how they're progressing AND how they match up against other classes in their grade. Trust me, it gets pretty competitive! :) Included are instructions and the game in PDF and powerpoint format. All steps are a 2nd, so no La to Mi skips... yet ;) If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Happy Sol Mi La-ing!
By Jason Litt
Learning the values of quarter and eighth notes are a good solid foundation to start off, but when it gets to rests, understanding a beat of silence is a little different! In "Give it a Rest!" students are introduced to the quarter rest, which is a note, but a note of silence. They watch "Give it a Rest!" from Music K-8 and then are given an activity -- try to decipher where the rest occurs in a musical example. The students will be told how many beats are in the example and then a four beat percussive introduction is played. Students will be asked to dictate the quarter notes AND quarter rests in the musical example. The teacher can play this again for reinforcement (but for kids in upper grades, playing it only ONCE can be a challenge!). There are 12 examples, each one getting a little more difficult than the last! You can run this activity in many ways: - Student can write on whiteboards with dry erase markers - Pairs of students can team up in a race to spell it out - Use as a whiteboard/smartboard/IWB activity - Print out cards of quarter notes and rests and have them line it up on the floor - Any other way you find creative! Enjoy this with your class and as always, if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
By Jason Litt
Are you as hungry as I am? Let's eat! Identify rhythms in proper nouns with this fun activity. Students will see a food (or foods!) and their corresponding word (or words!) and given two plates on each slide. Have the students identify the syllables in the food and match it to either rhythm on plate number 1 or plate number 2. After kids lock in their answer, advance the slide and reveal the answer! Most are eighth and quarter note rhythms, but some have eighth note triplets and 4 sixteenths group in the examples You can also play it as an assessment and have kids work individual or in teams. There's a powerpoint and PDF included in this package and there are 13 sets of foods go through and can last up to 30-45 minutes depending on what pace you go in the activity. Have a great time and of course, BON APPETITE!
By Jason Litt
We know percussion instruments are anything that you either hit, shake, or scrape, but how well do you know them? Want to see how well your kids can identify which instruments are which? Try "Pitch Perfect 2!" where a musical example will be played of a pitched percussion percussion instrument. Students will see three different instruments and will have to select one of the instruments they think matches the musical example. On the following slide will be the answer! In this 9 question game, you can play this any way you want -- boys vs girls, team vs team, individually, or have students write answers down on whiteboards or even come up to the board to interact with the powerpoint. Have a great time with this and leave a comment below if you have any questions!
Boom Along Songs for Boomwhackers
By Jason Litt
Simple simple songs for your primary classes in Boom Along Songs! This powerpoint is pretty much start slideshow AND GO! Animations have been previously set so the teacher advances the slide and the arrows indicate which note to be played. No more pointing to the screen and reaching across the projector -- it will automatically do it for you as you advance the slide! Best part -- take it at your own tempo. It's like the old sing-a-long songs... pretty much fool proof! Enjoy these arrangements of This Old Man Go Tell Aunt Rhodie Mary Had a Little Lamb Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Ode to Joy Have fun!
By Jason Litt
A fun activity to play with kids of all ages! Check out these Italian names and guess whether it’s a PASTA or a COMPOSER! See how many you get right! Some of these are quite tricky while others are pretty obvious :)