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      • Band Book Play-a-longs >
        • 1. Improvise: Concert F
        • 6. Improvise: Concert E flat
        • 12. Improvise: Concert D
        • 20. Improvise: Concert C
        • 26. Improvise: Concert B flat
        • 32. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 37. Improvise: Put It All Together
        • 43. Improvise: Concert G
        • 50. Improvise: Concert A
        • 56. Improvise: Put It All Together
        • 70. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 71. Improvise: Concert A flat
        • 77. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 78. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 80. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 87. Improvise: E natural
        • 93. Improvise with Let's Go Band
        • 95. Improvise: Concert A low
        • 101. Seven Nation Army
        • 102. Improvise: Concert G and F low
        • 103. Improvise: How Low Can You Go?
        • 119. Improvise: Feeling Bluesy
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Sample Lesson informed by Kodály teaching practices
Brendan Hogan, David A. Ellis Elementary

Grade 1, late winter or early spring
Objective: Students will practice reading and writing rhythms using I and Π

First activity:
  • Students, standing, sing “Hickety Pickety Bumblebee, will you sing your name for me?”
  • Students respond by singing names individually, improvising melodies, then whole class echoes.
  • Students might step beat in place while singing “Hickety Pickety Bumblebee”
  • Notes: in some places the response is notated “my name is so and so” so-mi-la-so-so-mi.  This restricts the melodic responses of students. Instead, I ask students to sing only their names, which usually invites more options to improvise the melody.  See notation for example. Also, T may wish to change starting pitch as Ss warm up.

Transition (same meter and tonic center)
Teacher sings “Sally go round the sun” on a neutral syllable such as “loo” and Ss identify song.
Second activity:
  • Students play, stepping beat, and turning on “Boom” to change direction.  
  • When students are very comfortable singing independently, T may introduce part-work by singing same song on pedal note “do,” and later, introduce canon by singing after students.

Transition: T points to image of snail (drawn on board).  “Will you sing snail’s song?”
Third activity (Focus Activity and Objective):
  • Ss sing “Snail, Snail” (Making Music collection) and play game.
  • Ss clap rhythm while singing words to the song.
  • Ss clap rhythm while singing “in their heads.”
  • T asks: “What are the rhythm names that we know?”
  • Ss clap rhythm and sing “rhythm names: ta and ti ti”
  • T: “Will you sing them again and I will write them as you sing?”
  • T writes rhythm incorrectly.  “Did I get it right?”
  • Ss will notice mistake; turn and talk to partner.
  • “On what line, on what beat” (eg: 1 or 2; 1,2,3 or 4) did I make a mistake?
  • Ss correct and volunteer writes changes on board.
I    I I    I
Π  Π Π  I
Transition: T makes changes to one beat of rhythm.
I    I I    I
I   Π Π   I

Fourth activity:
  • Ss perform rhythm with changes.
  • T: do you know a song that matches has this rhythm? (Star light, Star bright)
  • Students play, one child passes “star” to another after stepping beat to song.
  • Invite solo performances.
  • Invite Ss to create 2 beat rhythmic ostinato.

Fifth activity:
  • T sings “Over in the Meadow” (Making Music Collection)

Closing:
  • T sings goodbye to each child as class lines up, possibly referencing melodic motives of “Over in the Meadow” or other song from class.​

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1216 Dorchester Ave.
Boston, MA 02215

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The BPS Visual and Performing Arts Department aims to provide excellence, access, and equity in arts education for all Boston Public Schools students. Learn more

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  • Home
  • Blog
  • District-Wide
    • BPS Arts Office Staff
  • Gallery
    • MLK 2025 Winning Poems
  • Pedagogy
    • Professional Development >
      • SY 24-25
      • SY 23-24
      • SY 22-23
      • SY 21-22
      • SY 20-21
    • Transformative SEL in the Arts
    • Artist Spotlight
    • Dance
    • Music >
      • Band Instruments
      • Band Book Play-a-longs >
        • 1. Improvise: Concert F
        • 6. Improvise: Concert E flat
        • 12. Improvise: Concert D
        • 20. Improvise: Concert C
        • 26. Improvise: Concert B flat
        • 32. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 37. Improvise: Put It All Together
        • 43. Improvise: Concert G
        • 50. Improvise: Concert A
        • 56. Improvise: Put It All Together
        • 70. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 71. Improvise: Concert A flat
        • 77. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 78. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 80. Improvise: New Rhythm Workout
        • 87. Improvise: E natural
        • 93. Improvise with Let's Go Band
        • 95. Improvise: Concert A low
        • 101. Seven Nation Army
        • 102. Improvise: Concert G and F low
        • 103. Improvise: How Low Can You Go?
        • 119. Improvise: Feeling Bluesy
    • Visual & Media Arts
    • Theatre
    • Virtual Learning >
      • Virtual Field Trips, SY 22-23
      • Virtual Field Trips, SY 21-22
      • Virtual Field Trips, SY 20-21
      • Virtual Center for Creativity
      • Virtual Citywide Arts Festival
  • Partner Connection
  • BPS Arts Expansion