Music Teachers Central

Lesson Plans

Teacher-tested materials that WORK
in the general music classroom.

Things that work--even with the wiggliest kids!

With my 2nd graders, we play a game where I show the flashcard to the class and I choose one person to come down, say the name of the note to me, then they must take the mallet and hit the correct note on the xylophone. Since most classroom xylophones are labeled with note names already it is fairly easy for them to identify the correct bar to strike. With 3rd grade and up, we use the piano. I first label the piano keys and then after they are used to it I remove the labels. They love it and ask me to play the game constantly!

» Jana Prawl, Matzke Elementary, Houston, TX




The Treble Clef Island game utilizing the Treble Clef Island poster.

Steps:

1. Make one color copy of the poster on cover weight paper. (Depending upon the dimensions of the poster, you might have to copy it to two pages of card stock.)

2. Cut out the notes, laminate them and prepare the note icons with Velcro Dot attachments. (Quarter-inch dots are available online. I use them for lots of things. Half-inch dots are available at craft stores, fabric stores and Wal-Mart!)

3. Laminate the poster and place matching Velcro dots on each line and space note.

4. Pass out the staff notes to the kids in the class. Paraphrase the story and ask the children things like, "Where would we find the azaleas?" The child who has the A note places the note on the appropriate space on the chart.

5. You can also have a barred instrument set up and have the child play the note to match the one they place on the chart. (This also works well if you have more that 12 kids in the class. 12 can have the note icons and the other children can play the notes, then switch and play the game again.)

It would be easiest to purchase two Treble Clef Island posters, cut out the icons and proceed with the process from #2 on.

» Ginger Colla, California