#51 Substitutes in Music - Updated 8/31/15
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***********************************************************************Books and other Resources
"MUSIC ALIVE" Magazine I use Music Alive for grades 5-8. I've found that most non-musical subs really like the read the article, discuss and complete some kind of written something. Once when I left an article about Ska, the written assignment was to create a tri-fold brochure for a new all Ska radio station. The brochure had to contain certain information, clip art (hand drawn was OK) and was worth 20 points or something like that. Again, this was something non-musical for the sub, but still musical for the kids. Some of the brochures were really creative!!!
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06/07 BOOKS WITH CD’S: When I got to school today, I had a note from my substitute yesterday that she really enjoyed "The Jazzfly" and would have appreciated more books with cd's to "read." -- Mark Greene
(Note: see large list of books with music at #26 Literature and Music)
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“Ultimate Substitute Teacher's Music Resource Guide” and I use it in my classroom, but it's full of worksheets. I've used it for work sheets for my own lessons, but haven't left it for a sub. --- Dana EdwardsBACK to Substitute Topics
***********************************************************************Music Centers
12/07 While I was away on maternity leave this year I had all of my 550+ kids do centers. K-5th grade had no problems with behavior even with a non-music substitute. I made up a checklist for each student and have a wall hanging organizer (from Learning Resources catalog) that can hold each classes papers. The class would have a mini-lesson (seasonal song or easy sub lesson) and would then go to one center for the rest of the period. Students checked off their center and could only do it once. I had some writing activities as a back up that they could do if they were "finished." This kept my weekly classes busy the whole time I was gone.Some of my centers:
Groovy Music - computer
Window Composition - students wrote music with Crayola
Window markers
Conductor’s Corner - batons and colored sheet music to practice patterns
Lullaby Library - a bookshelf with a reading tent
Listening Lounge - worksheet with selected music
Performance Place - instrument exploration
Music Blocks - from Neurosmith
Puppet Voices- puppet voice exploration
Each center had the directions posted next to it. All the sub had to do was monitor behavior. -- Sarah DaviesBACK to Substitute Topics
***********************************************************************Games
Several Bingo Games at Each School, kids really like these. I use pennies in the canisters for the markers. Winners get 2 jelly beans.MUSICAL CHARADES:
1. Form 2 teams
2. Choose an actor from each Team
3. Give them both the same instrument/musical concept to act out...you choose!
4. The first team to guess the correct instrument wins a point.
5. The team with the most points at the end of the class wins 2 jelly beans each.MUSICAL PICTIONARY: (The older kids REALLY love this game!)
Same as above only draw the instrument or musical symbol on the board. (Concepts would be...forte, piano, Ritardando, accent, Fermata, Barline, staff, treble clef, bass clef, phrase...)
The delivery game: It's very much like "7 Up". This game works with grades 1-4...okay with 5-6.
1. Choose Helpers/Volunteers: 4-6...depending on class size. Each of the helpers/volunteers receives a flashcard:
*Musical Instruments for K-2 (only at Dist. 60, on the small table by the board)*Rhythm Cards for 5-6 (both schools)
2. Play some music. When the music plays, the class members must close their eyes. The helpers/volunteers quietly deliver their card to a member of the class. They return to the front of the room.
3. The music is turned off. "Eyes open. If you have a card, pick it up and stand up". One at a time, each student who has a card must announce whatever note is on the card. If he/she is correct, they are allowed to guess which helper picked them. If incorrect, they must sit back down. (Or if they guess wrong, they sit and the helper gets another turn.) If the student guesses correctly, the get to take the helper/volunteers place.
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01/07 CHERYL LAVENDAR’S “INSTRUMENT BINGO. Once you get them started and lay down a few rules and procedures, most classes 2nd and up can run it by themselves and all the sub has to do is monitor. Life saver! -Teresa in TN
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BINGO/SING ALONGS: For my subs, I leave music bingo and make sing-alongs tapes with handouts for the kids to sing-along with. I have holiday sing-along tapes that I use every year also. Once the tapes are made, you also have them. I also make a music concentration game. I use yellow envelopes and cut them in half to make pockets. I make 15 matching pairs of music symbols or picturesof musical instruments. Hide the cards in the pockets, then go around the room and see who can remember where the matches are. This works really well the last week of school....the kids are all very quiet, thinking of where the match is.When we're done, we mix them all up and play it again! Oh, I forget to mention, I use masking tape, and tape the pockets to a wall or my chalkboard. I have planned several listening-based lessons for the kids from these, and for younger students, activities from the Raffi books (Learning With Raffi, etc.) which can be done by a sub with little or no musical background. The kids really like them, too! There is also a book called "Activities for the Substitute Teacher", which has integrated activities coordinated with "The Music Connection" book - it even comes with it's own CD.
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MUSIC BINGO: I have liked the ideas of having subs play music bingo with the students. I use some pre-made ones, and also make some of my own for the younger students. By making your own, you can have on file ones that reinforce the units you've taught. Also, I have students draw or write to instrumental music , and then explain what they were thinking about when listening to it. Another idea is to have students chose their favorite songs from the textbook and sing for the sub (but this has to be later in the year when they have more choices).
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CONCENTRATION: I keep a concentration game handy for my subs. On the back of each card, I tell the sub what the picture is; therefore, she can teach music and not even know what she is teaching! (My subs are usually classroom subs.) The kids love this game. I tell her that the students can not claim a match unless the individual can tell what the object is. If he can tell what the object is, I give the student the matched cards until the end of the game and he receives a sticker for knowing it. If he doesn't know it, I take down the matched cards for the rest of that particular game/round. Each student in the room gets one try. I also tell the sub to tell the students what the pictures are every time they are uncovered and ask the class to repeat what she tells them. In that way they get constant review.
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06/04 TIC TAC TOE: Have the kids play a game (in teams) of tic tac toe. This game allows the added dimension chance (4 game boards going at once - kids have to spin to see which board to put the "X" or "O" on after they give a correct answer.TIC TAC TOE (TEAMS) (This game take a while to make but it worth the time)
Materials:
Spin Board (stiff cardboard with 4 squares of different colors adjacent forming a larger square), form a hole at the center and insert a spinner (I use a paper clip reshaped so it will go through the hole and secure under board)
Four game boards (different color) with grids for tic-tac-toe (yellow, blue, green, red)
X's and O's (large black x's and o's from construction paper, laminated)
Cards with questions of all different learning areas of music (whatever you are teaching) such as dynamics, melody, rhythm, history, theory, elements, form, song titles, composers, etc.,
Answers on back of cards;Directions:
Class divided into teams (X's and O's - choose a monitor for each team to ask questions and show question side of card (if necessary) to individuals - individuals take turns answering a question then if correct, spinning the spinner to see on which board they can place an X or O
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BOARD GAMES: I have several musical board games that the kids have already learned to play, under my supervision. The sub only has to tell them to get into groups of five.
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HIDE THE DOG using loud and soft singing or fast and slow patting on the lap. NAME THAT TUNE Music Jeopardy which reviews material that we have gone over in the class. Some times Music Centers. Movement activities. I am very seldom absent but I sometimes will have the sub show the "Lollypop Dragon" film strips. They deal with Folk music, The Mixed up Musician, etc... The film strips are fairly short around 15 to 20 minutes. Then, I will have the students draw and color a picture of their favorite part. I do this with others such as The Sourcers Apprentice, Peter And the wolf (Video), And which other ones that I can find. Oh I let the students listen to "Night On Bald Mountain" with out telling the students anything about it. Then while their listening They are drawing pictures about what they think the music is about. Neat pictures.
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06/04 GUESS THE INSTRUMENT: Lay out every percussion instrument in rows on the floor, then you could add any other instruments such as Orff instruments, etc. One student sits behind the instruments and is "it". The class (mine sit on the floor) hide their eyes while the student(it) plays one instrument(I have my students turn around facing the other way when they hide their eyes...cuts down on cheating) I have them turn back around and then they raise their hands to guess. I always tell my students that they can only pick someone who is being quiet. You could leave an extensive definition of timbre for the sub to discuss before playing the game. You may need to label some of the instruments so that the correct names are used. -- Contributed by Norma Ganucheau
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06/04 CONCENTRATION: Divide a transparency into 30 boxes. Pick out 15 music symbols. Draw them on the transparency (as is done for the game concentration.) Give the sub little circles to cover each picture. Put a number in the bottom of each box and "bingo" you have a concentration game at your fingertips. (Make a hard copy for the sub and write in the names of the symbols.) Result: The non-music sub teaches music even though she doesn't know it. I give my subs stickers to hand out when a student makes a match. If the student can tell what they symbol is, he gets two stickers. I also tell the sub to tell the students what each symbol is every time it is uncovered. -- Contributed by Pamela RezachBACK to Substitute Topics
***********************************************************************Listening
1. "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" or "Mozart's Magical Fantasy", tape at Dist 60 with all tapes on the small bookshelf behind the piano. ...they could draw a part of the story while they are listening...ask them to bring colors. ...they could draw what they hear on any classical piece... ask them to bring colors.
2. Tom Chapin CD's, on the CD rack at Dist. 60 or any others that you like.
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PETER & THE WOLF: My favorite substitute activity is have the kids listen to "Peter and the Wolf" and then draw pictures of their favorite scene. If you have short class times this can be a two class time activity if you have to miss more than one day. You can also make a worksheet matching pictures of the instruments to the characters in the story.
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08/04 SQUILT QUIZ (Squilt is short for: Super Quiet Uninterrupted Listening Time)
Materials needed: clipboards, SQUILT quiz sheets, pencils, CD, CD player & remote.Directions: Pass out clipboards and pencils (if needed) to students.
Pass out SQUILT quiz sheets. Explain that this is a listening quiz and there is to be NO collaboration on answers as well as NO talking during the listening.
On the quiz sheet, the right column is to be used to jot down descriptive notes about each listening example as it is heard. Notes such as fast, slow, loud, etc. as well as notes about instruments heard, or comments about melody, texture, etc. may be used: anything that will help them remember the piece. The left column is for recording the answers (titles of pieces).
Play the CD with 11 selections (actually excerpts) one at a time in order. Allow students a minute or two between tracks to jot down their descriptive notes. Then tell them the title which they should write down in the corresponding column to the right. Continue in this fashion with all 11 selections. If anyone needs a selection repeated, feel free to do so.
Then, explain that you will be playing 10 of the selections again, but in a different order (select any track order you want, but write down your order for reference later when you correct the quizzes). The students, on the back of their quiz sheet, will try to identify the 10 selections, by title, based upon their descriptions only. Give them a minute or two between tracks to do this.
After the quiz, exchange papers and go over the correct answers, marking any wrong answers on the sheet. Have students initial the paper they’ve corrected. Return papers to original owners.
Finally, go through all 11 selections in their original order one by one discussing the various descriptive notes recorded by the students. Ask those that missed several, how they could have more thoroughly described the music to remember it better.
Collect the quiz sheets and gather/return all materials. -- SQUILT QUIZName:______________________________________ Grade:______
VERBAL DIRECTIONS: You will be listening to 11 excerpts from 11 musical compositions. After listening to each excerpt, in the left hand column, record any notes or descriptive words that will help you remember the music. Your teacher will give you the title of each excerpt to write in the corresponding right hand column. After listening to all 11 excerpts, your teacher will play 10 of them again but in a different order. Based upon your descriptions only, identify each excerpt by title on the back of this page. There is to be no talking during the listening nor collaboration on answers.
(On worksheet, put two columns labeled “Descriptive Notes” and “Titles of Selections” and rows #1 - 11. On second page, 2 columns: “Titles of Excerpts” (actual quiz) and small second column “X each incorrect answer” and rows #1-10 and at the bottom of page in small letters a line with the words “Corrector’s initials” written below. -- Contributed by Gretchen in IL
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***********************************************************************Singing
1. Feel free to use any of the MK-8 magazines with accompaniment CD's You make make overheads if I do not have any made OR...run copies of the music as it legal with this magazine!
2. Book Series: I do not use the book series very often so it may be a treat for them.
3. Parterama Americana, Good for 5th and 6th!
4. Patriotic Songs: I have a tape at both schools that contains several songs. Look for the overheads in the file cabinet.
5. Great Rounds songbook, at Dist. 60...bottom shelf. Teach them a round!
6. Wee Sing Tapes and Books...just put it in and sing along!
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02/03 CHOOSE A SONG: I have put together a collection of MK-8 songs that many grade levels love. I put it all in a spiral binder (25 copies) and left the disks with the songs marked for the sub. The kids then get to select what they want to sing, the sub puts in the CD and the day is over quickly! They LOVE it! I have about 25 songs in the collection, which I update every two years. ( Plank Road Publishing: http://www.musick8.com/ )
I make a collection of MK-8 songs in a spiral-bound book and burn a CD to go with it. It is quick, the kids enjoy it immensely, and it is easy for the sub. Here are the songs I use. I try to get a good cross-section for 2-5. I just updated it to include some of the newer ones that have become our favorites. I revise this every other year. The 35 songs I included are:
Allegiance Rap, Ants Go Marching, Ballad of Johnny Appleseed, Candle for Remembering
Comet, Conga Line, Dance with Your Hands, Get Up, Halloween Rap, Hokey Pokey
Hola, Amigos!, I Met a Bear, If You're Happy, I've Been Working on the RR
John Brown's Baby, Kookaburra, Forte-Piano, Mashed Potatoes, Music Alone Shall Live
Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Rap of the Presidents, She'll Be comin' Round, Shenandoah
Snow Day, Solfege sounds, Song of Peace, Star-Spangled Banner
Summer Vacation, T-Rex in the Neighborhood, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, This is America
We are the People of the 21st Century, What did Delaware?, Yodelady, American Tears
Contributed by Patty in AR 07/05 SING DOWNS: My kids LOVE to do "sing downs" It's pretty simple....They get ot work in small groups (I allow them to choose their own, but when working with different grades, I usually ask each group to include 3 or 4 from each grade). Each group has a pencil and paper, Then I give them a topic, ex: colors, they get about 5 minutes to list every single song they can sing that has a color in it....they must have at least 1 person who can sing the line with the color in it). Then it's performance time. Each group gets to sing 1 song from their list....there are no duplicates allowed, so if another group has that song, they must cross it off. The winner is the group that has the last remaining song! (If they have more than one song left, they sing each song and get a point for each). My kids love this and I have done it with groups as small as 10 and as large as hundreds... questions? Feel free to ask and I will try to clarify. ---Elissa ReichsteinBACK to Substitute Topics
***********************************************************************LESSONS
12/13 I have a product on my TPT site called Painless Pains for the Music Substitute. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Painless-Plans-for-the-Elementary-Music-Substitute-306845BACK to Substitute Topics
***********************************************************************Materials
I also have the Music Room Sub Tub... The Sub Tub has cassettes, CDs, videos, songbooks, worksheets, and other good stuff, with a permanent copy of all of the previously mentioned directions. It is a large green Rubbermaid tub, and is stored under my desk, so even if I can't get plans ready for my neighbor (very handy to work at the same school as your neighbor!) to take in, or can't e-mail something, there are always options for my sub.I get a sub every time I am gone, unless there is no one available, in which case music is cancelled. Sometimes it's a regular classroom sub, but most often it's a music sub. We usually have some pretty good music subs. They graduate from the University of Oregon, like it in Eugene, and decide to stay awhile. I've helped two former student teachers get jobs in my district.
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BASAL SERIES: I also suggest that the sub can use the Basal series. This is the info I leave: (1) Read the words orally. (2) After reading the words, discuss if the students think the song will be fast, slow, sad, happy, etc. (3) Listen to the song. (4) Discuss if the guesses were correct or incorrect. (5) Put on the music again and sing along--one or two times, depending upon the students' response.
If it is a lesson that feel must be taught, I usually put the lesson on a tape recorder and teach it myself. The teacher has a copy of the lesson, preps the students and turns on the tape.01/02 PUZZLES: Look for the Music Puzzlers books at any of the big music stores (West, Music in Motion, etc.). There are 3 different levels of books and they have information that the students read, then do various kinds of puzzles using the information in the reading material.
I use these for substitute lessons -- I make a packet of sheets that are in the same topic area (instrument families, Music around the world etc.). The packets are collected back by the sub and then re-issued to the students the next time a sub comes in.
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01/02 BOOKLET: For my subs, I compiled a booklet with our favorite MK-8 songs. I just leave the booklets out with the corresponding cd's and the sub does a "Your Choice" lesson. The sub will alternately call on students in boy/girl order to select their choice. I just copy the word sheets and put them in alpha order. There are about 20 songs there - all of our favorites! (I have been a subscriber for 7 years, so that is quite a collection of great stuff!) The subs have even left me notes about how much they enjoyed the music and about how engaged the kids were. (Of course, this is really only for 2nd grade to 5th grade.) K and First Grade are very happy with Joe Scrugg's First Video.
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08/04 SUB TUB: The Sub Tub tells the sub where to find the seating chart and also has my 6-day schedule so they know which classes will be coming. Again, I'm usually not sick, so I can easily leave a list of classes for them. I also have pages with instructions on how to play certain games. I'm going to re-do those this year and laminate them. Things like Music Bingo and where to find the candy for winners. I have pages with lists of the videos a sub can show and which ones have been seen by which class to avoid repeats. The last thing in the sub tub is my Song Packet. This is a packet I've made up with MK8 songs and other fun songs. I burned a CD of them all in order and copied them into a packet with the songs numbered. The sub can simply pass out the packets, put in the CD and then just help the kids stay on the right page. These last almost exactly 45 minutes, and my classes are 47 minutes each. I'm making up a new set this year with a packet for the 3-5th graders and a packet for the 1-2nd graders. I only have one packet right now, and they're getting old and ripped after 3 years. -- Contributed by Jennifer SchroederBACK to Substitute Topics
***********************************************************************STUDENT TEACHERS
06/14 1. Do make it clear that he will do NO parent communicating unless it is positive. He may not send "bad notes" home, make "bad" phone calls, etc. That is still your job. (personal experience here.....)
2. Plus: do not let him teach until you have read the lesson plan and talked it through, asking "why" and "why not" a million times. The "why" is what we get the big bucks for. Why are you singing this song? Why are you using triangles? Why are you .....
3. PLUS: help him be aware of how the standards spiral upward. Have him follow a standard from your benchmarks from kindergarten up. Reflect on how the activities must change or mayhaps remain the same for a couple of grade levels - this helps with the longitudinal look at what he's doing and supposed to do and it also helps him to notice that he can compress his planning load significantly. I know *I* HAVE to do this given my teaching situation.... compress grades together, I mean.
4. Make sure he understands formative (during the learning) and summative (at the end of the learning) assessment. Show him ways to streamline his record keeping.
5. Make sure he understands that until you do it by yourself, it doesn't count.(or something like that...) So...... make sure he learns about how to make and use manipulatives, and how to put kids in small groups to work.
6. Show him how to use process to teach a dance/movement. Think of it like a video game, one level at a time. Show him how to think through this using a psychomotor taxonomy; i.e., pat for 16 beats, then 8, then 4...... depending on the age of the kids. Think of how the Orff borduns go.....two hands same pitch same time, right and left alternate, two hands with one pitch alternating (C/G C/A C/G C/A, etc), etc. also speech to npp to instruments....
7. Remind him how to praise results and behaviors, not people!! ---- Martha StanleyBACK to Substitute Topics
***********************************************************************WRITTEN
I usually leave a word find made up of words we have studied, or the game Who Has The Pencil, or Carnival of the Animals.
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THEORY WORKSHEETS:
I have several books full of fun sheets on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf. All ages!
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COLORING: Sometimes I have my younger kids color pictures related to a song we've learned recently. No, this is not just busy work: after they color the pictures, they must arrange them in the order that suits the form of the song. Even a non-music person can check a pattern. Example: I use "Get On Board, Little Children" for ABA. So, each kid gets two copies of a picture with children, and one copy of a picture of a train. I don't insist that the two "children" pictures be colored alike, although in true ABA form, they should be. Your instructions to the sub should say that after coloring, each child should show "children/train/children - in that order. Then I let the kids take the papers home, sing the song for mom and dad, and explain why two pictures are the same. For Variations, I give 5 or 6 pictures of T-shirts to color. One must stay plain white. The others may be colored any way they want to. (I keep a large tub of old, broken crayons in my closet. The sub will put several hand-full on the floor, for the kids to huddle around and share.)
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08/04 WORKSHEET: I've prepared a worksheet using a table with 2 columns and 11 numbered rows. The L column is labeled "descriptive notes", the R column "title". Then on the back I have another table with 1 column labeled "title" and 10 numbered rows. Ok, everyone will need one of these worksheets and a pencil.
Then I prepared 11 excerpts I burned from my Idiot's guide to Classical music along with the track listing for the sub. You could use other music sources, but this CD is perfect cause the excerpts are just that, and they're short. Directions: The students will be listening to 11 separate musical excerpts from 11 classical musical works. After each excerpt, they are to jot down any descriptive notes about the music that will help them remember it. They will write these notes in the L column under the number corresponding to the track. Things like "loud", "fast", "sad", or identifying specific instruments. Anything that will help them remember it.
Then the teacher will tell them the title which they'll write in the R corresponding column. This will continue until all excerpts have been heard and identified. Then the quiz begins.The kids turn their paper over to the 10 item table. The teacher explains that s/he will play 10 of the 11 excerpts again, but in a different order. Based solely on their descriptions, they must try and identify the excerpts by title which they'll write down. They are free to refer to the front side of their worksheet. After the 10 are played, papers are exchanged and correct answers are given allowing discussion about the results and reasons for their choices (esp. the wrong ones). Finally, all 11 selections are played again in their original order with students sharing their descriptions and how they could have made their descriptions better to more easily id the music.
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***********************************************************************Seating/Sub Folders
SUB BOOKLETS FOR KIDS: This year, I've picked up on something another teacher in my district does (I've avoided it, but it's great for emergencies). On one of the first days of school, the kids all get a large piece of construction paper to decorate and fold in half. In it, store several worksheets and puzzle pages. When a sub is needed, all the kids have to do is go to their class stack and find their folder. I also keep a Jeopardy game handy, as well as some videos. You can get some more ideas from my archives at http://www.usmo.com/~kstaff.
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8/01 PHOTO SEATING CHART: I am going to take a photo of each class seated alphabetically so I can go back and write names on the picture. I will display one full page picture of the class on the wall (32 classes) and I will put another in the sub file after I've mastered the majority of names. Since I changed schools I have to learn almost every child's name.
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Make a SUB FOLDER:
How to operate stereo equipment
Locations of specific items used daily
Classroom management rules
Special student needs
Student lists / seating charts
Lesson generic ideas: transparencies of K-8 favorites per grade level/tape of songs
-----or series CD / book directions of the unit
Any duties one has to doBACK to Substitute Topics
***********************************************************************Recordings
TAPES: I make up tapes for each grade level - Grades 2-5 I pull songs from their textbooks, or type up words to a sing a long (like patriotic, Christmas or other seasonal music.) Of course my Grades 3-5 have MK8 song folders which can be used for subs too. Grade K & 1 have tapes labelled "Fun Songs" which are a mixture of finger plays & action songs. Of course, there are lots of ideas from this list but one that I'm using this week for a sub is have her read the book RAINBOW FISH by Phister while Saint-Saens "Aquarium" is playing in the background. After they finish, each child will color & cut out their own rainbow fish to swim and dance to the music.
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I have several musical board games that the kids have already learned to play, under my supervision. The sub only has to tell them to get into groups of five.
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TAPES: I get into the practice with my younger classes of making a tape of the songs we do in class as we go along. Some of the songs are the re-recorded ones (like the ones from MK8) and others are songs we do with piano and instruments. I pick a class to make the recording. As the year goes by I end up with a pretty long tape of songs which I can leave for the sub and the kids love it. I save the tape so that in 2nd grade they can use it as a review and I can use it as a "breather" on days I need some time.
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***********************************************************************Videos
Public domain films: http://www.loc.gov/rr/mopic/pubdomain.html
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I have always left meaningful videos--for 4th and 5th grade I would leave professional children's choir concerts or World's Largest Concert MIOSM that I taped off the tv. I have also left Henry Leck's children's choir study video which is geared toward teachers, but I just have the sub fast forward past the talking and the kids have to sing the exercises with the choir on tv. This was great for beginning choir members. All my 4th and 5th graders benefit from that. for younger, there's an youth orchestra video I show for 3rd grade to introduce strings and give a good model and for 2nd and below, some kidsong videos are good like the one that goes around the world. Let me know if you want the names.
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10/04 “CLAP TO IT” - I like my subs to have something musical. My K-3rds love this video. Clap hand jams to familiar songs.This is a very neat video featuring many fun hand claps like: Miss Mary Mack, A Sailor Went To Sea Sea Sea, Shame, and more. Joining in on the fun is made easy with this video. You'll be able to watch children do these great hand claps, and you'll be able to learn each routine clap by clap and word by word. This video has won many awards including a Parents' Choice Gold Award. It's rip-roarin', hand-clappin' fun! (27 minutes)
musick8.com-- Contributed by Patti Albritton
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01/02 LIST BY GRADE: I show at least 1 musical per year to each grade level and use a few of the Wee Sing videos to introduce units for grades K and 1. I feel that the quality performance examples are worth exploring in class. I have prewatching activities (usually), video watching sheets for grades 2-8 and follow up with some kind of activity after. I also use segments of videos to illustrate concepts or in place of listening journals on CDs.
I would love to see a list of videos that you use by grade level and any activities that you may do. Here's what I use by grade level each year (usually)KINDERGARTEN
-Wee Sing Train (introduce train songs and discuss various styles of music)
-Mother Goose Rock and Rhyme (nursery rhymes)FIRST Grade
-Marvelous Musical Mansion (we do several activities with this including a Marvelous Musical Mansion Rhythm Recorder where we write down rhythms that we hear in the video -yay door knocker!)
-Betsy Lee's Ghost Town Jamboree (just for fun! I don't show this every year.)
-Overture to Disaster (operas)SECOND Grade
The composer series
(all 6 of them scattered through out the year with activities after)THIRD Grade-study instruments for a large portion of the year
Carnival of the Animals (the Bugs Bunny one)
Overture to Disaster
Video Tour of Powell Symphony Hall (in St. Louis)FOURTH Grade
AnnieFIFTH Grade
Bye Bye Birdie
Stomp
**I have considered adding some American music, music of Civil War stuff to this grade level because this grade does several patrioticy things throught the year.SIXTH Grade
The Wiz and portions of The Wizard of Oz
Seven Brides for Seven BrothersSEVENTH & EIGHTH (these rotate from year to year)
Oklahoma
Grease
West Side Story
My Fair Lady
Seventh Grade studies world music ALL year long and I use a series of videos "Music of Russia" "Music of Japan", etc...that I found in Music in Motion. They watch these with worksheets to fill out and are quizzed over the info.
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VIDEO WORKSHEET: How about part of an arts-related movie or documentary, with a sheet of questions to be answered after viewing?
Some suggestions:
"The Songs Are Free" PBS special with Bill Moyers
"Amazing Grace" (ditto)
Portions of: West Side Story, Amadeus, Pirates of Penzance (w/ Kevin Cline &
Linda Ronstadt), Carousel, Sound of Music and other Broadway musicals...Check PBS catalogs for special films on various artists and musical eras. Once you had the films, it would be an easy matter to set them up with sheets of questions. Most educational catalogs also have a source for these kind of films. Your public library may have some for rent, or your school might actually own some of them.
Also, a prepared listening tape with appropriate questions might work for part of the time.
Sometimes, it is good review to have students write the words from memory to all the songs you are currently rehearsing.
Reading from a pre-copied selection of literature (a biography maybe? or try one of David Barber's very funny and accurate books on music history) and then writing an essay on the selection might be a good sub plan.
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VIDEOS/WORKSHEETS: If I know I am going to be gone for several days I will plan a musical with worksheets to do AS they watch (to keep them really on task). For the younger grades I try not to show any of the Wee Sing Videos (except Marvelous Musical Mansion-I just love that one!) unless it pertains to a unit we are studying so that I can leave them for a sub. The kids are delighted because they never get to watch these sing-a-longs in regular class.
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VIDEO/DRAWING: I also use the following activity with subs. I get 4 or 5 really big pieces of bulletin board paper and the kids bring crayons to music class. They listen to a piece of music and then listen as they draw the "movie in their head" that the music creates. Sometimes I pre-assign groups. Other times I tell the sub to count them off and divide them randomly.Drawing: (Ask the children to bring any supplies you will need.)
1. Pretend that all the instruments of the world were destroyed! Create a new instrument. Draw a picture of it. What family would it be in? Why? What vibrates?
2. Draw a musical collage. Use all the musical symbols you can think of...draw an example of this on the board for them. Play music while they are drawing.
3. Make a musical note. Fold an 81/2 by 11 sheet of paper into quarters and have them make a notecard for a family member. Give them examples of symbols to use and sayings like...You put a song in my heart! You are a note-worthy friend! Just a little note from me! You make me feel like singing!
4. Taking a copy of a large treble clef and having the students color or draw, to design it into another kind of picture...I have these filed under staff paper in the file cabinet.BACK to Substitute topics
TOPICS (Just click on the title you want to view)
Active Lessons -----Books and other Resources -----Centers -----Games -----Listening -----Lessons
Materials
-----Recordings
-----Seating/Sub Folders
-----Singing
-----Student Teachers
-----Written
-----Videos
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Active Lessons
GAME SONGS with the K-2 graders:
"Hokey Pokey" or "Looby Loo" or "Skinnamarink" "London Bridges" or "Hot Cross Buns" ...we do this this xylophones. I
have big staff cards next to the bookcase, 60 "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush"
"Bluebird" or "Go in and Out the Window" "There's A Penny in My Hand" ...change it to button or quarter or nickel
what ever! "Punchinella" or "Whataleeatcha" "The Farmer in the Dell" or "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain"
They could teach you if you do not know these...all grades may not know all songs...depending on the year.
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RHYTHM BAND: K-2
Give each child an instrument and put on the Rhythm Band tape (Dist. 60) and have them play and march and take turns playing different instruments. Also...Hop Till You Drop ...easy to follow, no need to read before hand, do what the CD says.
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POP BOTTLE MUSIC!
I have small pop bottles at both schools you may fill with water and tune to a scale and then have the kids make a song by blowing as you point to them. We do this with simple songs like Twinkle and Jingle Bells. All grades like this, but only the older ones are very successful at making the correct sound when they blow!