Though my emphasis was in high school choral music, I also student taught in an elementary general music setting, teaching students in kindergarten through fifth grade in two elementary schools. Through this experience, I was also able to work with the elementary choir, consisting of fourth and fifth grade students.
Even though my student teaching course only required me to write a unit plan for my emphasis, I also chose to create a three lesson unit for the elementary students. I taught this lesson to all students in kindergarten through second grade, making adaptations as necessary. I chose to create a unit on Beethoven, focusing on facts about his life and his fifth symphony. Though the main part of my lessons involved Beethoven's Fifth, I also used several movement "mirroring" activities from John Feierabend's "Move It!" series that incorporated some of Beethoven's piano music. Below is a sample of one of my lessons from that unit; this one in particular was the third of my three lessons, and this version was taught to my second grade classes. It was a wonderful learning experience for me to have the opportunity to plan my own elementary lessons!
Grade Level: 1st/2nd Grade
Title: Alison’s Beethoven Unit – Lesson 3
Lesson #28
Objectives:
· SWBAT Sing Independently in 2 Groups in a Round
· SWBAT Decode/Read Rhythms with Rests
· SWBAT Provide Info/Facts About Beethoven
· SWBAT Recognize & Define Form
· SWBAT Mirror Teacher’s Purposeful Movements to Music
· SWBAT Copy and Create Rhythms (with and without rests)
· SWBAT ID Beethoven’s 5th
Process: