Teaching East Asian Music in the Elementary Classroom

Lesson Plans from 2005 Workshop

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“East Asian Music in the Elementary School”

Teacher: Rebecca Stone

 

China

 

Objective: Introduction and performance of luogu, Shi Eu [Lion Dance] - additional elementary simplification, with apologies to Dr. Han

 

National standards:

• Performing on instruments
• alone and with others
• a varied repertoire of music
• reading and notating [East Asian] music
• composing and arranging music within specified guidelines

 

Materials used:

• Hand cymbals
• drum [improvising with materials available]
• gongs [improvising with materials available]
• woodblocks
• “The Lion's Roar” cd

 

Strategies: [K-2nd]

• Discuss the lion in Chinese culture – show mask if available
• Listen to and discuss “Shi Wu I” - instrumentation, occasion
• Tap beat on leg while listening again
• Echo mnemonic chant – chahng
• Repeat with recording
• Distribute instruments – cymbals, small gong, large gong [recycled car and semi brake drums work as a substitute for gongs, or a paint stirrer striking the back of a baking round cake pan for small gong]; perform with “beat” chant and then with recording. Try without recording or vocalizing chant if doing well.
• Write western notation for beat parts, compare “chahng” to “ta” [Kodaly] or quarter note

 

[3rd-6th]

1. Begin with above steps, then:
2. Echo mnemonic chant for drum [chahng dong dong chahng]
3. Tap pattern on leg, using both hands, while listening to recording
4. Using a field drum, or drum available [rhythm sticks or recycled ball-bearing cardboard tubes from a factory on inverted Rubbermaid wastebasket works well], play and say pattern
5. Perform with recording, stopping at ending signal
6. Listen to ending
7. Identify how it changed [signal and coda]
8. Vocalize ending signal and coda
9. Play
10. Play with entire recording
11. Write mnemonic notation for drum part, compare and write western notation for drum part
12. Add other parts and play with recording, then without the recording while vocalizing, and finally just playing

 

Listen to and discuss “Shi Wu II

 

[K-2nd]

1. Listen to recording
2. Teach large gong part – chahng rest
3. Play with recording, vocalizing at first
4. Write western notation for parts
5. Discuss A and B parts, similarities and differences
6. Listen to recording with both dances
7. Identify form AABBAA
8. Practice AABBAA, and then play with recording

 

[3-6]

1. Listen to recording
2. Identify instrumentation and patterns
3. Teach large gong part; play with recording, vocalizing at first
4. Teach “chahng chay chay” and “chay chahng chay” patterns
5. Practice cymbals and small gong parts, vocalizing, then vocalizing with recording
6. Add drum part – all vocalizing, then vocalizing with recording
7. Write mnemonic notation for all parts, compare and write western notation for all parts
8. Discuss A and B parts, similarities and differences
9. Listen to recording with both dances
10. Identify form
11. Practice AABBAA, then play with recording, vocalizing
12. Play alone, vocalizing, then again silently

 

All grade levels

Write mnemonic parts for all instruments and play “Rushville Lion” [our local high school mascot is the lion] luogu. Write western notation. Discuss uses for this version.

With each step of these lessons, instruments are passed among students so that each has the opportunity to play all parts, all instruments. With a class of 30, I would be using 1 drum[s], 1 large gong, 1 small gong, and 3 cymbals. This lesson would be reviewed over the course of several weeks to become proficient.

 

Resources: The Lion's Roar by Han Kuo-Huang/Patricia Shehan Campbell

 

 

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Last updated: 05/09/2006
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~easc/music_workshop/
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