Teaching East Asian Music in the Elementary Classroom
Lesson Plans from 2005 Workshop
Chinese Music and Dance
(Fourth Grade, 40 minutes)
Teacher: Stephanie Flannery
Objectives
Students will…
- Play an instrument, alone and with others
- Listen to, analyze, and describe music
- Understand relationships between music, the other arts and disciplines outside the arts
- Understand music in relation to history and culture
Materials
- Map
- List of Chinese instruments
- “The Lion's Roar” book and CD
- recorder
- woodblocks
- triangles
- ribbons
Lesson Plan
- Review China
• “Who can find China on this map?”
- “What is the capital?”
- “Can you name some of the instruments that are used in Chinese music?” (covered previously)
- “The Lions' Roar” by Han Kuo-Huang (page 54, Caigui Wu: Flower-ball Dance )
- play version #1 of the theme on the recorder
- play version #2- “What did you notice?”
- play version #3- lead students to identify “theme and variations” after hearing all three
- tap the steady beat (to emulate the bell/triangle part) while listening to the recording (track #20)
- teacher- speak triangle rhythm using Chinese pronunciation of sing, students echo
- teacher- speak woodblock rhythm using Chinese pronunciation of da and go, students echo
- split class into two groups
- pass out instruments to students
- ½ practice woodblock, ½ practice triangle parts
- switch groups- giving each child a chance with both instruments
- Put together when comfortable
- Teacher- play recorder part while students play woodblock and triangle
- Movement
- introduce ribbons, scarves, or flowers (I will use ribbons)
- review theme #1- determine the beginning and end of the phrases
- Teach ribbon movement patterns according to pictures at the bottom of page 55
- Practice moving them in two measure phrases
- Put ribbons together with instruments and perform
- Rotate groups
Last updated:
05/09/2006
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~easc/music_workshop/
Comments: 
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The Trustees of Indiana University