Elementary School Lesson Plan

Standard: Students will create and present a short composition

Using skills, techniques and processes, students select, combine and manipulate sound and silence

Materials:

• paper and colored pencils
• percussion instruments, tuned or untuned

Preparation: Students think of a sound, then draw a symbol to represent it. Have a neighbor describe the sound. Teacher draws a sequence of sound symbols on the blackboard and the class discusses possible meanings for them. Have some students perform the sound sequence using voice only. Next discuss means of indicating a time frame for the sequence of sounds (such as vertical lines representing seconds).

Activity: Each student chooses an instrument and works to create a short composition that demonstrates the instrument's sound qualities.

Assessment: Discussion demonstrating understanding of musical qualities

Adapted from a draft of Delaware's "Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Framework"