Lesson Plan 4: Creating a Melody for "Five Little Monkeys"

Objectives:

1. To create a melody to the rhythm of "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" using Morton Subotnick's CD-ROM, "Making Music". (26.A.1d)

2. To discriminate between high and low sounds. (25.A.1c)

3. To discriminate between long and short sounds. (25.A.1c)

4. To perceive AB form by creating contrasting melodies for each section of a song. (26.A.1d)

Classroom Materials:

• "Fundamentals" CD ("Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed")
• "Making Music" CD-ROM
• Power Macintosh computer
• large screen television
• LTV hookup

Vocabulary:

• pitch
• rhythm
• high/low sounds
• fast/slow sounds

Time:

One, thirty minute music period.

Prior knowledge:

The students will already be familiar with the "Making Music" CD-ROM.

Instructional Procedure:

1. Review the song, "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" with the students, concentrating on the rhythm of the song.

2. Review the "Melody and Rhythm Maker" component of the CD-ROM "Making Music" with the students. Remind them that the melody is represented at the top of the screen by birds sitting on wires, and rhythm is represented by open and closed eggs on a tree branch. Students create melodies and rhythms separately, then merge them in the center of the screen.

3. Using one line of the song at a time, have students take turns creating a melody to the song. Encourage the students to use the play arrow and listen frequently as they work.

4. Once the melody has been created, have students take turns adding the appropriate rhythm to the melody.

5. Merge the rhythm and melody components that were created by the students. Click on the green play arrow and listen to their merged melody and rhythm.

6. Ask the students to try to move the birds on the wires and to open and close the eggs. Note that they cannot move the birds or change the eggs until they "un-merge" the melody and rhythm.

7. Tell the students to click on the merge icon again and ask the children to describe what happens. (The melody and rhythm go back to the birds and the eggs)

8. Have the children locate the music stand buffers at the bottom of the of the page. The "Zzzzzz" symbol means that music was already saved on that stand in the composition space. Have the students click on the first empty music stand. Their composition will appear in the buffer.

9. Play the melodies that were created by other second grade classes.

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Submitted: July 1, 1998