Learning Activity

Use your body to show musical contrast

Subject Area

Arts Education

Grade(s)

K

Overview

Students will use their body and voice to show a musical contrast between high/low, loud/soft, and same/different. 

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.

Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): KG - Music

AE17.MU.K.8

Explore and achieve awareness of music contrasts in a variety of music selected for performance.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.MU.K.8

Vocabulary

Rhythm
  • Steady beat
  • Long/ Short
  • One and two sounds per beat
  • Silent beat
Melody
  • High and low
  • Pitch set: So, Mi
  • Musical alphabet
Harmony
  • Accompaniment/ no accompaniment
Form
  • Like and unlike phrases
  • Echo
Expression
  • Speak, sing, shout, whisper
  • Solo/ Group
  • Unpitched percussion
  • Flute, trumpet, violin, piano
  • Loud/ Soft
  • Fast/ Slow
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette

Essential Questions

EU: Analyzing creators' context and how they manipulate elements of music provides insight into their intent and informs performance.
EQ: How does understanding the structure and context of musical works inform performance?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Demonstrate same and different (e.g., fast/slow, loud/soft, high/low and long/short).
  • Demonstrate a steady beat and maintain it while performing.
  • Sing using head voice and appropriate posture.
  • Play a variety of classroom instruments, alone and with others, and demonstrate proper technique.
Creating
  • Create a wide variety of vocal and instrumental sounds.
Reading/ Writing
  • Explore connections between sound and its visual representation.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Move to music of various and contrasting styles, composers and cultures.
  • Demonstrate audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Students are able to explore and achieve awareness of music contrasts using their voice and body to show the difference between high/low, loud/soft, and same/different.

Activity Details

1. Students will listen to samples of music where a person is screaming (loud) and a person is whispering (soft) to show a musical contrast in voice. Then they will hear a sample of a high pitched voice and a low pitch voice. Lastly, they will identify if two sounds are the same or if they are different. 

2. Now that we have heard examples of musical contrast the students will use hand signals to identify the musical contrast. For example, when comparing high or low students will raise their hand for a high sound and for a low sound they will put their hands on the carpet. The teacher will give the students several opportunities to make musical comparisons before the students add body movement to the music.    

3. Students will now use body movement with their voice to show these comparisons. The teacher will ask students to show a high pitch, students will use their voice and their body to show this. (Example: stand up tall and sing la or ti). Then the teacher will ask students to show a low sound with their body and voice. Students may choose to get low to the ground and sing do or re. 

 

Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Teacher checklist diagnostic assessment. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Na0dLYb_LbfNaE-c-cOgafvmYUiTOI4A/view?usp=sharing

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

Make sure students understand the difference between their speaking voice and their singing voice.

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

ctayl0r
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