Weekly Review 1/2 - 1/4

We're so happy to see all of the students excited to be back to school.   It seems like everyone had a fun and relaxing vacation.  Here's what we were up to the past three days:

First grade students shared something about their winter break with the class- using only a singing voice!  It was fun to hear the students improvise a melody as solo singers.   We also did a movement activity while chanting "Hands, Hands."  The students learned a song that uses the whole scale called "I Have a Little Snowman," then played "Lucy Locket!"

In second grade this week, we played a new rhythm game called "Now Feel This."  To play, you lightly tap a 4 beat rhythm on a friend's shoulders, and they have to clap and speak that pattern!  We also decoded 4 beat rhythms in duple and triple meter, and learned a clapping routine to go along with a song called "Over the Prairie."  One of the classes still had some of the Nutcracker to watch (we didn't have time to finish before vacation), so they had the opportunity to see the ending!

Third graders discussed our upcoming visit from the Lexington Symphony, and reviewed the four instrument families to prepare for their presentation.  We played a fun game called "Instrument Family Four Corners" and identified what instrument sounds were heard.  

Fourth and Fifth grade students learned about building chords.  A chord (unlike a pitch or interval) consists of three or more notes.  We focused on notes that have 3 or 4 pitches, and used music letter cards to help build them.  Here's a picture of some of the fourth graders getting ready to build a chord following our "keep a note, skip a note..." rule:

Once we knew how to make the chords, we used the classroom floor staff to learn how to notate and label them. It was a lot of fun!

We hope you have an amazing weekend!