Here is a holiday idea for all ages involving symbols, terminology, composition, and the pentatonic scale

 

 

 

Title – Create a Holiday Tree and Song
By – Becky Wszalek
Primary Subject – Music
Secondary Subject – Art Grade Level – PreK-4

*Note*

This lesson can be used for any subject matter on any grade level. Just adapt it to meet your needs. For example; technology teachers may want their students to create their ornament using Printshop or any other program. Language Arts teachers could have them include vocabulary words or even a short story (on a big ornament of course). When you are finished, hang up your large tree on a large bulletin board, or make a separate tree for each class. Decorate it with the ornaments and there you go! I hope you have fun with this, I know I will:)

I. Objectives:

A. Students will use music terminology and music symbols on their art project.

 

B. Students will work together to write a school song for the holidays and then learn to sing it together.

 

C. Students will learn what a pentatonic scale is.

II. Music SOL’s Covered:

K.1

 

K.9

 

K.7:

 

1.1 1.2 1.9 1.4

 

2.9 2.1 2.8 2.2 2.4

 

3.8 3.2 3.1 3.6

 

4.7 4.1 4.2 4.11 4.4

 

5.6 5.1 5.9 5.2 5.3

III. Materials:

A. Pre-cut circles cut from white paper

 

B. Crayons, markers, etc.

 

C. Green Tree cut out of Bulletin Board paper

 

D. A creative mind

IV. Procedure:

A. Show examples to generate ideas.

 

B. Each student is given a pre cut circle as an ornament

 

C. They take their time in planning out what they will put on their ornament. Use scrap paper to practice (just like a composer takes his/her time to create music.)

 

D. They put their design on the circle – it must include some music symbols or terms.

 

E. Decorate their ornament.

 

F. Explain that each class will do this project together and create a Holiday Tree. Each class will also work together to create a Holiday song which we will all learn.

 

G. Each class picks a note from a pentatonic scale that they would like to use in the song.

V. Evaluation:

A. Finished product.

E-Mail Becky Wszalek !