Books with Musical Hooks Clinician: Katie Grace Miller FMEA 2013 Like a Hundred Drums: Annette Griessman 2 nd 5 th FOCUS: Dynamics a. Teacher will read the book to students using different dynamics. At the beginning of the book, before the storm arrives T will speak at p, continuing to crescendo as the book goes on. When the storm arrives, T will speak at FORTE. When the storm passes, T will read at MEZZO FORTE. T will add the following refrain after each page depending on what part of the storm they are in. a. It is coming, It is coming p b. It is here! It is here - f c. It is gone. It is gone mf b. Students will go to the instruments and play refrain at the end of each page at the dynamic marking. c. Using drums, students will play on TONE for p and mf. Play on BASS for f. d. Students can improvise on Orff instruments in C pentatonic matching the rhythm. e. Feel free to break out the thunder tubes!! The Straight Line Wonder: Mem Fox 3 rd 5 th FOCUS: Harmony, Borduns, Minor Scale a. There are 5 reoccurring refrains in this book. Each refrain is assigned a bordun and a specific Orff instrument plays each bordun. b. Students will play their specific bordun when the refrain is introduced in the book and then every other time it is mentioned. c. All instruments will play during the refrain Stay straight silly! People will stare!
Chicken Little: Rebecca and Ed Emberley K-2 nd FOCUS: Tempo a. Teacher will read book to students using both refrains Oh my goodness, oh my gracious at ADAGIO and The sky is falling, the sky is falling, we must run for our lives at ALLEGRO. b. On the first choose a student to add the vibraslap on BONK! while everyone shrieks for ACK! You have the option of using a slapstick on the ACK as well or another fun sound! c. Next, divide into two groups, one using lollipop drums and the other using rhythm sticks. d. The lollipop drums are in charge of ADAGIO Oh my goodness, oh my gracious, playing the beat while chanting in rhythm. n n n n oh my goodness oh my gracious e. The rhythm sticks will play ALLEGRO (I just have my students roll their sticks on the floor.) The sky is falling, the sky is falling, we must run for our lives e \ n M n M n n q the sky is falling the sky is falling we must run for our lives.
If you choose to do this with older students, you can use the Orff instruments in a pentatonic scale. We use metals for the ADAGIO refrain and woods for the ALLEGRO refrain. A Frog in the Bog: Karma Wilson 2 nd -3 rd FOCUS: DO-MI-SO, Dynamics a. Teacher will read the book to the students, focusing on the refrain that happens each time the frog eats more bugs. I keep the same words every time, even though there are some slight differences in the book. DO: n n q Q Belly of the frog MI: q q q Q Half sunk log SO: n n q Q Middle of the bog b. Every time the frog grows bigger we sing the refrain at a louder dynamic. Here is an example i. 1 tick pp ii. 2 fleas p iii. 3 flies mp iv. 4 slugs mf v. 5 snails f c. At the spot where the log turns into a GATOR, the students play SO on a ff tremolo. d. After the last page, have students play a pp tremolo on DO to end the piece. Dinosaur Roar!: Paul and Henrietta Stickland Kindergarten FOCUS: Dynamics a. Focus on dynamics with this opposites book. At the end of each page we say dinosaur (p) and ROAR (f). b. For the first read, simply speak the refrain. For the second read, use the tambourines.
Little Cloud: Eric Carle K-1 st FOCUS: Movement, Listening, Vocal Technique a. Teacher will sing the refrain after Little Cloud changes into something. I sing the refrain first while the children are sitting and listening. b. For the second reading, the students are in personal space and as the teacher sings the refrain they make the changes with Little Cloud. c. It is very important that students listen to the refrain, because when it ends the children must stand up and freeze where they are (turn back into children), and listen as the teacher reads the next object into which Little Cloud changes. Farmyard Beat: Lindsey Craig 2nd 3 rd FOCUS: UPP Families, Ensemble a. Teacher reads book while students are sitting in 5 separate groups; chicks, sheep, cat, cows, Hank (dog). Read this with a groove, so that the steady beat is continuing throughout the book. I like to sway back and forth and encourage my kids to do so while reading. b. Whenever a group of animals is read, students will perform the rhythm that is assigned to that character, first with body percussion and then with instruments. 1. Chicks Lollipop Drums q q n q } Peep peep peep peep peep! 2. Sheep Rhythm Sticks - q q M q }(swing!) Tat tat tattity-tat tat! 3. Cat Egg Shakers - h h } Puuurrr! Mee-ooow!
4. Cow Tambourines - q q n q} Swish Clank Swish-Swish Clank! 5. Hank Guiros - q d } woof! How-WOOOOO! c. When all the animals are speaking at the same time, I bring the children in one group at a time, but have them continue playing while all other groups enter. d. At the end of the book they all fall in a heap asleep, and crumble to the ground carefully and snore! Ugly Pie: Lisa Wheeler 4 th 5 th FOCUS: Melody a. Read book to students, using each of the melodies below when a new ingredient is added. Molasses - Raisins - Apples -
Walnuts - After each ingredient is added, everyone sings... For a performance, choose some of your superstars to play this part as an Introduction and a bass line. b. You have some options with this performance: You can put some students on Orff instruments in G Pentatonic to play the melodies or you can choose students to play the melodies on recorders. Or BOTH! c. Make sure every child uses their ugliest voice to say ugly pie each time it comes up in the story. Choose a student to play a ratchet or a vibraslap each time ugly pie is spoken. You could also let the group really get into it with the sniffing and the my-oh-mys. d. Choose 2 students to play the guiros on the itchin, truly itchin section. e. Last, but not least, have all the instruments play when bear is making the ugly pie, so it sounds very cacophonous. The children love this part. Grade Level Performances/Night with the Arts: Why I LOVE to use books for grade level performances: These are lessons that you ALREADY would do in your classroom!! They teach a benchmark (or multiple benchmarks) for you to check off while getting ready for a grade level performance.
You can show off your children s reading by giving each child a page to read. The performance will promote MUSIC and READING!!! (Your principal will be so proud!!) You will enjoy great collaboration with grade level teachers. Your media specialist will be a terrific resource for this collaboration. I always collaborate with my amazing art teacher for our Night with the Arts.