5th grade: September (month 1)

Focus concepts are listed below with the major songs/ activities/ resources to teach each concept underneath. Teachers
should interweave the activities from different concepts together within each individual lesson depending on how much time
you have with each class- see the “sample daily lesson sequence” to see an example of how to put specific lessons together on
a twice a week, 30 minute lesson schedule. Depending on specific needs, more lesson activities can be added, exchanged, or
left out- keep the focus concepts in mind to stay “on track” for the year. All of the visuals, slides, worksheets, and printables for
all lesson activities for the month are in the “visuals” file. Assessment rubrics for any formal assessments, and notation for any
songs referenced in the lessons, are included at the bottom where relevant, and recordings and video examples are linked
where relevant for reference. Links are often taken down or changed- if any links go down or seem incorrect please email
[Link]@[Link] to notify the author and get a replacement link.

Monthly Focus Concepts:

*Identify and perform solfege with hand signs
*Read and perform / / / / / / / /
*Read and perform / with singing & instruments
*Use / to generate original musical ideas with standard notation
*Identify treble clef letter names

Identify Letter Names in Treble Clef (review)

 Review treble clef letter names with a few whole-class games. My favorites are the floor staff (put 5 lines on the floor
with tape etc, have students line up on one side and race to put both feet on the correct line or space to match the
letter you call out) and Around the World (2 students at a time stand up and race to identify the note shown (use this
link), the loser sits down and the winner goes against the next person, and the person who beats the most people
before sitting is the winner of the game). More game ideas here.
● Give students further practice with letter names by setting up some centers, such as iPad apps, word spelling games, or
kaboom sticks (there are tons of options for what you can do- see my favorite center ideas here). Have students rotate
through the centers.

● Show the notation for the beginning of “Superstition”, and identify letter names of the melody notes.

Identify and Sing Solfege Names with Hand Signs (review)

 Play the “salami game”: you sing 3-note patterns on mi/sol/la with hand signs and have students echo UNLESS you sing
“sol-la-mi”. If they hear that one, they should not echo- if they do, they are out! Use the same rules with the mi/do/do
pattern for the “Me Dodo” game, and use the mi/sol/ti pattern for the “Me Salty” game.
 Discuss briefly how the key signature tells us which letter note is do, in this case it is F, then review how to sing and do
the hand signs for the diatonic scale.
 Identify the solfege names of the notes in “Superstition”, then practice singing it on solfege with hand signs.

Sing, play on instruments, and compose with sixteenth/eighth combinations from standard notation

● Review Eastman counting and practice saying and clapping review rhythms, then play the rhythms on instruments.
● Do the first part of the High Hopes rhythm play along with clapping. Briefly review and check for understanding of the
concept that sixteenth notes are 4 notes sharing a beat (each note gets one quarter of the beat), and eighth notes are
2 notes sharing a beat (each note gets one half of the beat). Split the class in half. Give half the class a D, C, G, or A
boomwhacker (ideally put octavator caps on the G and A’s so they’re lower than the D and C’s) and show them how to
play the opening instrumental line, using the color blocks visual. Show them the notation of the boomwhacker pattern.
Show them how a set of sixteenth notes and a set of eighth notes can each be split in half, and recombined to make
one beat- the first half is an eighth note and the second half is 2 sixteenths.
 5th grade: September (month 1)
● Review how to count eighth and sixteenth notes, then introduce how to count 1-&-a. Have students clap and say the
rhythms in the play along to practice 1-&-a.
● Tell students there is another new rhythm that’s similar but not the same in the melody of “High Hopes”. Review how
we split up the sixteenth and eighth note sets into halves, and show them how to combine them so the sixteenths are
first, then practice how to say/ clap the new rhythm pattern.
● Have students clap and say the rhythms in the play along to practice 1-e-&.
● Dark Knight rhythm play along, Bonetrousle rhythm play along
● Split the class into small groups and give each group rhythm card manipulatives (use something like these DIY ones or
print and cut out the included rhythm card printables). Have students notate 4 beat rhythms that you say/ play with
the cards.
● Have small groups create a 4-beat rhythm pattern using at least one of the combination rhythms with rhythm card
manipulatives and perform it for the class on instruments/ body percussion.

Sample daily lesson sequence

Week 1 Weekly Lesson Ideas/ Resources:

-first day of music lesson ideas

-Orient to music room, bathroom procedures, assigned seating, lining up

-name games

-steady beat movement with music

-echo/ 4-beat improv on easy instrument

-practice review rhythms with easy instrument like rhythm sticks

Week 2 Lesson 1:

-Review treble clef letter names, then play “Around the World” by having 2 students race to identify the note
on the screen (use this link) and see who can beat the most people.

-Review Eastman counting and practice saying and clapping review rhythms.

-Review instrument procedures and play review rhythms on an instrument.

Lesson 2:

-Do the first part of the High Hopes rhythm play along with clapping. Briefly review and check for
understanding of the concept that sixteenth notes are 4 notes sharing a beat (each note gets one quarter of
the beat), and eighth notes are 2 notes sharing a beat (each note gets one half of the beat).

-Split the class in half. Give half the class a D, C, G, or A boomwhacker (ideally put octavator caps on the G
and A’s so they’re lower than the D and C’s) and show them how to play the opening instrumental line, using
the color blocks visual. Have the other half do a stomp-clap pattern on the (slow) beat, and do both parts
with the beginning of the song, then switch parts.

-Tell students they have just learned a new rhythm, and show them the notation of the boomwhacker
pattern. Discuss how the first note in the pattern looks and ask students if they can tell which parts are
similar to other rhythms they already know.

-After discussing, show them how a set of sixteenth notes and a set of eighth notes can each be split in half,
and recombined to make one beat- the first half is an eighth note and the second half is 2 sixteenth notes (it
helps to physically click and drag the parts of the notes in the slide and put them together to show how it
 5th grade: September (month 1)
makes the combination rhythm they just played in High Hopes).

-Review how to count eighth and sixteenth notes, then introduce how to count 1-&-a. Have students clap
and say the rhythms in the play along.

Week 3 Lesson 1:

-Review the rhythm pattern they learned on boomwhackers last time, and the new rhythm they learned how
to count. Ask students to try singing along with the opening chorus (it’s vocally very challenging- that dude
can sing!).

-Show students the lyrics for the last few lines they just sang, and tell them the new rhythm 1-&-a is in the
melody. Have them pat the beat while you sing it slowly (or have them sing it slowly with you) and see if they
can find everywhere the rhythm appears.

-Tell them there is another new rhythm that’s similar but not the same that’s also in the melody. Show them
slide 6 with the 1-3-& patterns highlighted and ask them to pay attention to those rhythms while you pat the
beat/ sing slowly again. Do they notice that the shorter notes are at the beginning of the beat?

-Review how we split up the sixteenth and eighth note sets into halves, and show them how to combine
them so the sixteenths are first, then practice how to say/ clap the new rhythm pattern.

-Have students clap and say the rhythms in the play along.

Lesson 2:

-Review the 2 new rhythm patterns, then clap and say the Dark Knight rhythm play along.

-Split the class into small groups and give each group rhythm card manipulatives (use something like these
DIY ones or print and cut out the included rhythm card printables).

-Have students notate 4 beat rhythms that you say/ play with the cards.

-Have each group create a 4-beat rhythm pattern using at least one of the combination rhythms and perform
it for the class on instruments/ body percussion.

Week 4 Lesson 1:

-Review how to say/ play rhythms, then play along with “Superstition” on an easy instrument (have them
hold onto the instrument for the end of class).

-Briefly review treble clef letter names. Show the notation for the beginning of “Superstition”, and identify
letter names of the melody notes.

-Tell them now you want to identify the notes with solfege. Discuss briefly how the key signature tells us
which letter note is do, in this case it is F, then review how to sing and do the hand signs for the diatonic
scale.

-Identify the solfege names of the notes in “Superstition”, then practice singing it on solfege with hand signs.

-Turn on “Superstition” again and have students improvise their own patterns on their instruments one at a
time.

Lesson 2:

-play along (use hand drums/ djembes).

-Review the solfege singing for “Superstition” from last lesson with hand signs.
 5th grade: September (month 1)
-Review (or introduce if they didn’t do it last year) the Salami game, Me Dodo game, and Me Salty game to
review solfege singing.

-Review treble clef letter names, then have students race to name the note that comes up on the screen (or
play Around the World) if there’s time.

Song Notation

**Notation for the full “Superstition” and “High Hopes” songs are not included here due to copyright, but the excerpts studied
in the lessons are notated in the accompanying visuals.

Assessment Rubrics

Assessment Task: Create and notate a rhythm including sixteenth/eighth combinations

No evidence Working towards standard At standard Above standard
Does not use any Uses sixteenth/eighth note Accurately notates a rhythm Demonstrates creativity
sixteenth/eighth combination(s) but has a few mistakes including sixteenth/eighth beyond expectation and/or
note combinations in notation and/or number of beats combinations with the appropriately adds rhythms
correctly correct number of beats etc