A place for Mr. G's P.S./I.S.78Q students to get materials.
Substitute Teacher Resources. Feel free to choose from these resources to use when covering my classes. I have left the items listed here open ended where possible to allow for your own creativity and adaption. Have fun! If you’re stuck for something to do, have the students write or draw a response.
I just finished listening to this podcast from the BBC. In it, the host talks about what he’s doing to try to pass a music exam and the differences between his experience and some other people’s. It’s a good listen and motivated me to practice a little more!
Folk songs provide a unique opportunity for students to experience the art of songwriting. The simple, repetitive nature of folk music makes it the perfect platform to explore.
Kumbaya is a song that originated in the Congo and the word ‘kumbaya‘ means ‘come by here‘ or ‘come over here‘. Think of it as what a friend might say when they are inviting you over for a play date. The rest of the song is different based on who is singing it and what they are singing about.
Some example lyrics are as follows:
Kumbaya, ya Kumbaya (3x)
Ah, ah, KumbayaWe can play here, Kumbaya (3x)
Ah, ah, KumbayaWe’ll have fun now, Kumbaya (3x)
Ah, ah, KumbayaSing a song with me, Kumbaya (3x)
Ah, ah, Kumbaya
As you can see, there is a pattern to the verses. Simply follow it, and you can write your own version of this classic folk song. All you have to do is pick a topic, and think of some things to sing about that topic. In my example, my topic could have been Things To Do During A Playdate.
Use the player below to sing along with!
Use this worksheet to organize your thoughts. You don’t need to fill the whole thing up, either. Just use your imagination and have fun! For extra excitement, change the speed and style of the song. It doesn’t have to be slow and simple. You could rock it out, or recite it as poetry or rap or strum a ukulele, or any number of other possibilities. Be creative!
This is a video I show in class to introduce the students to the melody of Ode To Joy, by Beethoven. The performance builds, one section at a time until the end, when the chorus joins in with the words. The video is so full of JOY, it is a great introduction to what the piece is all about.
There was an interesting segment on ‘Morning Addition’ on National Public Radio this morning. It was about how music is used and played by astronauts up in orbit. An astronaut named Brewster Shaw was interviewed for the segment and had this to say about the one and only astronaut band: “You have people who are able to quickly pick up and accomplish tasks in areas totally outside their field of training,” he says. “Those kind of people are very likely to have enjoyed music, and been able to play something musical, so you just recruit them into the band.” He adds, “There’s not a lot of pressure — it’s pretty much you just have fun and do it.”
Give it a listen and see what you think about it. Why does music get the astronauts going in the morning? Does it have the same effect on you? Why did the astronauts decide to start a band? Can you relate to their experience?
Here’s a link to the article and the radio segment.
Written Article: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/16/138171055/music-in-space