Fourth Grade Music
We have begun the year learning/reviewing all that we know about The Star Spangled Banner. Take the brief quiz on the left to test your knowledge. Also check out the "Star Spangled Banner Links" in the far left column. At the end of September, we will begin to work on Music Theory. Students will work on note reading, rhythm recognition, intervals and time signatures. This gives them a strong foundation to work on recorders in the Winter. Check out the links to the immediate left to try some practice at home.
October-December: We have begun to practice the note names of the Treble and Bass Clef. There will be periodic quizzes to check for understanding that will count towards their report card grades. As we move on to note rhythms and time signatures, students will have time to practice with Music Maestro on the computers. This will allow them extra time to work on concepts that they might struggle with and master them.
Students will begin to bring home their rhythm flash cards. Please practice with them so they are prepared for their quiz. You might even learn something new in the process. After we conquer the identification of rhythms, we will move on to Time Signatures (2/4, 3/4 and 4/4) and how to count the rhythms in each. The time signatures and rhythms, along with the Treble Clef note names, will make our Recorder Karate unit 10X easier because they won't have to think so much about the notes and rhythms. They can think more about playing with proper technique, articulation, and breath support.
January-March: As we finish up Recorder Karate, I'm hoping you have been hearing your child play at home. I have seen so much improvement in their playing. Besides working with reading notes and rhythms, the students are learning how to practice. The concept of "Am I ready to test?" is a difficult one sometimes. There are times students begin to test and realize that the song they are performing aren't really ready. That is a great lesson to learn and the students are growing and learning too.
March-May: Composer Biography Reports. This project is a group project that will be completed during school time in music and computer class. Each group will research a composer through books and online sites using a biography map to help them organize their thoughts. Using PowerPoint, each group will create a slide show to share with classmates at the end of the project. This project will compile information about the composer, pictures, video clips, and audio samples.
