Re: Centers in elementary music class

Shirley

Posted on 6/21/09

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I have taught Music from K-12 for 18 years. Most of my
experience has been in elementary. For the past 3 years
I have tried centers in the upper level, with good success.
I don't use centers all the time, but do use them a lot. Kids
often ask for them.
I might start out with rhythms, and Singing,
in grades 3-6. Then, if I use centers, I have had:
Trumpet/cornet (2-3 people), Ukelele, Learn chords. (1)
Keyboard/piano.
(4-5 people). tone Bells/xylophone. (6). Dance: Kids love
this one. They are to choreograph their own dance steps.
(middle of class romm) 5-6 people. Can add scarves if ya want.
You might try recorder:
(2) But recorder is hard. I think to teach. Sometimes more
trouble than it is worth. Computer: (If you have them.)
2-4 kids. Do research about a composer or style, and write
a quick report, or: game places like dsokids.org, or playmusic.
org. Drums: I use drum buckets, since I work in real poor,
ghetto black school. (5 kids max: Perform rhythms, or make
up a "rhythm combo".)

If you add the amts. of kids up, you will have enough total.
Then make them stay in these centers for about 2-3 weeks,
then Perform for the whole class. Pass out completion awards
if you want to help "keep track" or give grades on their
final product. Have the "performance" last one day,
or two if you need to but one should be enough to go around
room and have that group perform. Then have a class rubric
written up, where they judge the group on the basis of
poor, fair, good, excellent, and reasons why. You can have
this done in private as they are watching kind of like
American Idol. This follows Indiana Standards to use
instruments, technology, and performance in front of others.
Kids love it. Then switch centers by moving counter clockwise
and start all over.
My classes incorporate
centers: gr. 2-6
singing: all classes
playing rhythm instruments or hand drumming on desks all classes.
drum circle: use drum buckets if you have a classroom, or
just desks. all classes. Cut out dowel sticks at home.
dance: Usually, I just do Square dance: gr. k-6
or line dances, a few. Or: "add a dance". they make up their
own, and each one has to add his own, to make up the final
"dance". Orff concept.
Rhythm insts: orff. Layering, group clapping, or echos.
or question and answer.
Listening: Bed sheet ball game, pick up the papers and put
them down. REsts: Quiet game.
Musical freeze, musical scares, (Halloween). Hot potato.,
pass the instrument. pass the ball.
some papers, tests,
a few Videos or Video clips. like Beethoven lives upstairs,
or Ricky Martin or Santana.
Choir: Music Festival or Christmas show.
or classes involved in big music pageant. end of school
"Talent show" in the classroom.
I love teaching but next year I have to travel to schools
rather far away, in the Ghetto, that may not be fun. Don't
even know if I will have a classroom of my own, may have to go
to their classrooms. That is bad.
Hope it helps.

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