#3424. Distinguishing High and Low from Loud and Soft

Music, level: 1-2
Posted Tue Dec 27 17:37:16 PST 2011 by Lauren D (Lauren D).
Waikiki Elementary School, Honolulu, HI
Materials Required: Several percussion instruments
Activity Time: 30 minutes
Concepts Taught: High, Loud, Low, Soft

Lesson Plan: Grade K and 1. High and Low; Loud and Soft.

Objectives: SWBAT distinguish between high and low sounds and low and soft sounds. Also, students will not confuse high with loud and low with soft.

Benchmarks: Benchmark FA.K.2.2 Demonstrate simple representation of high and low, short and long, loud and soft, fast and slow

Procedure:
1. Lay out 8-10 percussion instruments that make low and high sounds. Have the class classify each instrument as you play it as a low sound or high sound. If arguments arise, have the class listen carefully to the instrument then play one from the high group and one from the low group. Vote on if the instrument is closer to the high group or low group.
2. Go back and forth and ask students which group is which until you are satisfied they know which is low and which is high.
3. Demonstrate a high instrument played loudly. Demonstrate the same instrument played softly.
4. Repeat step 3 with a low instrument.
5. Tell class you are going to call them up one by one and ask them to pick either a high or low instrument and play it 4 times either loud or soft. Have the students pretend to play an instrument 4 times. Do not go on until every student does it 4 times only.
6. Call students up one-by-one. This will take a bit of time, but other students should be listening to see if they do it 4 times and what all the instruments sound like. If a student fails to pick a high or low instrument or play it loud or soft, tell them what they did "i.e. I asked you to play a high instrument soft and you played a high instrument loud. Can you choose another high instrument and play it softly?"
7. To insure that the students understand the concepts, do another round. This time, have them come up and tell you if they are going to play a high or low instrument loudly or softly. Make sure their vocabulary is correct before they play the instrument.

Assessment:
1. All students can classify an instrument as high or low. (Tested step 1)
2. All students can classify a sound as soft or loud. (Observed steps 3-4)
3. Most students (90%) can play a high or low instrument loud or soft when instructed to.
4. Most students (at least 75%) can communicate if they are going to pick a high or low instrument and play it loudly or softly.