3rd Grade

Vocal Unit
Mrs. Emily Fitzpatrick
Daily Opening Activities (10-15 minutes)
Warm Up Song (sing through together): Star Spangled Banner & NHS Fight Song
Performer of the Week performs for the class. Choose a new performer for next week.
Calypso Birthday Song- sing for students with birthdays this week.

Vocal Technique Introduction
Teacher explains that students will be learning to use their voices as instruments in order to perform
their best in our programs, sing their best in music class, and know how to use their voices for auditions
for Lakeview Chorus, plays, and talent shows.
Teacher uses a PowerPoint presentation to lead students through the following activities:
Discuss the definitions of vocal, technique, and vocal technique.
The human voice as an instrument: (7 minutes)
If BrainPop is available...
Show video from
http://www.brainpop.com/artsandmusic/makingmusic/vocals/.
Pitch Vocal Cords video from Quaver TV at www.quavermusic.com
If BrainPop is not available, watch the following three videos...
Pitch Vocal Cords video from Quaver TV at www.quavermusic.com
Vocals video from Quaver TV at www.quavermusic.com
http://youtu.be/o1abZZxePE8 about Adeles throat problem requiring surgery
Ask students to think about the names of 3 important parts of the vocal instrument. Call
on 3 students for answers; write their answers in a prominent location in the classroom.
Stretching- Students stand and mirror the teacher. Teacher models a full-body yawn,
lengthening exercises, and facial stretches. (3 minutes)
Breathing- Teacher models the following exercises and students repeat: silent full-body yawn,
breathing lying down, and breathing in through a straw with arms crossed at shoulders and
exhaling in a variety of ways (ha, no, slowly) (10 minutes)
Vocal Warm-Ups- Teacher leads the students through warm-ups with good posture: (5 minutes)
Echo patterns on the slide whistle
1-3-5-3-1 on ho, hand on belly to check breathing. Encourage projection.
1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 on la, focusing on mouth opening vertically
Ask students to think about some of the big ideas when singing correctly. Call on 3-5 students
for answers; write them in the same place as the key vocal instrument ideas.
Volunteer Solos- Teacher asks for volunteers to stand in front of the class and sing warm-up #2
or #3 alone. Volunteers will be observed for posture, breathing, projection, and mouth
formation. Teacher will give positive feedback and constructive criticism to volunteers .



Day 2- 45 Minutes
Daily Opening Activities (10-15 minutes)- Same as Day 1

Vocal Technique Review (8 minutes)


3rd Grade
Vocal Unit
Mrs. Emily Fitzpatrick
Ask students what they remember about vocal technique. Give all students time to think of an answer,
then let 3 students each share 1 answer.
Pass out worksheets & explain first directions- You be the judge.
Show 3 videos; while watching, students will write down their 1
st
observation about the singers vocal
technique and check off which qualities of vocal technique they did well-- match high pitch, match low
pitch, breath support, posture, mouth formation.
http://youtu.be/-6hodmW0ttk (8 year old singing I Turn to You)
http://youtu.be/YnrUEwxq7WU (Little boy singing blues- This video is no longer available on
YouTube but is saved on my computer. Another video could be substituted.)
http://youtu.be/CwFWWCRvftw (9-year old singing I Could Have Danced All Night)
Mock Lakeview Chorus Auditions
Discuss goals:
Discuss ideas of long-term goals (ex: being able to sing well enough to have a lead in a musical in
high school). Have students close their eyes and think of one long-term goal.
Short-term- With their eyes closed & current skills in mind, ask students to hold up the number of
fingers corresponding to their goal score on the mock audition. (Scale of 1-5)
Brainstorm, as a class, strategies to reach their goals.
Teacher leads warm-up: lengthening stretch, breath exercise, vocal warm-ups from Day 1. (5 minutes)
Teacher will call three students at a time to the piano to audition and another group of three students
to watch and listen. (15 minutes)
Each student will bring his/her worksheet to Mrs. Fitzpatrick at the piano and sing warm-ups #2
and #3 starting on Bb and G, respectively.
Students in the listening group write the names of the singers in the boxes in the bottom left
corner of their worksheets and then listen to the singers. Upon return to their seats, they write a
compliment to each singer.
Teacher will make note of a score for each student1 point each for breath control, posture,
high pitch matching, low pitch matching, and mouth formation.
Meanwhile, other students expand on their responses to the videos and write one positive
specific remark about each of their group members auditions. With extra time, they may draw
or write something about what music means to them.


Day 3- 50 Minutes
Daily Opening Activities (10-15 minutes)- Same as Day 1

Vocal Technique Wrap-Up (30 minutes)
Go through warm-up routine: stretching, breathing, vocal warm-ups
Praise the class for their participation. Guide how to handle scores constructively:
If met goal- reflect on how they could continue to do well and how they could improve.
If didnt meet goal- think of what went well and what needs to be done to meet the goal
next time.
Return students graded observation sheets from last weeks lesson with comments about their


3rd Grade
Vocal Unit
Mrs. Emily Fitzpatrick
auditions.
Discuss students observations about the singers in the videos. Rewatch videos, share
comments.
Web of Kindness: Class stands in a circle. A ball of yarn is passed around/across the circle;
whoever passes the yarn says one positive specific comment about the singing of the person to
whom they are passing the yarn. Every student holds on to a piece of the yarn as it is passed so
that the end result is a web with everyone holding on to a piece of the yarn.

Extra Time: Practice good vocal technique with a familiar song. Take a student request for a song weve
learned together; with that song, focus on posture, pitch, breath, vowels & consonants.


National Core Arts Standards:
MU:Pr5.1.3
a. Apply teacher-provided and collaboratively-developed criteria and feedback to evaluate accuracy of
ensemble performances.
b.Rehearse to refine technical accuracy, expressive qualities, and identified performance challenges.
MU:Pr6.1.3
a.Perform music with expression and technical accuracy.
b.Demonstrate performance decorum and audience etiquette appropriate for the context and venue.