Rationale: ​This experience would be meaningful to do for a population of third graders

because it helps them to practice their notational reading, which is one of the standards
for this age group. It also gives them the opportunity to play a variety of pitched and
non-pitched instruments in an ensemble. The instruments are not only from different
instrument families, but also even come from different parts of the world. This content
could be worthwhile for the students because it gives them background on a variety of
different percussion instruments. For example once they begin to use their drumming
skills on one type of percussion instrument, it is easier to transfer the skills to other
instruments that may be found in the music classroom or even in the comfort of their
own homes. After doing this experience hopefully they will have a better understanding
of how music is used to tell a story.
Standards:
● 3.1 The student will read music including melodies based on the pentatonic
scale.
● 3.3 The student will play a variety of pitched and non-pitched instrument alone
and with others.
I Can Statements:
● I can read music based on the pentatonic scale.
● I can sing and or play an alto xylophone, recorder, djembe, windchime, or
electronic instrument with others.
Materials and Visual Aids​​:
● Alto Saxophone
● Recorder and Fingering Chart
● Djembe
● Wind Chime
● Electronic Sound Source: Soundscape App
Detailed Process (30 minutes)​​:
1. Welcome the students to sit on the carpet in the classroom.
2. Tell them you are going to sing them a song and they should put on their
listening ears.
3. Sing “Gypsy in the Moonlight” from beginning to end.
4. Teach the song by singing one measure of the song at a time and then having
them echo it back to you.
5. Next, sing the first two measures and have them echo you.
6. Then sing the last two measures and have them echo you.
7. Sing the whole song for the class and have them echo the whole song back. (5
minutes).
8. Next, tell them that the different things in the song make different sounds.
9. Ask if the remember what struck two in the song.
a. The clock is the answer.
b. Then tell them the clock in the song goes ding dong.
c. Body Percussion: Patting the legs and releasing them into the air to signify
the half notes and the way to play the xylophone for the bordun.
10. Next ask if they remember what was on the grass.
a. Dew is the answer (Wind Chime).
b. Then say the dew was twink-ling.
c. Body Percussion: Waving hands above the head with spirit fingers from
one side to the other.
11. Then have the students stand and ask what was going to happen at two.
a. The answer is the gypsy was going to come back.
b. Have students stand and stomp the rhythm of the djembe to the following
text: Walking walking I am walking I am walking Home. Walking walking I
am walking now I’m home.
12. Next ask the students if moonlight would shine up or down.
a. The answer is down.
b. Have students sing the pitches counter melody (recorder) to the text:
Shining Down. Shining Down. Shi-ning. Shining Down.
13. After that, break the students into four groups so that they can do the four parts
that they learned using their chants and the body percussion: the recorder,
xylophone, djembe, and wind chime. Have them practice it a few times in a row.
(5 minutes)
14. Next, transition the different groups of students to the instruments set up in the
back of room. Ask the recorder group to retrieve a recorder. (3 minutes)
15. Begin by giving the bordun part their pitches and having them practice playing
the half notes.
a. Next, provide a fingering chart for the recorders to play the 4 pitches they
need so they can practice. Show them on your own recorder if necessary.
b. After that, sit in a drum circle with the djembes and practice the rhythm
along with them by using the chant text.
c. Finally, observe the wind chime players play in unison. (10 minutes)
16. Tell the students that now they are going to play together. Bring in each part
beginning with the bordun, then the countermelody, then the djembe, and then
the chime.
 17. Sing the melody repeatedly with the lyrics as the class continues to play as an
ensemble. Pick a few students to experiment with the Singing Fingers app for the
electronic sound source. (5 minutes)
18. Have the class clean up the instruments. (3 minutes)
19. Sit on the carpet, sing the exit song, and have the class line up. (2 minutes)

Assessment: Checklist for students as they rotate between the various

instruments.

Instruments Below Standard Meets Standard Exceeds Standard

Vocals

Alto Saxophone

Recorder

Djembe

Wind Chime

Electronic Sound

Extensions:
● Students could use the same instruments to create another arrangement for
another short song they learned in class.
Adaptations:
○ Size: ​The size of the instrumental ensemble can be reduced so that other
students can become actors of the story.
○ Color: ​Have students put colored stickers on the pitches that are played
on the alto saxophone or the recorder.
○ Pacing: ​Teach one part of the song a day and slowly put the arrangement
together over the course of multiple classes.
○ Modality: ​Utilize instruments that do not necessarily need to be seen in
order to be played such as a maraca for the rhythmic line.