October is jam-packed full of musical potential here in Canada! The seasons are changing, it’s the official second month of school, there are two major holidays, and so many professional development sessions! Energy is in the air, Christmas prep is right around the corner, and teachers are starting to write report cards. There is a lot to think about and it can be quite overwhelming sometimes. Remember to relax and enjoy the small moments in this season. Go for an autumn walk with a pumpkin spice latte- I got you! Here is a full unit plan for the whole month plus a sub tub filler! The Unit: Onomatopoeia I’ve mentioned this activity in this previous post, but it is such a winner! My students love it and always request it for their choice time. This year, my earliest request was in the second week of school! There are a few materials required plus some learning outcomes listed. The best part about this unit is that there is so much variety for the whole month. Check out this post for more info. The Unit Plan 1) Activate Begin the lesson with an introduction to STOMP. Here is a video that my students enjoy. Discuss what kind of sounds they heard and any rhythmic patterns they noticed. You can even try to replicate a few! 2) Pre-Teach Talk through the Onomatopoeia definition and brain storm some examples. They can be big, small, loud, quiet, natural or man-made sounds. Older students may be tasked with organizing and categorizing the sounds. This extends their thinking and sparks more creativity when the method of sound creation is considered. Younger students may move to the next step from brainstorming. 3) Extend the Learning Read a book! Grab a popular read from the library or a brand new story from your collection. Read through the book as a class and discuss what kind of noises SHOULD have been heard. For example, if the character slams a door shut, they should hear a “boom”. Some indicators may be the images that the students may see. Read the story again, and have the students vocalize the sounds. *This typically takes three-four lessons, so here is the split that works for me, usually three steps per class.* 4) Reactivate Read the book again with the students producing the sound effects. Next, discuss what kind of instruments in the music room would work for each sound. For example, the door slamming may be a note on the bass drum. Read the book again with the students providing the sound effects for book. 5) Engage Break the class into smaller groups and assign or have them select a book to read together. Allow some time for the students to collaborate and talk through the process that you practiced as a class. Then it’s sharing time! Have the students read and perform the book as they practiced together. Hint: RECORD!! This is an opportunity to share with parents, display at open house, use as exemplars or just for student self-reflection. 6) Application Talk through the rules for the Onomatopoeia Hunt. The goal is to find different sounds in their environment and surroundings. The chains on the swing set, the water dripping down the slide, etc, for an example. For older students, have them write the object producing the sound and an attempt to “play” the corresponding rhythm in the box. A simple check mark will suffice for younger students or as a modification. Follow the activity with a discussion about their findings for each sound. You can choose to end the lesson here. But coming up is a another great extension of Onomatopoeia- good for many more lessons! 7) Extension Discuss opportunities for careers with music. They will volunteer the typical- musician/performer, teacher, etc. Introduce the art of foley- sound experts that produce quality sounds to match video and mesh in post-production. Then discuss the history: movies never used to have sounds and some not even music! There are many examples on YouTube, but here is my favorite: Marko Costanzo. He has done foley for many big block buster movies including “Ice Age”. The clip shows Costanzo’s process in the development of sound creation. It’s pretty captivating and the kids love it. 8) Practice Use this clip, called Funny Horse! First, show the clip on mute and have the students figure out what kind of sounds they need. Warning: it’s actually pretty funny! Play the video again and have the students perform their sounds. Some may require assistance and you can guide them though the decision process. 9) Reflect Ask the students if their performance turned out the way they expected. Is there anything they would have done differently? Why? Play the clip again, but this time include the sound. Inquire which they prefer: the clip track or their performance track. 10) Twist Select a new book/video. Tell the students a brief summary of the media and have them hypothesize what sounds will occur and what instruments they need for the soundtrack. SUB TUB ALERT! This activity prepares the students for when you are away. If you have a sub that isn’t necessarily comfortable in the music room, supply a story book and a short clip (it can be anything, cartoons are the easiest) with the instructions to be played muted. The students will have the prior experience of the process. (COMING SOON: you can include THIS sub outline of the assignment for review for the class.) The students will have also learned the proper use and etiquette of the instruments and the performance itself. An easy-going and low prep sub plan is ready to go! I see my music classes 2-3 times on alternating weeks, for a total of 9 times or so for the month of October. My students do 4 books/video clips in this time span. This unit plan is for the whole month but you can extend as you need it to. I’m excited to hear how this…
