5th Grade

Our 5th graders have begun working in small groups to compose original pieces based on the rhythms and melodies found within their names. We began this project by reading the book "Your Name is a Song" by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow. In this story, a little girl named Kora-Jalimuso begins at a new school where no one takes the time to learn or appreciate her name. She feels devalued and dismissed. Even her teacher mispronounces her beautiful name. This story led to some great conversations in music class about what names mean to people and how they connect to identity. Many students shared personal stories about their own names including times that they felt frustrated or disappointed by people mispronouncing or misunderstanding them.

Each student has worked on creating an original rhythm or melody to express their name. They are now combining these musical ideas to build more complex music. Through this work, students are reviewing basic music notation, transcribing ideas, improvising, composing and collaborating. Please see below for an example of student work, a group presenting their work in progress and a read aloud of "Your Name is a Song".