5th Grade

5th graders have been analyzing form in music and breaking larger pieces down into smaller chunks. Analyzing music can often feel abstract. I work to make their experience of the music as physical and engaging as possible. Here, you can see a bean bag circle activity that combines feeling the beat and unusual meter of the jazz standard  "Take Five" with the challenge of hearing the sections change from main theme, to improvisation, back to main theme. Students show their understanding and recognition of the sections by switching direction or pattern in response to the music. In the second video, you see a class composition of mechanical movements inspired by the "Viennese Musical Clock" by Zoltan Kodaly. The way that students are moving, and the order that the groups perform, that reflect the "rondo" form. Ask your student to explain rondo form and talk about why their group chose the choreography you see here!