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Music Education in Elementary Grades
Reading Reflection 1
Jan 17, 2022
1) Are these articles connected and if so, in what ways?
I think that the connection between the articles "To All Who Should Be Concerned" by Dylan Robinson, and "Critical and Transformative Literacies: Music and General Education" by Cathy Benedict involves broadening one's education through adding other cultural aspects and music to curriculum, and thinking differently about one's approach to teaching music that is inclusive for all students.
Dylan Robinson's article discusses the significance of equity, diversity, and inclusivity of students part of Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, and other scholars and artists of colour (IBPOC/Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour). That includes hiring faculty who are part of those cultures and other ways we can make changes to promote diversity such as including music written by artists of colour and other ethnic groups in music curriculum.
Cathy Benedict's article, focuses on the obligation and structure of functional literacy in education, more specifically, ways to consider how scripted curriculum and pedagogy frame all disciplines of education, especially in music. Benedict also talks about the idea of "teacher-proof curriculum means that care, creativity, mindfulness, and even the expertise of a teacher is being thought of as something from which a child needs to be protected" (Benedict 153).
2) What are these authors asking of you?
In Robinson's "To All Who Should Be Concerned," Robinson is asking us to consider the importance of hiring Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, and other scholars of colour as teachers and including music written by artists of colour to curriculum to further educate students about the universal language and art that is music. It is especially important for those students part of those diverse communities. Those students have a right to learn about their culture, especially if they learn from someone who also shares their background and knows how to properly educate others about their traditions and ways of life. Their other classmates who may not be part of those diverse communities also have a right to learn about new cultures and learn now to be respectful of each other and each other's backgrounds.
Benedict's article, "Critical and Transformative Literacies: Music and General Education" is asking us to consider the obligation and structure of functional literacy and scripted curriculum as an infliction of meaning. In other words, Benedict is asking us to trust in ourselves and make connections with our students and have faith that we are making some sort of difference in their lives. We also need to trust that we have used our understanding of functional and scriptured literacy to educate our students and prepare them for the next step in their lives as much as we can. Trust in ourselves, our education, and our students.
3) What are they asking you to do differently?
Robinson is asking us to be more open minded and learn about other cultures and work with people of different ethnicities and cultures. This way, we can be more inclined to teaching our students about various IBPOC communities, artists, and music, specifically in music education. While Benedict asks us to think differently about the importance of functional and scriptured literacy. More explicitly, how to be more creative as educators and be able to teach our students in various ways that are still educational and effective.
4) Why might these ideas be challenging – (if not to you, then others)?
These ideas may be challenging for people who are not very open minded about including IBPOC lessons in curriculum and IBPOC faculty in schools. Unfortunately, there are people who are not very open-minded about educating students on diverse communities and traditions. For Benedict's ideas, again, some people might just be close-minded about learning new ways of teaching and understanding education because they are used to a certain way of teaching and do not want to change their approaches to educating students.
Jan 17, 2022
1) Are these articles connected and if so, in what ways?
I think that the connection between the articles "To All Who Should Be Concerned" by Dylan Robinson, and "Critical and Transformative Literacies: Music and General Education" by Cathy Benedict involves broadening one's education through adding other cultural aspects and music to curriculum, and thinking differently about one's approach to teaching music that is inclusive for all students.
Dylan Robinson's article discusses the significance of equity, diversity, and inclusivity of students part of Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, and other scholars and artists of colour (IBPOC/Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour). That includes hiring faculty who are part of those cultures and other ways we can make changes to promote diversity such as including music written by artists of colour and other ethnic groups in music curriculum.
Cathy Benedict's article, focuses on the obligation and structure of functional literacy in education, more specifically, ways to consider how scripted curriculum and pedagogy frame all disciplines of education, especially in music. Benedict also talks about the idea of "teacher-proof curriculum means that care, creativity, mindfulness, and even the expertise of a teacher is being thought of as something from which a child needs to be protected" (Benedict 153).
2) What are these authors asking of you?
In Robinson's "To All Who Should Be Concerned," Robinson is asking us to consider the importance of hiring Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, and other scholars of colour as teachers and including music written by artists of colour to curriculum to further educate students about the universal language and art that is music. It is especially important for those students part of those diverse communities. Those students have a right to learn about their culture, especially if they learn from someone who also shares their background and knows how to properly educate others about their traditions and ways of life. Their other classmates who may not be part of those diverse communities also have a right to learn about new cultures and learn now to be respectful of each other and each other's backgrounds.
Benedict's article, "Critical and Transformative Literacies: Music and General Education" is asking us to consider the obligation and structure of functional literacy and scripted curriculum as an infliction of meaning. In other words, Benedict is asking us to trust in ourselves and make connections with our students and have faith that we are making some sort of difference in their lives. We also need to trust that we have used our understanding of functional and scriptured literacy to educate our students and prepare them for the next step in their lives as much as we can. Trust in ourselves, our education, and our students.
3) What are they asking you to do differently?
Robinson is asking us to be more open minded and learn about other cultures and work with people of different ethnicities and cultures. This way, we can be more inclined to teaching our students about various IBPOC communities, artists, and music, specifically in music education. While Benedict asks us to think differently about the importance of functional and scriptured literacy. More explicitly, how to be more creative as educators and be able to teach our students in various ways that are still educational and effective.
4) Why might these ideas be challenging – (if not to you, then others)?
These ideas may be challenging for people who are not very open minded about including IBPOC lessons in curriculum and IBPOC faculty in schools. Unfortunately, there are people who are not very open-minded about educating students on diverse communities and traditions. For Benedict's ideas, again, some people might just be close-minded about learning new ways of teaching and understanding education because they are used to a certain way of teaching and do not want to change their approaches to educating students.
2468 Teaching Video
January 19, 2022
January 19, 2022
"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" - Bill Martin Jr.
January 26, 2022
January 26, 2022
Lullaby & Interview Project
February 7, 2022
For this interview project, I decided to talk with my mom. Unfortunately she did not remember any lullaby's from her childhood. However, she and I did discuss the lullabies she sang to me and my siblings as young children and infants. I remembered the songs during our conversation. She used to sing "You Are My Sunshine," and another song that she parodied off of a song that goes:
Jesus loves me! This I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak, but He is strong...
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owx3ao42kwI)
That's all I remember from the song and my mom only remembered that much as well. She changed the words of this song to say:
Mommy loves you this you know
For I've always told you so
Little [child's name] to mommy to you belong
You are my special one
Over the past year, I started thinking about those songs my mom sang to me and my siblings when we were kids. This lead me thinking about the songs my avó, my mom's mom, who taught me and my siblings some Portuguese children's songs when we were younger. I decided to call my avó and ask her to sing the songs to me so I could relearn it and write out the words. The song is a parody of a Brazilian children's song called, "Bota Aqui O Sei Pezinho." This version of the song goes like this: She was very, very happy to sing the songs to me and was so excited that I even remembered that she sang those songs to us as children. She also said she is so proud of me for wanting to learn the songs again, for remembering them, and wanting her to sing them to me. It warmed my heart hearing how excited and happy she was during our phone calls, and it was very nostalgic for me to hear her sing the song to me again. It brought me back to when she first taught us the song as kids. I remember standing in a circle with my avó and my siblings while she taught us this little dance song.
February 7, 2022
For this interview project, I decided to talk with my mom. Unfortunately she did not remember any lullaby's from her childhood. However, she and I did discuss the lullabies she sang to me and my siblings as young children and infants. I remembered the songs during our conversation. She used to sing "You Are My Sunshine," and another song that she parodied off of a song that goes:
Jesus loves me! This I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak, but He is strong...
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owx3ao42kwI)
That's all I remember from the song and my mom only remembered that much as well. She changed the words of this song to say:
Mommy loves you this you know
For I've always told you so
Little [child's name] to mommy to you belong
You are my special one
Over the past year, I started thinking about those songs my mom sang to me and my siblings when we were kids. This lead me thinking about the songs my avó, my mom's mom, who taught me and my siblings some Portuguese children's songs when we were younger. I decided to call my avó and ask her to sing the songs to me so I could relearn it and write out the words. The song is a parody of a Brazilian children's song called, "Bota Aqui O Sei Pezinho." This version of the song goes like this: She was very, very happy to sing the songs to me and was so excited that I even remembered that she sang those songs to us as children. She also said she is so proud of me for wanting to learn the songs again, for remembering them, and wanting her to sing them to me. It warmed my heart hearing how excited and happy she was during our phone calls, and it was very nostalgic for me to hear her sing the song to me again. It brought me back to when she first taught us the song as kids. I remember standing in a circle with my avó and my siblings while she taught us this little dance song.
This children's song is a dance song that is similar to the Hokey Pokey because it involves putting your feet in front of you in a circle with your friends, and then taking your feet out of the circle. My avó taught us a parody of this song that she made up. It is similar to this version, however it is shorter and a bit repetitive. The version of "Bota Aqui O Seu Pezinho" that my avó taught to me and my siblings goes like this:
Ela dita aqui [she says here]
Ela dita aqui, ao te pezinho [she says here to your little foot]
Ela dita aqui [she says here]
Ela dita aqui, ao pé du meu [she says here next to mine]
Ao tira [when taking away]
Ao tira ao te pezinho [when you take away your little foot]
Ai Jesus [Oh Jesus]
Ai Jesus q'ela vuer [Oh Jesus, she sees you]
I remember years ago, when I was about 6 or 7 years old, I was standing in a circle with my avó and my siblings. We danced together while my avó taught us this song. My avó was very, very happy when I called her to ask her to sing the song for me. She was so excited that I even remembered that she sang those songs to us as children. It warmed my heart hearing how thrilled and delighted she was during our phone calls. It was very nostalgic for me to hear her sing the song to me again as it brought me back to the time I spent with her and my siblings. I look forward to teaching it in class!
Ela dita aqui [she says here]
Ela dita aqui, ao te pezinho [she says here to your little foot]
Ela dita aqui [she says here]
Ela dita aqui, ao pé du meu [she says here next to mine]
Ao tira [when taking away]
Ao tira ao te pezinho [when you take away your little foot]
Ai Jesus [Oh Jesus]
Ai Jesus q'ela vuer [Oh Jesus, she sees you]
I remember years ago, when I was about 6 or 7 years old, I was standing in a circle with my avó and my siblings. We danced together while my avó taught us this song. My avó was very, very happy when I called her to ask her to sing the song for me. She was so excited that I even remembered that she sang those songs to us as children. It warmed my heart hearing how thrilled and delighted she was during our phone calls. It was very nostalgic for me to hear her sing the song to me again as it brought me back to the time I spent with her and my siblings. I look forward to teaching it in class!
Lullaby Unit Outline
February 13, 2022
Learning Goals:
- By the end of each lesson, students will be able to sing all three songs comfortably/fluidly
- Learning songs through listening, echoing, and repetition
- Being able to tap/clap the rhythmic sequences they learn in class
- Be able to sing and clap rhythms at the same time
- Be able to the song and clap their assigned rhythmic sequences simultaneously while there is more than one rhythmic pattern
being clapped
- Understanding lullabies as universal, something that people all over the world use/hear in life
Lesson 1: Ela Dita Aqui Ao Te Pezinho
- I will start with the words on a board or where the students can see it and then sing this song at least 3 times through
- Next, I will break the song into smaller sections and have the students echo my singing in small chunks (one- two lines at
a time)Then I will take a few minutes to teach the students how to pronounce the words of the song properly by speaking the
words rhythmically as they would be sung in the song
- Once the students seem comfortable and are able to sing the song all the way through (with me), I will take a couple minutes to
have a discussion about the translation of the words
- This is a dance song, therefore I should get the students on their feet and moving:
1) To begin, myself and the students will start by standing in a circle
2) Students will take their right pointer finger and point to the centre of the circle at the end of the phrase "Ela dita aqui" (point
on "aqui")
3) When the word "pezinho" is sung, students will take their right foot and stomp inside the circle 3 times
4) Repeat step 1
5) When the words "ao pe du meu" are sung, students will take their right foot and stomp inside the circle 3 times again and point
at themselves
6) When "ao tira" are sung, students will stomp their right foot outside of the circle and then take another step back with their left
foot when they sing "ao tira ao te pezinho"
7) When "ai jesus, ai jesus q'ela vuer" is sung, students will put their hands on their heads and slowly shake their heads from side
to side
- Discussion time!
- Conclude with a brief lesson about where the song came from and how I learned it
Song Lyrics:
Ela dita aqui [she says here]
Ela dita aqui, ao te pezinho [she says here to your little foot]
Ela dita aqui [she says here]
Ela dita aqui, ao pé du meu [she says here next to mine]
Ao tira [when taking away]
Ao tira ao te pezinho [when you take away your little foot]
Ai Jesus [Oh Jesus]
Ai Jesus q'ela vuer [Oh Jesus, she sees you]
Discussion Questions:
- Looking at the translation of the lyrics, what do you think the song means?
- What do you think is the language of this song?
- What did you feel while listening to and singing this song?
Students will turn to a partner, or a group of three depending on the class size, and have 5 minutes to answer these questions and speak with one another. They must make sure everyone has a partner and that each person between them has a chance to speak and share their answer.
After listening to each pair or group share their thoughts with the class, I will confirm that the language of this song is European Portuguese and proceed to show them where Portugal is on a map of the world. It is a smaller country attached to Spain. However, since my avó (grandmother) taught me this song and that she is from a very small island called the Azores that is located in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Portugal. I will then explain how "Ela Dita Aqui Ao Te Pezinho," is based on a Brazilian dance song called "Bota Aqui O Seu Pezinho," and then show the students where Brazil is located on a world map. I will then play part of the Brazilian version of the song for the students to hear.
Conclusion:
I will conclude the lesson by having the students stand up, bring their focus back to "Ela Dita Aqui Ao Te Pezinho," and have them sing and move to the beat of the song however they please.
Lesson 2: Ơ ầu ơ
- I will begin this lesson by singing "Ela Dita Aqui Ao Te Pezinho" and them go over the rhythmic sequences we learned in the last
lesson
- I will ask the students if they remember what language that song was in (and confirm that it is Portuguese, specifically European
Portuguese)
- Next, I will start singing the lullaby "Ơ ầu ơ," 3 times, and once again split it into smaller chunks so that the students can hear each
line or phrase individually
- The students will learn each line bit by bit, and then sing the whole song with me a couple times so it is really in their heads
- Discussion time!
- Conclusion, with a brief lesson about the song and it's origin as well as how I learned it
Song Lyrics:
Ơ ầu ơ, [Oh ooh]
Ơ, ví dầu cầu ván đóng đinh, [Oh, nailed the bridge oil wallet]
chứ cầu tre lắc lẻo, [but the bamboo bridge wobbles]
ơ ầu ơ, [ooh ooh]
ơ, cầu tre lắc lẻo, gập ghềnh khó đi. [Oh, the bamboo bridge is loose, bumpy and difficult to walk]
ơ ầu ơ [ooh ooh]
ơ, khó đi mẹ dắt con đi, [oh, it's hard, mom take me]
chứ con thi trường học, [but I go to school]
ơ ầu ơ [ooh ooh]
ơ, con thi trường học, mẹ thi trường đời. [Well, I took the school exam, my mother took the life exam]
Ơ ầu ơ [ooh ooh]
ơ, chứ chiều chiều chim vịt kêu chiều, [Oh, but in the afternoon the birds and ducks call in the afternoon]
chứ bâng khuâng nhớ mẹ, [but mournfully miss my mother]
ơ ầu ơ [ooh ooh]
bâng khuâng nhớ mẹ, chín chiều ruột đau [wistfully miss her mother, nine-dimensions of pain]
Discussion Questions:
- What language do you think the song is in?
- Based on the translation of the lyrics, what do you think the song is about?
- How does this lullaby make you feel?
- Can you think of a lullaby that you have learned or heard?
Students will once again choose a partner (or partners) and discuss these questions to one another. Making sure everyone has a partner and has a chance to share with the group. Students will have 5 minutes to do this. After each group has a chance to share what they discussed, I will confirm that the song is in Vietnamese and show them where Vietnam is located on a world map.
I will explain how I learned this song in one of my university classes from my classmate and friend (Cynthia) who is Vietnamese and explain the meaning of the song is based on what she told me and further research I would have conducted prior to the lesson. I will play a recording of this song to the students so they have a better understanding of what it sounds like and how the proper pronunciation and dialect is supposed to sound.
For inclusivity purposes and general curiosity, I will ask the students if they know any lullabies from their own backgrounds, whether that is in English, Portuguese, Vietnamese, French, Spanish, German, Danish, Arabic, Korean, Swahili, etc. I will write down the names (or first phrase) of the lullabies they can think of so we can have a collection of lullabies we can learn and share with one another in future lessons.
Conclusion:
To conclude this lesson, I will sing "Ơ ầu ơ," with the students again through echoing (I sing a phrase and they repeat what I sung). And I will tap or clap a simple rhythm for students to mirror while singing the lullaby.
Lesson 3: You Are My Sunshine
- At the start of this lesson, I will sing "Ơ ầu ơ," from our previous lesson and invite the students to sing along with me
- I will then introduce the lullaby/song "You Are My Sunshine," and ask the students if they are familiar with or know the song
- Either way, I will sing the song 3 times and then sing it one phrase at a time with the students echoing me
- Since this song is more simple than the songs from the previous lesson, I will clap a simple pattern while singing the song and
teach the pattern to the students one phrase at a time (i.e. ti ti ta...)
- Without singing the song, I will teach the students a second rhythmic pattern (i.e. tiri tiri ta...)
- Then I will split the class into two sections and have one group clap the original rhythmic pattern and the other group clap the new
pattern at the same time
- Then I will have all of us sing "You Are My Sunshine" 2 times, while they clap their assigned rhythmic sequences
- I will pause everyone before the second time and have the groups switch which rhythmic pattern they clap so that everyone has the
opportunity to clap both rhythmic patterns and sing
Song Lyrics:
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You’ll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away
Discussion:
- How did you feel about that exercise?
- What does this song mean to you?
Students will turn to a partner (or partners) and discuss these questions for 5 minutes. I will remind them that it is their job to make sure everyone has someone to talk with and that everyone must have a chance to speak within that 5 minute time frame. Once everyone has shared their thoughts and ideas, we will have a class discussion and go over what each group had to say.
Conclusion:
I will conclude this lesson by asking the students to choose one of the rhythmic patterns of the two they learned (whichever one they want), and have them clap those patterns and sing "You Are My Sunshine." I will sing with them and clap a third pattern (i.e. ta ti ti...) and see how they respond. Whether that is maintaining their own sequence or trying to clap the sequence I just started clapping. Just for fun to end this lesson!
Next Steps for Future Classes:
- Building off this unit, the next step would be to teach students more complex rhythms and get them to think of their own rhythmic
sequences to go with various songs and/or lullabies
- I will encourage students to present the class with lullabies that they know so that we can open up our discussions and lessons
beyond western classical music teaching
- Especially if we have a very diverse classroom, I would love to incorporate lullabies and songs from my students cultures and
backgrounds so we can all learn more about more music and how universal it is
- Students should learn right away that music is universal, the style of music is different all over the world, and it is beautiful and
inclusive and I want to incorporate that in my lessons and teaching style
Sources:
- Cynthia Lee's Website: https://cynthia-le.weebly.com/music-education-in-elementary-grades.html
- Charlotte Gregory's Lullaby Assignment (Word Doc)
- Benedict. C. Music and Social Justice: A Guide for Elementary Educators. Oxford University Press, 2021.
February 13, 2022
Learning Goals:
- By the end of each lesson, students will be able to sing all three songs comfortably/fluidly
- Learning songs through listening, echoing, and repetition
- Being able to tap/clap the rhythmic sequences they learn in class
- Be able to sing and clap rhythms at the same time
- Be able to the song and clap their assigned rhythmic sequences simultaneously while there is more than one rhythmic pattern
being clapped
- Understanding lullabies as universal, something that people all over the world use/hear in life
Lesson 1: Ela Dita Aqui Ao Te Pezinho
- I will start with the words on a board or where the students can see it and then sing this song at least 3 times through
- Next, I will break the song into smaller sections and have the students echo my singing in small chunks (one- two lines at
a time)Then I will take a few minutes to teach the students how to pronounce the words of the song properly by speaking the
words rhythmically as they would be sung in the song
- Once the students seem comfortable and are able to sing the song all the way through (with me), I will take a couple minutes to
have a discussion about the translation of the words
- This is a dance song, therefore I should get the students on their feet and moving:
1) To begin, myself and the students will start by standing in a circle
2) Students will take their right pointer finger and point to the centre of the circle at the end of the phrase "Ela dita aqui" (point
on "aqui")
3) When the word "pezinho" is sung, students will take their right foot and stomp inside the circle 3 times
4) Repeat step 1
5) When the words "ao pe du meu" are sung, students will take their right foot and stomp inside the circle 3 times again and point
at themselves
6) When "ao tira" are sung, students will stomp their right foot outside of the circle and then take another step back with their left
foot when they sing "ao tira ao te pezinho"
7) When "ai jesus, ai jesus q'ela vuer" is sung, students will put their hands on their heads and slowly shake their heads from side
to side
- Discussion time!
- Conclude with a brief lesson about where the song came from and how I learned it
Song Lyrics:
Ela dita aqui [she says here]
Ela dita aqui, ao te pezinho [she says here to your little foot]
Ela dita aqui [she says here]
Ela dita aqui, ao pé du meu [she says here next to mine]
Ao tira [when taking away]
Ao tira ao te pezinho [when you take away your little foot]
Ai Jesus [Oh Jesus]
Ai Jesus q'ela vuer [Oh Jesus, she sees you]
Discussion Questions:
- Looking at the translation of the lyrics, what do you think the song means?
- What do you think is the language of this song?
- What did you feel while listening to and singing this song?
Students will turn to a partner, or a group of three depending on the class size, and have 5 minutes to answer these questions and speak with one another. They must make sure everyone has a partner and that each person between them has a chance to speak and share their answer.
After listening to each pair or group share their thoughts with the class, I will confirm that the language of this song is European Portuguese and proceed to show them where Portugal is on a map of the world. It is a smaller country attached to Spain. However, since my avó (grandmother) taught me this song and that she is from a very small island called the Azores that is located in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Portugal. I will then explain how "Ela Dita Aqui Ao Te Pezinho," is based on a Brazilian dance song called "Bota Aqui O Seu Pezinho," and then show the students where Brazil is located on a world map. I will then play part of the Brazilian version of the song for the students to hear.
Conclusion:
I will conclude the lesson by having the students stand up, bring their focus back to "Ela Dita Aqui Ao Te Pezinho," and have them sing and move to the beat of the song however they please.
Lesson 2: Ơ ầu ơ
- I will begin this lesson by singing "Ela Dita Aqui Ao Te Pezinho" and them go over the rhythmic sequences we learned in the last
lesson
- I will ask the students if they remember what language that song was in (and confirm that it is Portuguese, specifically European
Portuguese)
- Next, I will start singing the lullaby "Ơ ầu ơ," 3 times, and once again split it into smaller chunks so that the students can hear each
line or phrase individually
- The students will learn each line bit by bit, and then sing the whole song with me a couple times so it is really in their heads
- Discussion time!
- Conclusion, with a brief lesson about the song and it's origin as well as how I learned it
Song Lyrics:
Ơ ầu ơ, [Oh ooh]
Ơ, ví dầu cầu ván đóng đinh, [Oh, nailed the bridge oil wallet]
chứ cầu tre lắc lẻo, [but the bamboo bridge wobbles]
ơ ầu ơ, [ooh ooh]
ơ, cầu tre lắc lẻo, gập ghềnh khó đi. [Oh, the bamboo bridge is loose, bumpy and difficult to walk]
ơ ầu ơ [ooh ooh]
ơ, khó đi mẹ dắt con đi, [oh, it's hard, mom take me]
chứ con thi trường học, [but I go to school]
ơ ầu ơ [ooh ooh]
ơ, con thi trường học, mẹ thi trường đời. [Well, I took the school exam, my mother took the life exam]
Ơ ầu ơ [ooh ooh]
ơ, chứ chiều chiều chim vịt kêu chiều, [Oh, but in the afternoon the birds and ducks call in the afternoon]
chứ bâng khuâng nhớ mẹ, [but mournfully miss my mother]
ơ ầu ơ [ooh ooh]
bâng khuâng nhớ mẹ, chín chiều ruột đau [wistfully miss her mother, nine-dimensions of pain]
Discussion Questions:
- What language do you think the song is in?
- Based on the translation of the lyrics, what do you think the song is about?
- How does this lullaby make you feel?
- Can you think of a lullaby that you have learned or heard?
Students will once again choose a partner (or partners) and discuss these questions to one another. Making sure everyone has a partner and has a chance to share with the group. Students will have 5 minutes to do this. After each group has a chance to share what they discussed, I will confirm that the song is in Vietnamese and show them where Vietnam is located on a world map.
I will explain how I learned this song in one of my university classes from my classmate and friend (Cynthia) who is Vietnamese and explain the meaning of the song is based on what she told me and further research I would have conducted prior to the lesson. I will play a recording of this song to the students so they have a better understanding of what it sounds like and how the proper pronunciation and dialect is supposed to sound.
For inclusivity purposes and general curiosity, I will ask the students if they know any lullabies from their own backgrounds, whether that is in English, Portuguese, Vietnamese, French, Spanish, German, Danish, Arabic, Korean, Swahili, etc. I will write down the names (or first phrase) of the lullabies they can think of so we can have a collection of lullabies we can learn and share with one another in future lessons.
Conclusion:
To conclude this lesson, I will sing "Ơ ầu ơ," with the students again through echoing (I sing a phrase and they repeat what I sung). And I will tap or clap a simple rhythm for students to mirror while singing the lullaby.
Lesson 3: You Are My Sunshine
- At the start of this lesson, I will sing "Ơ ầu ơ," from our previous lesson and invite the students to sing along with me
- I will then introduce the lullaby/song "You Are My Sunshine," and ask the students if they are familiar with or know the song
- Either way, I will sing the song 3 times and then sing it one phrase at a time with the students echoing me
- Since this song is more simple than the songs from the previous lesson, I will clap a simple pattern while singing the song and
teach the pattern to the students one phrase at a time (i.e. ti ti ta...)
- Without singing the song, I will teach the students a second rhythmic pattern (i.e. tiri tiri ta...)
- Then I will split the class into two sections and have one group clap the original rhythmic pattern and the other group clap the new
pattern at the same time
- Then I will have all of us sing "You Are My Sunshine" 2 times, while they clap their assigned rhythmic sequences
- I will pause everyone before the second time and have the groups switch which rhythmic pattern they clap so that everyone has the
opportunity to clap both rhythmic patterns and sing
Song Lyrics:
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You’ll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away
Discussion:
- How did you feel about that exercise?
- What does this song mean to you?
Students will turn to a partner (or partners) and discuss these questions for 5 minutes. I will remind them that it is their job to make sure everyone has someone to talk with and that everyone must have a chance to speak within that 5 minute time frame. Once everyone has shared their thoughts and ideas, we will have a class discussion and go over what each group had to say.
Conclusion:
I will conclude this lesson by asking the students to choose one of the rhythmic patterns of the two they learned (whichever one they want), and have them clap those patterns and sing "You Are My Sunshine." I will sing with them and clap a third pattern (i.e. ta ti ti...) and see how they respond. Whether that is maintaining their own sequence or trying to clap the sequence I just started clapping. Just for fun to end this lesson!
Next Steps for Future Classes:
- Building off this unit, the next step would be to teach students more complex rhythms and get them to think of their own rhythmic
sequences to go with various songs and/or lullabies
- I will encourage students to present the class with lullabies that they know so that we can open up our discussions and lessons
beyond western classical music teaching
- Especially if we have a very diverse classroom, I would love to incorporate lullabies and songs from my students cultures and
backgrounds so we can all learn more about more music and how universal it is
- Students should learn right away that music is universal, the style of music is different all over the world, and it is beautiful and
inclusive and I want to incorporate that in my lessons and teaching style
Sources:
- Cynthia Lee's Website: https://cynthia-le.weebly.com/music-education-in-elementary-grades.html
- Charlotte Gregory's Lullaby Assignment (Word Doc)
- Benedict. C. Music and Social Justice: A Guide for Elementary Educators. Oxford University Press, 2021.
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