Musical Shapes Lesson Plan

Students:
  • 4th Grade
  • Characteristics: Very energetic and talkative.  The boys are more outgoing than the girls, however we do have two girls who could probably give the boys a run for their money. 
  • Learning Style: Auditory learners, seeing as this class is a little older (4th grade) they don’t need to be shown how to play every game, a simple, vocal explanation seems to suffice most days. 
  • Interests:  The boys are very athletic and love a good game of basketball or football.  The girls participate but seem to be more focused on other things, like not getting too sweaty or messing up their hair.
  • Cultural Backgrounds: Slightly more diverse, there is almost an even mix of African Americans, Caucasian, and Asian students. 
  • Boys: 9
  • Girls: 12


Instructional Goals:
Students should be able to work cooperatively with other students to complete tasks assigned by the teacher throughout the game.  The will also practice locomotor skills while running around in their designated space. 


Instruction:

  • Discuss the importance of working together as a group for one common goal.
  • Ask students to find their own small space in the gym and when the music starts to move about practicing one locomotor skill (skip, jump, hop, gallop, leap, etc)
  • When the music stops, the teacher calls out a shape or a letter, for example (circle, the letter “T” or “L”)
  • The students must then get into a group of two and make the shape that the teacher calls out.  Make sure the students understand that they must both be a part of the shape.
  • Once the shape is formed, the teacher then instructs students to find personal space and the activity is repeated only this time they must find a different partner to make the shape. 

Content Standards:
This activity meets goals two, four, and five of the INTASC Principles/Iowa Standards


Instructional Material:
  • CD player and some lively music


Assessment:
  • Use a checklist of the locomotor skills called out to record who needs help with what skills.



Adaptations/Accommodations:
  • Make the groups larger
  • Shorten the length of time they are allowed to find a partner and make the shape


Reflection:
This activity was successful.  The kids enjoyed the music and having to run around finding different partners each time.  Students got to know people they wouldn’t usually associate with thanks to the requirement of a new partner each time.  The practiced locomotor skills and also had to use cognitive abilities to come up with ways to make the shape. 

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