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 Fine Arts Summit Notes and Links

Parachutes, Fruit, and Virtual Testing Rooms:

High/Low and No Tech Music Reading for Elementary Students

Low or No Tech Games

Games and Music Reading Activities Using a Parachute, Chairs or Spots

The only tech here involves using a computer to print out symbols and/or pictures of fruit. You could just draw/write the 

pictures and the symbols if you had no tech skills.

1.      Let us Chase the Squirrel  (Around the Parachute) 

      Let us chase the squirrel up the apple down the apple

Let us chase the squirrel up the old peach tree 

I chased the squirrel-- up the tree

Number ___tell me what you see?

       The student whose number was called, speaks/claps the rhythm words/rhythms that they are now standing in front of.

2.      Symbol Elimination (Review Game)

      Students walk around the parachute or "circle of instruments/symbols" while music is playing. When the music stops, the 

       teacher draws or calls  out a symbol. If a student is standing in front of that symbol, they are out.

3.      Color Cards 

      Purchase or make double sided color cards.Example: one side purple, the other side green. One side should have a one syllable

      color, green, pink, red etc. and the other side should be a two syllable color such as purple or yellow. Use a white index card for 

      a quarter rest. Put eight to sixteen cards in a set and place them in a baggie for distribution. 1-3 students can use a set.

       Instructions: Have students lay them on the floor in a straight line, four in a row. Students should read and clap the 

       colors/rhythms. Have a different student re-arrange the cards. Everyone clap and say the colors/rhythm works.

       The best "brand" of colored index cards has a single syllable color on one side and a two syllable color on the other, such as

       red/yellow or green/purple. I can't remember which "Office" store has them.

      Fruit on a Plate (or Spot)

       First print off the fruit and rest symbols for the students "kit". You will need to make four apples (eighth note pairs), four peaches

       (quarter notes), and four rest symbols (child in a chair, zippered mouth smiley face or whatever you think reminds a student to 

        rest for one beat.Make enough sets for each student or for every two. The symbols should be the right size to fit on your small 

       paper plate or floor spot. If you want to avoid teaching the youngest how to arrange the plates in lines and groups of fours, you 

       could print out and laminate a "place mat" with the plates in order.

       Things to do with these: 1. Have students make their own "composition" by arranging the fruit in their order.

       2. Have students place the fruit according to your rhythmic dictation.

       3. Use craft sticks (Popsicle type sticks) to "write" the rhythms with a partner.

       4. Put the “composition” on a barred instrument, set up in C pentatonic.

5.      Note Value Game (Board Game) Counting Up the Mountain

        The playing board and markers can be downloaded from this site: 

             http://www.susanparadis.com/catalog.php?ID=SP752

       The playing board should be laminated and then glued or stapled to the inside of a file folder. Instructions for moving a piece

       on the board should be placed on the other inside flap.  

          Also, check out the Generic Game Board file at the bottom of this page, for another game board.

6.      Four Corners

Nothing amazing, here. Just put pictures of instruments (or actual instruments) or music symbols in each corner instead of 

using corner 1, corner 2, corner 3, corner 4. It’s one of their most requested games.  Again, no tech or limited tech.

7.      Card Matching  Games

This can be played as a group using free or purchased Smart Notebook software or you can create, print out and laminate 

several sets of physical cards. I will include links for both methods and demonstrate both. You can play using matching 

of symbols to definitions, fruit pictures that correspond to Kodaly or actual rhythm patterns, instruments to 

instrument names and/or a combination.

“High Tech” Only Games & Electronic Versions of the Low Tech

Here is a link for a free version of the Smart Notebook software. You will need it to view the Smart Notebook examples.

1.           Plates and Fruit (see links at bottom of page)

                Color Cards…blocks,..whatever (see links at bottom of page)

Online Free Sources for Teaching Form (Necessary for Understanding Reading Sections)

1.      www.incredibox.fr       Easy Looping Program K-12

2.      www.isleoftune.com     A little more complex looping program  2-7 ; Can be saved and shared.

3.      www.soundation.com  Complex Looping and Song Creation. Records audio. Almost a DAW!   (Grade 3-up)

Quick Assessment Using Your Virtual Testing Room

1.      On your phone, use a web browser and go to m.socrative.com. 

2.      Log in to “room” 71611

3.      Type in your Last Name, First Name

4.      Take the Quiz

Links to Smart Notebook (or Smartboard) Visuals