Solfa Dojo - Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4

I recently wrapped up my Recorder Karate unit with 3rd - 5th grade.  We had a recorder number of Black Belts this year and the students worked very hard. One thing I did this year that I hadn't in previous years was to create a bulletin board like this (obviously taken toward the beginning - I ended up putting a picture of each black belt in the red free space) in addition to announcing the students' names on our morning announcements:

It looked very cute, if a little cluttered, with so many smiling black belt faces adorning it.

The motivation was great and I got to thinking, "What if the students had something motivating to use when learning solfa?"  All my kiddos are eager sight-singers, and many will often show their skills in front of the class, but having a reward-system in place can't hurt right?  I could always use more data and more assessment opportunities also!

So, I created the Solfa Dojo! 

WHAT IS THE SOLFA DOJO? 
I borrowed the progression of 'belts' from Karate and adapted it for the Kodaly classroom.  The melodies of the "belts" mirror melodic structures from various songs the students already learn as we progress from Mi-So to Mi-So-La and to Do-Mi-So-La.  Vital rhythms for these levels are also included in the "belts".  The melodies use the keys of C, D, F and G so students can sing at higher and lower levels and view the solfa on various places on the staff.

Level 1: 9 melodies using so/mi, quarter note/eighth note pair
Level 2: 9 melodies using mi/so/la, quarter note/quarter rest/eighth note pair
Level 3: 9 melodies using do/mi/so/la, half note/quarter note/quarter rest/eighth note pair
Level 4 (updated 07/30): 9 melodies using do/re/mi/so/la, half note/quarter  note/quarter rest/eighth note pair 

HOW ARE STUDENTS ASSESSED?
Students are assessed using the following rubric (which you can go over with the students and it is also included in the music you can send home for them to practice).  Each "song" has 8 total beats.   You can address time signature, measures, bar lines, and double bar lines also.

Students also receive and overview of which concepts are used in each level and a reminder about what steps to use when singing:

 
HOW CAN I USE THE MATERIALS?
You can use the materials in a variety of ways (and feel free to adapt what you need to for your own students' needs): 

1. Individual sight-reading: Use this progressive assessment alongside your traditional Mi/So, Mi/So/La, or Do/Mi/So/La lessons (check out the links to the right for more information).  You can use it as you progress through different keys or songs.  During part of the lesson, while students are engaged in center activities, etc, call students over to your desk and have them follow the sight-reading steps (don’t allow them prior practice time).

2.  Individual or Small Group Study: Equip each student (or small groups of students – 3 to 4) with a set of the songs.   You can print these out on cardstock, laminate or put in page pprotectors, and clasp with binder rings or store in a binder.

 

Red Belt Example Level 3

Students can either work alone in their groups, with a partner, or with the entire group to sing through the songs.  Have a melodic instrument ready so they can play the starting pitches since these change.   You can call groups or individual students to sing for you to “pass off” a belt.  You can even send home music for the students to practice:

Example of Level 2 Printable Music

3.     Whole-class Study: You can project the slides for the class to sing (they can compete against other classes in their grade level).  Have them follow the sight-reading steps.  If they score high enough, you can select a student to color the belt on their class tracking sheet.  If not, they can earn a chance to perform again later.

HOW IS PROGRESS TRACKED?

Included in each download are printable book-mark sized blank "belts".  I suggest having two per each student, one in a binder where you record which level they earn (highlight or check off each belt) and one on a bulletin board that the student can color in (if they color, you don't have to worry about finding time to do it yourself).  If you are tracking their progress as a class, you can put their homeroom teacher's name on the tracking sheet instead.

WHAT REWARDS CAN I USE?
 For most students, the progression on the bulletin board will be enough.
However, some more ideas for rewards are:
1. Class with the most black belts (or class that first reaches the black belt level if you are assessing the class as a whole) earns a music game day (students can play favorite music games).
2. Each students who earns a black belt gets a certificate, their name on the announcements, and their picture on the bulletin board.

3. When the unit is over, place all the black belt names in a drawing, and the "winners" (you can select how many you want) can receive music prizes (you can decided what those are - for example, these cute, but durable inflatable mics):

 

Inflatable Mics from Oriental Trading

WHAT ABOUT OLDER STUDENTS?  I'm working on six more levels that will be appropriate from late 2nd through 5th grade - coming soon :)

Seesaw

Today, I updated my file, Hey, Hey, Look at Me and added the song "Seesaw".  It occurred to me that these two songs would make great partner-songs.  They have the same rhythmic and melodic structure, but different words, so the little ones can begin to "harmonzie" without too much difficulty.  If you've already downloaded "Hey, Hey", just download it again and "Seesaw" should be there.

I already enjoy getting student input on choreography ("How could we dance to this?"  "How can we show the steady beat?" etc) and instrumentation ("Which instrument should we use here?"  "What should we play on that instrument?").  These opportunities for creativity are really important, and, as a control freak, it is really important for me to make sure they get them.

We've been discussing form with lessons like Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks, and so I'm going to let my students create their own form after we work on Seesaw (kinder).  They can incorporate the motions and instrumentations we already know.

Here are some slides from this update:

Rhythm Icon Slide

Melodic Slide (after so and mi are labeled and then taken away)

Example of melodic printable

Shoe Songs

I love shoes and I'm always snatching a new pair of heels when I can.  I'm even brave enough to wear them to work.  That way I can tease my 5th graders, "Hey, I'm doing this choreography in heels!" (I have great 5th graders and pretty much all of them are better dancers than me, haha).

This little shoe-based bundle of so/mi and ta/titi fun is something fun for kinder or 1st graders, depending on their skill level (also a good review for 2nd graders, but at the beginning of the year).  I'm in the process of starting some end of the semester assessments for my younger kiddos and these lessons are full of vocabulary, they revisit (or reintroduce) basic rhythmic and melodic elements, and they incorporate movement, instruments, and student compositions.

I included 10 melodic preparation slides for practice in case you need them - they are a good warm-up activity.  Try singing them while reaching up for higher pitches and down for lower (I call these "music workouts" and the kids love a chance to be activity - and I love any extra calories I can burn during the day):

I also included 10 so and mi practice slides - sing these with Curwen Handsigns:

This first lesson ( a 54 slide PowerPoint is included with my instructions/tips in "notes section") is "One, Two, Tie My Shoe".  Here's the lyrics slide.  We like to stand and act out the words during this slide (motions are included)

Here's the steady beat slide:

I print out this Beat Chart on one side and the Rhythm Icon Chart (see below) on the other.  Once laminated (or placed in a page protector) students can track the beat themselves (mini-assessment opportunity for the teacher).

Then, we add in tools to organize the music.  Sure, it is important for students to be able to label and identify these structures, but it is also important for them to know and describe why they exist.  Ask question like, "This is the double bar line.  What does it tell us?"  Or, "Why are there two beats in each measure (or "between the barlines")?"

Then, the students track the rhythmic preparation icons (printable included also):

The students can say "chicken" and "boy" for more practice relating the rhythms to text.

Then, we review basic rhythms (I do label them with their correct name and this is available on our word wall for students to refer to - "ta" and "titi" are their "nicknames" or "how we say them" - the students learn about how their names originated in later grades when we relate them to the whole note):

When reading rhythms, we often incorporate body percussion.  Students like to keep the body percussion going while reading the correct lyrics.

I often stop there in one lesson, that way we can move on to other activities.  Since the PowerPoints are full of questions to address, vocabulary to learn, and things to discuss, they often take me a while and I like to break them into "chunks".  Try adding students on the steady beat (stomp then transfer to drums) while some are on the rhythms (clap then transfer to rhythm sticks) to add fun instrumentation to a song. 

In a subsequent lesson, I give the students this worksheet and have them fill it out (we work on the first line together):

With the rhythms and the words reviewed, students are ready to discuss and learn the melody:

Yes, I define these words.  I use them often in our warm-up activities so students can have multiple opportunities to use them.  I relate pitches to words, phrases to sentences, and melodies to stories - this can help students relate musical language elements to language structures they already know.

Students can sing the words (or icons then words) on higher and lower pitches while tracking or moving (touching heads for high or shoulders for low).  Then, we add in So and Mi.

Then, we incorporate the music staff (students have already learned about that at this point, I label it as "a home for pitches" or "the paper we write music on" and it means that we will "use our singing voice" or "play a melodic instrument, like boomwhackers or the xylophone").  The students have also already learned how So and Mi relate to each other on the music staff - but this is reviewed:

Then, we move on to adding the rhythms back in:

Then, we incorporate everything together:

I've also included a partner movement activity that most of the students do while other play instruments.  An interlude can add more movement opportunities as well as the opportunity to discuss A(sing and play with partner) and B (find a new partner while instruments play).

The next song is "Cobbler, Cobbler" and it works much the same way.  Here are some slides:

This composition has the students creating their own so and mi song:

They can also cut out their square after gluing the shoes and mount it on construction paper for a cute activity to take home.

You can download this lesson set here: Shoe Songs

So and Mi Dash

Example of Gameplay Space

Here's a fun, easy game for reviewing So and Mi (and seeing who "gets it").  I printed out some So and Mi patterns that I created in PowerPoint and laminated them.  If you've bought my So and Mi lesson bundle, they are in there also, in multiple levels of difficulty and keys.  For this game, I used the level 1 and 2 patterns in C major only.  I like the red font because it is easier for the students to look at and find quickly.

There are many steps to play this successfully, so check them out if you're thinking about trying it:

1. Review all the patterns with the students in a whole group.  You may project them on a screen or print them out and use them as large flashcards.

2. Divide students into two groups.  Let students know that only one person will play at a time.  Lay down some rules (I go over and model these many times).  For me, there is no vocal cheering, only silent cheering (I don't need screams and whoops).  If a teammate chooses the wrong answer, the team replies, "That's ok, better luck next time." (If they reply with anything ugly they loose a point).  During gameplay, those who are watching are silent (they put a finger to their lips "shh").

3.  Assign a special role: "Helper" for each group.  The helpers stand on either side of the gameplay area.  When a person is playing and they don't know the answer, they may ask for the "helper" to come over and, well, help them.  (I created this role for students who struggle - they can get some assistance and still play their turn).

Closer Example of cards and spacing

4. Model playing the game (play a few rounds together).  You draw a pattern in stick formation (make sure to draw one that matches the cards on the floor) and have the class repeat it.  Then, you sing the pattern two more times while the class locates it on the floor (with their eyes - no pointing or moving yet).  Then, you stand at an incorrect pattern.  Ask, "Am I at the right place?"  They should say, "No."  Move to the correct pattern and ask, "Am I in the right place?"  They should say, "Yes."  Repeat this so they know the format: 1) Teacher draws pattern in stick formation, everyone echos, looking for the answer 2) Teacher sings, players looks for answer, teams also looks, but can't say anything 3) Teacher sings, players stands by answer 4) Teacher tells them if they are in the right place.  5) When the correct pattern is located, everyone sings it.

5. Note: To avoid cheating, the point is awarded to the first person who SAFELY moves to stand by the answer (no pushing the other player out of the way).

Scoreboard Example with Stick Notation (round 1)

6. I have multiple rounds of difficulty.  For the first round, I draw the pattern in stick notation.  For the second ground, I only sing the pattern.  For the last round, I play the pattern on the recorder.  This can get rather difficult, so adjust it to your students' skill level or the harder versions later.


Have fun and let me know if you need me to elaborate.

Soon, I hope to adapt this to a recorder activity - I'll be posting that later.  I'm thinking about having the gameplay go the same way, but having the class play each pattern once it is found correctly.

Bluebird, updated

 

In February, I posted Bluebird, a song I wrote for kinder or first graders.  At first, it only included the lyrics and rhythms, as well as a few other activities.

I've updated it and added the melody, a boomwhacker activity, and the music and movement instructions to, "Here Comes a Bluebird" which adds some movement to the lesson.  I would suggest doing the rhythm PowerPoint and the rhythm game in one lesson, then the melody PowerPoint and melody game in another, adding in the movement with "Here Comes a Bluebird".

Here are a few slides:

Here's the melody version - students must sing the melody to help the bird collect all her eggs:

You can download it here: Bluebird Lesson

Have fun!