Summer is a great time to think outside of the box as you lesson plan! Flexibility with your lesson plans in the summer is also key, since students are often taking more sporadic lessons due to summer vacations, camps, sports, and other activities.
So, over the next several weeks, I will be sharing a series of fun lesson plans that will be perfect for busy students (and teachers) this summer! Each lesson plan focuses on one skill and includes links to FREE worksheets and activities that can be completed in the space of a 30 minute lesson.
Lesson Plan #2 is a focus on composing! Keep reading to see the summer fun....
So, over the next several weeks, I will be sharing a series of fun lesson plans that will be perfect for busy students (and teachers) this summer! Each lesson plan focuses on one skill and includes links to FREE worksheets and activities that can be completed in the space of a 30 minute lesson.
Lesson Plan #2 is a focus on composing! Keep reading to see the summer fun....
Are You Feeling Lucky?: A 30 Minute Roll-the-Dice Composition Lesson Plan
Out of all the composing activities I have created for my students, the “roll the dice” activities are my favorites. The best part about these activities is that they work well for “reluctant composers” since the dice do all the work in selecting the melody, and the harmony consists of just the student's choice of a I or V chord.
This lesson plan is easy-peasy, since each composing activity can typically be completed in the space of a 30 minute lesson:
1. Print out one of the roll-the-dice composing activities below. (Click on the image to download your free PDF.)
Out of all the composing activities I have created for my students, the “roll the dice” activities are my favorites. The best part about these activities is that they work well for “reluctant composers” since the dice do all the work in selecting the melody, and the harmony consists of just the student's choice of a I or V chord.
This lesson plan is easy-peasy, since each composing activity can typically be completed in the space of a 30 minute lesson:
1. Print out one of the roll-the-dice composing activities below. (Click on the image to download your free PDF.)
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2. Have students roll the dice and follow the directions on the worksheet to complete their composition. (Tip: if you don't have dice handy, use Google's online dice roller HERE.)
3. Use the suggestions at the bottom of the second page of each activity to help students experiment with customizing their composition even more!
Need more composing activities for a longer lesson? Try one of these optional activities:
3. Use the suggestions at the bottom of the second page of each activity to help students experiment with customizing their composition even more!
Need more composing activities for a longer lesson? Try one of these optional activities:
- Help students notate their completed composition using notation software and print out a professional-looking score. For students new to notation software, I recommend using Noteflight, found HERE, which is a free, user-friendly, web-based platform.
- Visit the "Classics for Kids" website HERE and have students do the "Compose Your Own Music" activity, where they build a melody on the staff and listen to it being performed by the computer.
- Watch one of the videos below that introduces students to a famous waltz and a famous minuet. Discuss how the composer made each piece interesting and what similarities students can hear to their own compositions.
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What do you think? Do you plan on including composition in your summer lessons? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
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