Telephone Numbers of the Stars

Students will read number notation, use cooperative learning, develop coordination skills and put musical phrases together by playing the song "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" on xylophones.

A lesson plan for grades 1–2 Music Education

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” without accompaniment.
• read number notation and perform a phrase of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on the xylophones.
• use cooperative learning to learn to play telephone phrases on the xylophones.
• put musical phrases together and create a musical performance (as a class) of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on the xylophones.
• develop coordination skills as they use “eye to hand” contact with mallet and xylophones.
• practice simple math addition through adding the numbers in a telephone number.
• put telephone numbers in sequence order, on a “flow-chart.”

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

40 minutes

Materials/resources

A xylophone (with at least one octave) and a mallet for each child. (Xylophone tabs should be numbered. Example: Middle “c” should be 1, “d” should be 2, “e” should be 3, etc.. This can be done with a washable dark marker. Label tabs from middle c through a above middle c. The numbers represent the “scale degrees.”)

A 12″ sentence strip for each child (preferably laminated). Sentence strip should contain one of three phone numbers: 115-5665 (8 copies) and 443-3221 (8 copies) and 554-4332 (8 copies). This can be put on the sentence strip with a marker color for each telephone number. Example: 115-5665 can be done in red, 443-3221 can be done in blue, etc.). These phone numbers will be used for “number notation.”

A Vis-a-Vis dark magic marker for each child

Chalkboard or prepared “flowchart” (for sequencing).

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

• Students will “master” practice skills on the xylophones. To do this, students will learn to “practice play” - which involves placing the index finger on the ball of the mallet and tapping the ball gently on the tabs of the xylophone. (This will prevent the tab from “ringing” while the students are practicing.)
• Students will master the correct way to “bounce” the mallet on the xylophone tabs while performing on the xylophone.
• Students will understand “performing rules”:
  • mallets should be in “ready position” until ready to play or practice. This means the balls of the mallets should be held against the shoulders.
  • Students should play or practice at the appropriate time.
• Teacher will arrange xylophones in six groups (with 3 or 4 xylophones in a group - preferably in a circle). Sentence strips, with the same telephone numbers in each group, will be provided with the xylophones.

Activities

1. Students will sit in groups as they sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” unaccompanied.
2. Teacher will go over “performing rules” (see pre-activities).
3. Teacher will demonstrate “number” notation - showing students how the telephone numbers relate to the tabs on the xylophones.
4. Students will be allowed to “practice play” telephone numbers (on xylophones) until teacher gives a signal to stop. Students who “bounce” their mallet during “practice play” will be encouraged to “tap” the mallet instead.
5. Teacher will monitor students as they “practice play”. Students will help each other (in the groups) as they practice together. Groups may even want to try to perform their telephone number as a group (”practice playing”).
6. Each group will play their telephone numbers as a group (bouncing the mallet) for the class.
7. Groups will play their telephone numbers in this sequence:
   • 115-5665 (Group 1)
   • 443-3221 (Group 2)
   • 554-4332 (Group 3)
   • 554-4332 (Group 3)
   • 115-5665 (Group 1)
   • 443-3221 (Group 2)
8. Teacher will ask class to name the title of the song they performed as a class. (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
9. Students, in each group, will add up the numbers in their assigned telephone number and come up with an answer as a group. They will write the answer to the sum of their individual telephone number on the back of their sentence strip with a Vis-a-Vis dark marker. Individuals in each group will compare answers. Teacher will call upon the groups to give their “group” answer.
10. Students will “improvise” a melody, using the numbers in their “number notation” telephone number by mixing the numbers up to create their own melody. Students will be reminded to “practice play” while they do this. Melodies will be shared with the class.

Assessment

Teacher will take up the telephone cards. Students will name the sequence of the telephone numbers (that will create the song “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”) as the teacher puts the numbers on a “flow chart” or chalkboard. Class will discuss the “form” of the piece (ABCCAB or 123312).

Supplemental information

None

Related websites

Tuning in to the Musical Brain
http://www.thefencingpost.com/mary/music_education.htm

Comments

This lesson plan is from the collection of the Tried *n* True lesson plans from the Department of Public Instruction.