DESCRIPTION:
March 2013- First Grade Music Class

Our PS 51 first grade class (Ms. Ross and Ms. Auriemma's class) explored all kinds of fun ways to turn a story into an opera. We learned about how in an opera all the characters sing instead of speak. We tried singing a few lines from the story improvising vocally. We had fun making up silly excuses the animals might give the hens for not wanting to help plant the seeds, harvest the wheat, and bake the bread. Then we explored three note melodies on the xylophone with MRD (EDC) by composing "excuse" melodies for our animals to sing during the story. Students paired up and practiced singing and playing their melodies together as a little duet. We also composed a whole song for the Little Red Hen characters about how the animals would be sorry in the end for not helping. Each student helped come up with bits and pieces of the lyrics and melodic ideas, and we voted on the parts we liked best for the song. Lastly, students chose characters and acted out the story with two students retelling the important parts as narrators. It took about 5 classes to put everything together, but we had a LOT of fun throughout the whole process. We learned so much about singing, acting, composing, opera, narrating, and 3-note melodies. Our brains are so full! Enjoy!

(Our little video is not perfect, but it is just a little piece of our musical work the students asked to share with their parents and our PS 51 community.)

Katie Traxler, Music Teacher
www.katietraxler.com

Nancy Sing-Bock, Principal
www.ps51manhattan.com