General Concepts

Unit Name: Exploring Native American Music

Grade Level and/or Class: 5th Grade Choir/General Music


Major Concepts: To explore the Native American culture and incorporate
traditional music, musical terminology, history, and general understanding of Native
American music.


Unit Rationale: According to Music Educational Psychology and Music Learning
Theory, 3
rd
and 4
th
graders should be able to sing music representing diverse genres and
cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed and sing with
expression and technical accuracy a repertoire of both read and memorized, age-
appropriate vocal literature, which includes changes in tempo, key and meter.


Standards: National and South Dakota state Standards *see page 5


Unit Objectives: Be able to identify, sing, perform and associate different styles of
music leading up to the modern day music.

Unit Assessment: I will be able to assess the students in a variety of ways
including, in-class participation, musical creativity and performance.
















Design Described

A. Objectives (According to the South Dakota Music Standards)
a. Students will understand musics relationship to society, the other
arts, disciplines outside the arts, history, and culture.
b. Students will use the performance of music as a means for creative
expression and communication.
c. Students will listen to, analyze and evaluate music.
B. Grades 3-4 Benchmarks from the South Dakota Music Standards.
a. Standard One: Performing
i. Students will sing from memory a varied repertoire of songs
representing genres and styles from diverse cultures.
ii. Students will sing expressively, with appropriate dynamics,
phrasing, and interpretation.
iii. Sing in groups, blending vocal timbres, matching dynamic
levels, and responding to the cues of the conductor.
b. Standard Two: Creating
i. Students will improvise simple rhythmic variations and simple
melodic embellishments
ii. Improvise short songs and instrumental pieces, using a variety
of sound sources
c. Standard Three: Reading
i. Students will read whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth
notes and rests in 2/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.
ii. Identify symbols and traditional terms referring to dynamics,
tempo, and articulation and interpret them correctly when
performing.
d. Standard Four: Listening
i. Students will identify the sounds of variety of instruments and
voices representing diverse styles, genres, and various
cultures.
e. Standard Five: Understanding Relationships
i. Students will identify ways in which the content of other
disciplines is interrelated with that of music.
ii. Compare in two or more arts how the characteristic materials
of each art can be used to transform similar events, scenes,
emotions, or ideas into works of art.







Lesson 1
Introduction to Native American Music
Beats

Major Concepts: An Introduction of Native American culture and music. Finding a
beat and maintaining a steady beat.

Materials and Resources: A large bass drum and various mallets. CD of Brule.
Pictures of Native American culture hung up around the classroom.

Procedure:

Anticipatory Set: I will have Native American music playing in the CD player
We the People, by Brule when the children come into the classroom. I will
then lead a discussion of Native American music and what they are hearing.

Activity:
1. Without speaking, demonstrate this walk step with the left foot on beat one
and drag the right foot (keeping contact with the ground) on beat two. Try
this until the students grasp the pattern. Still without speaking, motion the
students to follow single file into the room. Sit in a circle on the floor. Stop
the drum.
2. Ask the students to tap the rhythm on their thighs, as the teacher begins to
play a steady beat again. Without speaking, indicate that they are to stop.
Play four loud beats on the drum and stop. Repeat this until the students
know when to stop.
3. Choose a small group of students (8) to play on the large drum.
4. Pass out rattles for the rest of the students.
5. Teacher plays four beats on the hand drum and students join in. At the
teachers discretion, indicate with motions that all are to stop, play four
loud beats and stop. Practice again if needed.
6. Rotate students to the large drum, repeating the steady beat exercise until
all students have had a chance to play on the drum. Each time, the teacher is
reinforcing the method of starting (four beats by the teacher) and the
stopping (four loud beats by the teacher).
7. As the students begin to feel comfortable with the process, ask the people not
playing drums to walk four steps into circle and backward four steps to
original place. Repeat as per attention of the students. Teacher should
periodically play the stopping pattern (4 loud beats) to keep students
thinking.
8. Play from the tape Pueblo Round Dance. Have students play along with the
music.
9. Put away the instruments.
10. Refer to the classroom map, highlighting the Indians in the closest area.
11. Still referring to the map, point out the Southwest Indians (Hopi, Zuni,
Navajo, Apaches). These two groups are the Indian tribes that are studied
in the third grade.

Closure:
Teacher says, Each of these tribes had its own music, but there are
several characteristics that all tribes had in common. These common
characteristics are the focus of our study today. And children line up at door
while music plays.

Lesson Assessment: I will be able to assess the students by means of their
performance in class via their ability to listen and fallow instructions on their drum.

Classroom discipline/management: students will be expected to follow classroom
rules and are to keep in their space to detract from disturbing other students
while they are performing.

1. The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
2. No gum!
3. No food or drink in class, except water.

Classroom organization: We will be leading by example and assisting the students
in finding and demonstrating correct musical beats.















Lesson 2
Dance
Powwow

Major Concepts: Continuation of Native history in music. Respond to music through
dance.

Materials and Resources: Watch on my Amazon account, Into the Circle

Procedure:

Anticipatory Set: Ask if any of them know what a powwow is. Then short
explanation of Powwow.

Activity: Set up video and start at the Grand Entry. Watch for 30 minutes.
Then ask the children to recreate what they saw, while I play more Native
music.

Closure: Play spiritual native music as they line up and ask them to step in
time to the music.

Lesson Assessment:
In class participation of stting quietly and watching the movie and
participation of dance in the powwow. Ability to keep steady beat with feet.

Classroom discipline/management: students will be expected to follow classroom
rules and are to keep in their space to detract from disturbing other students
while they are performing.

1. The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
2. No gum!
3. No food or drink in class, except water.

Classroom organization: We will be leading by example and assisting the students
in finding and demonstrating




Lesson 3
Native American Instruments
Drums, Recorders and Shakers

Major Concepts:

Materials and Resources: Solo cups with lids for each student, dowel rods cut at
11 for each student, big tacks, brown paper grocery sacks, beads, super-glue,
elmers glue, feathers, scissors

Procedure:

Anticipatory Set: Be playing a hand held shaker that I made prior to the
class to music.

Activity: Show short slideshow of different pictures of Native American
instruments. Then tell them we will be making our own shakers.
1. Place stick into container and nail to the center of the bottom of the container.
May attach feather and/or bead to nail before nailing it on.
2. Place pebbles, etc. into the container.
3. Push container lid down stick handle almost to the container. Place drops
of super glue at several points on lid rim. Snap lid onto container and hold
for 45 seconds to set.
4. Cut strips of grocery bag to size of container and paste around container.
Decorate with Native American motifs.
5. Label each childs instrument with a small sticker.
6. If some students finish early, have them look through Native American
books that you may have in the classroom. See bibliography for titles.
7. Clean up all supplies.
8. Students sit in a circle with their rattle.
9. Play I Walk In Beauty and have students keep a steady beat with their
rattles. Consider having a drum group play also.
10. Collect the rattles for use in future lessons.

Closure: The students will play and improvise on their rattles individually
and line up at the door.

Lesson Assessment: Participation and completion of a rattle.


Classroom discipline/management: students will be expected to follow classroom
rules and are to keep in their space to detract from disturbing other students
while they are performing.

1. The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
2. No gum!
3. No food or drink in class, except water.

Classroom organization: We will be leading by example and assisting the students
in finding and demonstrating