Second Grade Music Class
Second Grade students receive music instruction once a week for 50 minutes. While in class, students are introduced to musical concepts on an experiential level. There is a lot of movement, singing, playing, and creating that happens on a weekly basis.
An exciting highlight of the second grade music curriculum is the second grade production. The second grade production allows students to take part in a live musical show in front of their peers and families. It is a great way to introduce students to the concepts of rehearsal time and being on stage. Other concepts being taught throughout the year are: Melody, Form, Instrument Families, Tempo, and Improvisation,
What's Happening in Second Grade Music?
Listed below are the concepts covered and a brief description of our lessons in music class over the course of the school year. This section will be updated as we cover new topics!
September-November
Unit 1: Melody
To start the year, the 2nd grade students spent some time learning about melody. We started by doing a review of steady beat by using the song "Engine Engine Number 9." With this song, the students were introduced to the use of icons that help represent the duration of the beat of the song. The icons are also used later to show other various aspects of music including contour, pitch, and rhythm. Once the students have shown an understanding of the various musical aspects of the song, the students learn a part on the barred instruments to accompany their singing. We also learned a fun movement activity to go along with the piece!
As a continuation of this unit, the students studied a new folk song titled "Paw Paw Patch." For this lesson, the students used their knowledge from their previous lesson to learn their new song using the icons. After they had figured out several musical aspects of the song, the students learned a folk dance to perform while singing the piece.
In our next lesson, the students studied the musical concept of contour which is the shape of a melody. We used the song "Paw Paw Patch" as a review on how to identify contour in a song. We then got out the barred instruments and and used the Morton Subotnick's Pitch Painter app for Ipad to create different melodies to play on the instruments based on the melodies created with the app.
To further develop our knowledge of melody, the students next work on understanding visual "pictures" of different melodies. The students first listen to the piece "Ballet of the Unhatched" chicks and identify what they hear in the piece while looking at a visual diagram of the melody.The student learn to identify such concepts as pitch, rhythm, form, and contour visually and connect what they are hearing to the picture.
The students then listen to a new piece "Kangaroos" and are given the task of unscrambling several puzzle pieces with a visual picture of the melody drawn on them so they match what they hear. The students must use their knowledge from the previous lesson about recognizing different concepts such as pitch, rhythm, and form in order to complete the puzzle correctly.
Next, the students began to focus on how a melody is created using skips, steps, leaps, and repeats. We listened to a folk song from Ghana called "Lo Peter" to help us learn about how skips, steps, leaps, and repeats are used to create a melody. We also have the opportunity to play a circle game that goes along with the song.
The students expand their knowledge of steps, skips, leaps and repeats with the song "Down The Ohio."
In this lesson, the students listen to the new song and identify where they hear and see steps, skips, leaps, and repeats. We then used the barred instruments to talk about how to create different melody patterns on the instruments using different combinations of steps, skips, leaps, and repeats.
Next, the students were broken up into pairs. Each group created their own melody using the barred instruments and were asked to create a visual picture of what their melody looked liked. The students then shared their picture and played their melody for the class and we discussed how their picture matched what we heard. Here is some video of a finished Melody Composition Project.
September-November
Unit 1: Melody
To start the year, the 2nd grade students spent some time learning about melody. We started by doing a review of steady beat by using the song "Engine Engine Number 9." With this song, the students were introduced to the use of icons that help represent the duration of the beat of the song. The icons are also used later to show other various aspects of music including contour, pitch, and rhythm. Once the students have shown an understanding of the various musical aspects of the song, the students learn a part on the barred instruments to accompany their singing. We also learned a fun movement activity to go along with the piece!
As a continuation of this unit, the students studied a new folk song titled "Paw Paw Patch." For this lesson, the students used their knowledge from their previous lesson to learn their new song using the icons. After they had figured out several musical aspects of the song, the students learned a folk dance to perform while singing the piece.
In our next lesson, the students studied the musical concept of contour which is the shape of a melody. We used the song "Paw Paw Patch" as a review on how to identify contour in a song. We then got out the barred instruments and and used the Morton Subotnick's Pitch Painter app for Ipad to create different melodies to play on the instruments based on the melodies created with the app.
To further develop our knowledge of melody, the students next work on understanding visual "pictures" of different melodies. The students first listen to the piece "Ballet of the Unhatched" chicks and identify what they hear in the piece while looking at a visual diagram of the melody.The student learn to identify such concepts as pitch, rhythm, form, and contour visually and connect what they are hearing to the picture.
The students then listen to a new piece "Kangaroos" and are given the task of unscrambling several puzzle pieces with a visual picture of the melody drawn on them so they match what they hear. The students must use their knowledge from the previous lesson about recognizing different concepts such as pitch, rhythm, and form in order to complete the puzzle correctly.
Next, the students began to focus on how a melody is created using skips, steps, leaps, and repeats. We listened to a folk song from Ghana called "Lo Peter" to help us learn about how skips, steps, leaps, and repeats are used to create a melody. We also have the opportunity to play a circle game that goes along with the song.
The students expand their knowledge of steps, skips, leaps and repeats with the song "Down The Ohio."
In this lesson, the students listen to the new song and identify where they hear and see steps, skips, leaps, and repeats. We then used the barred instruments to talk about how to create different melody patterns on the instruments using different combinations of steps, skips, leaps, and repeats.
Next, the students were broken up into pairs. Each group created their own melody using the barred instruments and were asked to create a visual picture of what their melody looked liked. The students then shared their picture and played their melody for the class and we discussed how their picture matched what we heard. Here is some video of a finished Melody Composition Project.
December-March
Unit 2: 2nd Grade Production
As part of the second grade music curriculum, each student will have the chance to participate in the annual 2nd Grade Production. Being a part of the production gives students the opportunity to learn many valuable skills such as memorization, team building, and performing in front of an audience.
The students look forward every year to being a part of the production and we are very excited to share our final product with you on April 1st!
For further information about this years production, "Temples and Tombs please click here to get to the 2nd Grade Production page.
Unit 2: 2nd Grade Production
As part of the second grade music curriculum, each student will have the chance to participate in the annual 2nd Grade Production. Being a part of the production gives students the opportunity to learn many valuable skills such as memorization, team building, and performing in front of an audience.
The students look forward every year to being a part of the production and we are very excited to share our final product with you on April 1st!
For further information about this years production, "Temples and Tombs please click here to get to the 2nd Grade Production page.