By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me - a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8
Listen to this funny version of two of my childhood favorites!
Sing a Song & I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing
Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Psalm 43:3-4
Mozart Unit Study and Lapbook
Hi - I've been working on a unit about my favorite composer, Mozart! It is a unit I am going to submit to an incredible website, Homeschool Share (see buttons on the left). Here are a few pages that I wanted to share until I finish the unit.
Mozart Lapbook Pieces 1 - just a small part of the lapbbook unit I am working on!
Musical Salzburg Family - Flap book to fill in about the Von Trapp Family from the Sound of Music - They were another talented family like the Mozarts!
Austrian Recipes - Recipes Cards & Pocket to use with a study of Mozart, Sound of Music, or Austria.
Music & Art Notebook Pages - One for creative drawing while listening to music, one for making a biography of a classical artist.
Computer Resources Mini Book - Use to record internet websites that you used for research, study, worksheets, games, etcetera, to remember them for future use.
These are ones I have with other units, but I thought would work well for this one, too.
Note Values Accordion Book Note Values Accordion Book Answers
Note & Rest Value Chart Rhythm Flap Books
Music Math Game - Whole Numbers Music Math Game - Fractions
Count the Beats File Folder Game
Cards 1 Cards 2 Blank Cards Pocket Gameboard
Time Signatures & Math File Folder Game
Conducting Patterns & What is a Conductor? Mini Books
Instrument Families of the Orchestra Tab Book
String Family and Piano Mini Books
Woodwind Family Lapbook Unit Lessons, lapbook mini books, games.
Brass Family Lapbook Unit Lessons, lapbook mini books, games.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17
God is so wonderful!
Just when I really needed a "pick-me up", God gave me two! Elaine from Commotion from the Ocean of Life and Jolene from Our Home Schooling Journey both nominated me for the "One Lovely Blog" Award. Elaine is the moderator of a yahoo group (and its many sub-groups) entitled The Creative Kingdom that contain fabulous games and materials for Christian education. I sooo much admire her gifts! Jolene from South Africa has a fantastic blog containing super ideas and pictures which are very inspiring to me also! Thank you so much Jolene and Elaine!! This surprising award means alot to this shy church musician. :)
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This award requires the following rules:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
I would like to nominate these beautiful blogs for the award:
1. Tina & Kelley at Dynamic 2 Moms
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Let all who take refuge in you be gald; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Psalm 5:11-12
Music Lapbook Materials
Individual Lapbook Materials - Entire Lapbook Units (scroll down)
Carnival of the Animals Picture / Drawing Book Also contains a "What is a waltz?" Mini at the bottom.
Carnival of the Animals Pockets One for vocabulary, one for rhythm cards.
Celeste Mini from Nutcracker Unit
Conductor & Conducting Patterns Mini Books - What does a conductor do? Learn conducting patterns for 2/4 3/4 and 4/4.
Elephant Addition Flashcards from Elephant Unit
Instrument Families of the Orchestra 5 page mini tab book for instrument families, extra graphics and pages.
Music Flashcards & Clip Art Resources I have collected for games and lapbooks.
Music Math - Fractions Add together notes with fractions.
Music Math - Whole Numbers Add together notes with whole numbers.
Music Vocabulary Blank Use to record music vocabulary studied.
Music Vocabulary Terms from Carnival of the Animals Unit / Elephant
Note Durations Mini Hierarchy chart of the values of notes.
Note Values Mini Book 2 Places for eighth, quarter, and half notes and rests.
Nutcracker Ballet Vocabulary from Nutcracker Unit
Nutcracker Ballet Vocabulary same as above but blank.
Nutcracker Ballet Vocabulary Pocket
Nutcracker Music Pocket from Nutcracker Unit
Pitch Experiments Layered book and round mini book.
Prefixes, Roots, & Suffixes Cards from Elephant Unit
Saint - Saens, Camille Mini books for the composer, the Romantic Period of Music, and France.
Sheet Music Pocket Use to hold sheet music or scores that you have studied.
String Family Mini Books One for each instrument - violin, viola, cello, and bass. Also a mini for piano.
Tchaikovsky, Peter Lapbook Mini - Notebook pages for him under Notebooking Resources.
Music Lapbook Units
Tchaikovsky & The Nutcracker Lapbook Unit
Huge Free Music Unit (3 parts)! ~ The entire unit could be used for 1/2 to a whole year study depending on amount of music time you want to spend. Sections or part of sections could be used for individual lessons. ~~ Included are lesson plans, lapbook materials, games, notebook pages, sheet music, links to music sites, and links to related ballet and composer resources. Objectives of lessons:
~ Music Appreciation ~ Composer: Tchaikovsky ~ Orchestra: Families of Instruments and individual instruments ~ Music Theory: rhythm, form, tone color, melody, harmony, expression, meter, tempo, note and score reading, vocabulary ~ Conductors & Conducting ~ Recorder playing ~ Suite and movements of a suite
~ Art: Coloring, drawing, or painting scenes related to the music.
~ Physical Education: Ballet Theatres, Dances, and History ~ Movement activities
~ Language Arts: Reading ~ Comparing & Contrasting literature and story versions ~ Author Study of Hoffman - 'The Mouse King' ~ Vocabulary & Spelling ~ Story Writing Activity
~ Social Studies: History & Geography ~ Countries: Russia, Germany & others ~ Romantic Period Music
~ Science: Physics of Sound, Pitch Experiments
~ Mathematics: Music Math Activities with Notes, Rests, & Rhythm Patterns
Review Section
"Carnival of the Animals" Music Lapbook Unit
"The Elephant" Music Unit Elephant Unit Study & Lapbook
The music lesson includes activities for tempo, tone color (strings & piano), melody, harmony, pitch, composer & composing, meter, rhythm, and form. The other elephant unit includes science, language arts, math, art, social studies, book list, and 'just for fun' activities! These are in honor of "Snuffly" the Elephant who lives in our home with my son!
Other 'Carnival' Animals will be coming this spring!
Strings Family Lapbook - coming
Percussion Family Lapbook - coming
Keyboard Family Lapbook - coming
Lapbook materials, cards, pockets, games, links for research.
Music Related Lapbooks & Units at Homeschool Share
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. Genesis 1:24
"The Carnival of the Animals"
Elephant Unit Study & Lapbook Here is an elephant unit I wrote for Homeschool Share to use with this if you like. My son loves elephants!
These activities may be spread over several lesson times depending on the age of your child and how much music experience they have already had.
Materials:
Music & Videos of :Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens
Chickens, Horses, Tortoises, Elephants
Sheet Music: Free Download
CD: Carnival of the Animals & Peter and the Wolf
Book & CD Set: Carnival of the Animals
Lapbook & Notebook Materials:
Vocabulary Cards
Elephant Lyrics
String & Piano Mini Books
Composition Page
Pitch Experiment Lab Reports 1
Pitch Experiment Lab Reports 2
Composer Notebook Page
Composer Lapbook Mini Book
France Mini Book
Carnival of the Animals Drawing Book
What is a Waltz? Mini Book
Time Signature Math File Folder Game
Rhythm Mini Books
Rhythm Pattern Card Games
Music Vocabulary:
allegro – fast
a tempo – go back to the original speed of the piece
andante – moderately slow tempo of a piece, from the Italian andare – to walk
composer – one who creates or makes up new music
form – sections of a song and how they are put together
harmony – a group of notes which blend nice sounds with the melody
melody – the tune of the song, the main, recognizable part of music
ostinato – a repeated pattern, usually with a rhythm
pitch – highness and lowness of notes and sounds
ritardando – gradually slowing down the speed
rhythm – different durations of notes put together in groups, some may be accented
suite – a collection of musical pieces that are grouped together
tempo – the rate of speed of a piece
ternary form – a three section piece of music, section A plays, then B section which is different, then A section again
theme – a repeating musical pattern that occurs in a piece, theme may be varied as it is repeated
timbre – also called tone color – the various qualities of a sound making it unique from other sounds
time signature or meter – numerical markings at the beginning of a piece to tell how many beats are in each measure, and what kind of note gets one beat
waltz – a fancy dance for two people with the music having three beats per measure and the first beat is stressed
Vocabulary Pockets & Cards
Listen to The Elephant from The Carnival of the Animals by Camille St.- Saens. Listen quietly or with a soft steady beat tapping. Do not tell students the name of the piece, but do tell them it comes from a musical suite called The Carnival of the Animals. Ask them to think about what type of animal the composer is trying to sound like.
Tempo
Musicians use Italian words to describe musical characteristics of a piece of music. The word for speed is tempo. Does the tempo of this music move fast or slow? This tempo is called andante which means moving slowly. Listen again and try to find where the tempo changes. It slows down a little in the middle (ritardando), and then resumes it’s original speed (a tempo).
Timbre
What timbres or instruments do you hear in the piece? (Piano and string bass.) See below links.
Melody
The melody is played by the string bass. The string bass is the largest and lowest sounding member of the string family. Instruments in an orchestra are grouped in families by certain characteristics they share. There are five families of instruments – strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and keyboard. Members of the orchestral string family include violin, viola, cello, and bass. They are all shaped in a similar way, are made of wood, have four strings, and can be plucked by the fingers or played with a bow.
To help learn the melody and other musical concepts of the piece, print out Elephant Lyrics to sing along with the string bass. (Yes, the lyrics are rather corny, but I was trying to stick concepts in the song in a way they would remember. My oldest child did this lesson almost 10 years ago, and she still remembers parts of my crazy songs.) This worksheet will be used later to discuss rhythm also.
String & Piano Mini Books Write down what you learn about them.
String Family Info, pictures, and sound clips.
Label the Bass Worksheet to use with above link.
Label the String Family Worksheet
Harmony
The harmony of this piece is played by the piano. Listen how it accompanies the string bass, and blends pleasing pitches and chords with the melody. Some musicians consider the piano a part of the percussion family because the keys need to be pushed to play. Others place the piano in the keyboard family (organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electric keyboard, computer keyboard) because of their similarities in playing and structure.
Video - How a Piano is Made
Creative Composing
Okay, music detectives, we know so far that this piece of music is andante (slow), and is played by a low sounding instrument. What animal do you think the composer, Camille St.-Saens, was trying to imitate? What type of animal might sound slow and low? (The Elephant!) What timbre would you choose to imitate the elephant? What tempo would you choose? How could you make a song that would resemble an elephant? Perhaps a trumpet blast could come from his trunk? How about a tuba, drums, or percussion instruments? What else would you use? Try to compose a musical piece for an elephant out of sounds around your home.
Composition Page & Directions
Pitch
Pitch is how high or low a note sounds. Large instruments make the slowest sound waves and the lowest sounds. Smaller instruments have faster sound waves and sound higher. Does the string bass have a high or low pitch? What about the piano? The piano contains both high and low pitches. The inside of a piano has several sized strings. Each size makes a different pitch – small strings higher, long strings lower.
A fancier definition is “a tone or sound determined by the frequency of vibration of the sound waves reaching the ear: the greater the frequency, the higher the pitch” (yourdictionary.com). Older students may want to research the physics of sound or physiology of the ear.
Science related activities –Pitch Experiment Lap Reports 1 Wrap several sizes and widths of rubber bands around a shoebox. Students can play their “violins” by plucking the bands. Discuss the sizes of the rubber bands and their pitch. Why do the different sizes and widths of rubber bands make numerous pitches? Can we change the pitch of each rubber band by tightening or loosening the band?
Pitch Experiment Lab Reports 2 to take notes if you want to do the following projects. I highly recommend this one - very nice sound explanations, 3 easy sound experiments.
Energy in the Air – How Sound is Made Fun Online Pitch Activity
Composer
Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) was a French composer from the Romantic period of music. He composed Le Carnaval des Animaux – The Carnival of the Animals in 1886. L’Elephant – The Elephant is just one of the songs in the suite. Research the composer, the suite, the Romantic Period of music, France, and the French language using the following links.
Saint-Saens Notebook Page
Composer, Romantic Period Music, & France Lapbook Mini Books
Carnival of the Animals Drawing Book
Carnival of the Animals Information
Biography Links to hear his pieces.
Where is France Shutterfold for Lapbooks Flag & Map here also.
Meter
Listen to the piece and clap a steady beat to it. Sing lyrics also if they feel the beat, do not sing if you do not feel they have a consistent beat. Lead the children to tap their hands on their lap on beat one, and to clap hands on beats two and three. Listen another time and sing the lyrics and / or count 1 – 2 – 3, 1 – 2 – 3 throughout. Meter is the specific amount of beats per measure to help musicians count and play together. Another name for meter is ‘time signature’. Meter is marked for musicians at the beginning of a piece with two numbers such as:
2 3 4
4 4 4
The top number represents the amount of beats that belong in each measure (“the notes or rests, or both, contained between two vertical lines on the staff”). The vertical lines that separate the measures are called bar lines. They help break the music up into smaller parts that are easier to count. The bottom number represents what type of note receives one beat. In most songs, a quarter note plays for one beat notated by the 4 on the bottom. A quarter note can receive other amounts of beats if the bottom number is different. The Elephant has 3/4 time signature. Point out the dance-like quality of the piece. A dance that has three beats in a measure (one strong and two weak beats) is called a waltz. You may want to find a video of people waltzing to show them the style.
What is a Waltz? Mini Book
Rhythm
Written notes and rhythms have different values so musicians know how long to play each one. Notes and rests are assigned an amount of beats. Beats can be fast or slow, but are usually steady throughout a piece. For notes and rests in the following minis and games, the beats are as follows:
h = 2 =i q = 1 = g e = ½ = N
Rhythm Mini Books
Time Signature Math File Folder Game
Rhythm Pattern Card Games
Form
Form is the different sections of a piece of music, and how they are arranged or put in order. Try to hear how many sections are in the piece (3). The first and third sections that are the same will be called the “A Section”. The middle part sounds different so it is called the “B Section”. Put together, the form of L’Elephant is “ABA”. When the pieces are put together in this order, it is called ternary form. Young children may enjoy “feeling” the form by singing on the A section, waltzing like an elephant on the B section – take a giant elephant step on beat one, swing your trunk (arms) on beats two and three – and singing again on the last A section.
The Carnival of the Animals Chart
The Carnival of the Animals Listening Chart
The Carnival of the Animals Unit 1 Page 5 & 6 have great animal poems that are sometimes read to the audience at performances of 'Carnival'.
The Carnival of the Animals Unit 2 Science based
The Carnival of the Animals Unit 3a Lesson Plans
The Carnival of the Animals Unit 3b Lesson & Sound clips
The Carnival of the Animals Unit 4 Lesson Plan
The Carnival of the Animals Unit 5 Simple instrumental accompaniments for children to play.
The Carnival of the Animals Unit 6 (Foreign Language Resources)
The elephant is God's largest land mammal still on the earth. What an amazing creature He created! Thank you, God!
This is the first of the "Carnival of the Animals" music lesson plans. The other animals will be added through the spring.
Please leave a comment or two what you think about the lesson.
Thanks and may God bless you!
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice or praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16
Notebook Pages
Henry Wadworth Longfellow Resources
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn - shout for joy before the LORD, the King! Psalm 98:6
Brass Family Lapbook
Characteristics of Brass Notebook
Entire Brass Family Lapbook in PDF
Lessons & Links ~ Lapbook Components ~ Cards
Characteristics of Brass Instruments - A brass instrument is can be made of brass or other materials. All brass instruments have the same type of mouthpieces except in size and variation of shape. Players must “buzz” with their lips while blowing to produce a sound.
“Brass instruments are wind instruments that are made of metal, and usually brass. They appear in many different shapes and sizes, all brass instruments have a mouthpiece, a length of hollow tube, and a flared bell. The mouthpiece of a brass instrument may be cup shaped, like a cornet, or a cone shaped, like the horn. The tube may be wide or narrow, mainly conical, as in the horn and tuba, or mainly cylindrical, as in the trumpet and trombone. The sound of a brass instruments is made by the player’s lips vibrating against the mouthpiece, so that the air vibrates in the tube, causing the whole instrument to resonate. By changing lip tension, the player can vary the vibration and produce notes of different pitches. The range of notes produced by a brass instrument can be extended by means of a valve system. Most brass instruments, such as the trumpet, have piston valves that divert the air in the instruments along an extra piece of tubing (known as a valve slide) when pressed down. The total length of the tube is increased and the pitch of the note produced is lowered. Instead of valves, the trombone has a movable slide that can be pushed away from or drawn toward the player. The sound of a brass instrument can also be changed by inserting a mute into the bell of the instrument.” From: “What are Brass Instruments?” Brass Instruments in Action
Clear, easy descriptions of brass instrument characteristics - great pictures and videos
Brass Notebook Pages (3) may be added for extra notes or for older children.
Very detailed description of the family. I would choose only some of this for elementary students; some of it is more advanced for middle / high school – correlates with physics (design and pitch) and chemistry (metallic elements). Use this site for the following mini books: Valve vs. Slide: What is the difference? ~ Metallic Elements: What materials are brass instruments made with? ~ The Bell of the Horn ~ Saxophone? Is it a brass instrument? Why or why not? (No ~ the way the mouthpiece is played.) ~ Styles of Music – What types of music do brass instruments play? orchestral, jazz, rock, military, marching, etc.
Brass Mouthpieces Picture & diagram of brass mouthpiece;
embouchure; mouthpieces of the family (size & shape) ~ Brass Mouthpieces
Experiments
Math & Science with Brass Instruments (DSO) Elementary / Middle School ~ Click to particular instruments for info and sounds.
Math ~ Brass Measurement Activity How long are the metal tubes in brass instruments?
Follow the directions from this page. You may want to print the “uncoiled” page out and put into your lapbook. Note your observations in the mini book. ~ What was added to brass instruments over the years to produce more pitches? ~ Length of Tubing: Estimate & Actual ~ Measurements ~ How does tubing circumference and length make an effect on brass instruments? Brass Measurement Mini
Science Experiments ~ Write observations in the mini file folders.
“Buzzing Brass Mouthpiece” ~ “Experience Vibrations” ~ “How Hearing Works”
Ear diagram to print out and put in lapbook.
Instrument Mini Books - Fill in with information about the instrument: How does it sound? What does it looks like? What is it made of? How is it made? How is it played? What is the history of the instrument? Where and when was it first played? Who is a famous player of this instrument? Etcetera… Trumpet Mini ~ Tuba Mini ~ Trombone Mini ~ French Horn
Brass Instrument Information
Brass Family (SFS) Elementary ~ Click instrument to find out more and to hear examples.
Brass Section Elementary ~ simple explanations, pictures, sound clips.
Brass Family Elementary / Middle School ~ History & Description of all instruments as a family and separate instruments (click on left).
Meet the Orchestra Elementary / Middle School ~ Info and history on the trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba. Really fun site! The games are cute and educational too!
The Orchestra – A User’s Manuel This is the brass page, but if you click a particular instrument under orchestration, it leads you to mini lesson videos and resources for players. Click on historical to learn about the style periods.
Music Acoustics Middle / High School ~ Sound, Frequency, Air Flow, Dynamics, Pipes Size & Shape, Bell, Mouthpiece, Resonances and Harmonics, Intervals, Intonation, Spectra, Mutes, Valves & Slides – Fantastic to use with physics and math lessons!
Brass Games ~ Brass Instrument Flashcards / Matching Game 1 ~ Brass Instrument Flashcards / Matching Game 2 ~ Brass Instrument Flashcards Pocket
Music-Instrument Clipart “Music-Instruments Clipart - Below is the collection of free Music-Instruments clipart collected from various internet Music-Instruments free clipart sites and free Music-Instruments newsgroups, with permissions. All these free Music-Instruments free clip arts are in public domain, royalty free and can be freely used by anybody.”
Music Graphics Galore “**DISCLAIMER: Most of these graphics were obtained through search engines and "owners" were contacted for permission to use them. If anyone discovers that any of these graphics are copyrighted, please notify me, and I will remove them immediately. I am unaware that any are at the present time. You are welcome to use these graphics in a NON-PROFIT manner only, such as non-commercial websites or signature files, brochures, flyers, posters, stationary, signs and pamphlets.**”
Enjoy the wonderful sounds of brass instruments!
Please let me know if you use part or all of these or send me a picture. Thanks! 
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be gald and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2
Music Games
"Count the Beats" Game - Rhythm & Time Signatures - Count the rhythm patterns and place in the correct time signature box.
Game Board Game Cards A Easiest Game Cards B Harder
Game Cards C Blank to make your own measures. Game Card Pocket
Music Math Whole Numbers or Fractions Add the values of the notes together to find the total time. Use these for a puzzle matching game or mini books.
Rhythm Pattern Cards from Carnival of the Animals Unit - Elephant
Time Signature Game Choose a time signature and create rhythm patterns for 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 times signatures from various length note and rest cards. Place cards on the game mat. You may want to put a strip of velco on the mat rows, and on the back of the cards. Have someone check your measures - give yourself a point for every correctly counted measure. Clap and count out your pattern song to practice rhythms, or challenge another player to count your rhythms.
Woodwind Board Game Gameboard, playing cards, pocket for cards, cover & directions.
Woodwind Matching Game Use for matching games, go fish, or flashcards.
Woodwind Matching Game 1 Woodwind Matching Game 2 Woodwind Game Pocket
Music Soccer FFG - File Folder Game to reinforce note reading skills in the bass clef.
Other Games
Elephant Addition Flashcards from Elephant Unit
Measurement Dominoes from Elephant Unit
I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13:5-6
Pictures of my children's lapbooks can be found at Lapbook Lessons and at my blog there.
Materials for a Time Lapbook that I collected.
Tons of Animal Unit resources listed on Pamela's Animal Links at Lapbook Lessons.
Elephant Lapbook Unit at Homeschool Share.
Pennsylvania Unit Study Lapbook at Homeschool Helper or
The Complete Unit below:
Pennsylvania Unit Study Lesson Plans
Pennsylvania Unit Study Lapbook Components
Please let me know if you like or use these, or if there is anything I should add. Thanks and God bless you!
Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary, praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him wiht the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. Psalm 150
Woodwinds Study Lapbook
Lapbook Minis ~ Instruments: flute, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, oboe, English horn, bassoon, recorder, didgeridoo, pan pipes (syrinx) ~ Members of the flute family, members of the saxophone family, single reed, double reed, pitch, history
Woodwind Lapbook 1 Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
Woodwind Lapbook 2 Alto & Tenor Saxophone, Oboe, Bassoon
Woodwind Lapbook 3 English Horn, Recorders, Didigidoo, Pan Pipes
Flashcards for studying, playing a matching game, or go fish.
Woodwind Matching Game 1 Pictures and words on the same card.
Woodwind Matching Game 2 Pictures on one card, names on another.
Woodwind Board Game Gameboard, game tokens and question cards, pocket for cards.
Woodwind Notebook Woodwind Notebook Pages (3)
Woodwind Family of the Orchestra Descriptions of the instruments of the family and their construction, how they are played, reed explanations, examples to hear, and fantastic pictures of real instruments.
Woodwinds History & description of instruments for all ages.
Woodwind Instruments Detailed information about the family.
Musical Pitch Middle to High School description.
Reed Instruments Single & double reeds, composition, pictures
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Woodwind Instruments Descriptions and pictures of flutes, piccolos, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, saxophones, and recorders to be used for all ages. *At this site, high school students who study physics and calculus will enjoy details of the physics of sound – types of cylinders, wavelengths, closed or open holes, reeds, sizes, sounds, hearing, harmonics, etcetera.
Woodwind Instruments from Around the World This list contains instruments you will recognize plus many that you won’t, different sizes of the instruments, country they originated in, and a brief history and description.
**Woodwind Family This is soooo cool! This gentleman has pictures of every size flute, clarinet, and sax. There is information, sound clips, and videos.
Clarinet Family Clarinet Family 2
Saxophone Family You won’t believe the size of some of these instruments. This site contains information, pictures, and sound clips.
Instrument Diagrams Label Parts of a Recorder, Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon & Saxophone – Label the Woodwind Member Names in English or other languages - Instrument coloring pages for primary grades, many other music activities also.
The entire unit in PDF
I hope you enjoy these and will use them. Please leave a comment if you make a lapbook - I'd love to see your pictures and ideas! Also, please let me know if there is something I could add or change. Thanks and God Bless You! 
For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
1 Timothy 4:4
Teaching Music with Artistic Combinations
It is so fun to create things! Music, art, dance, literature, and poetry are very expressive ways to create things and convey emotions. There are many ways to express how one is thinking and feeling. One way to teach music is to connect it with other types of art. Listen carefully to a piece of music first, then try some of the following to express your reactions to it.
Art - How does this piece make you feel? Does it want to make you laugh or cry? Do you feel excited or calm? Does it remind you of a story or a person that you know? Does it remind you of a place – either real or imaginary? What do you think of as you hear the piece? What do you think the composer had in mind? What colors do you ‘see’ in your mind as you hear? Paint or draw your ideas while listening to your choice of music. It could be an exact picture of what you feel, or it may be colors and shapes. Be as expressive with your art as the composer was with her / his music.
Dance (Physical Education) * – Do you feel like moving when you hear music? How? Would you move fast (allegro) or slow (adagio)? Do you want to move in a bouncy, jumping way (staccato), or a smooth, flowing (legato) movement? How can you move differently when the music is loud (forte) or soft (piano)? Does the music want you to move in circular patterns or straight lines? Do you feel stiff or relaxed? Dance around a room where you have plenty of space (and parental permission). Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be the cha-cha or waltz, just move in a way that feels natural to what you hear.
*I like to teach and review music vocabulary through motions and actions; it gives the students a chance to feel while they hear and can be very funny! It also gets the ‘wiggles’ out of kids before you want them to sit still to do something! Examples:
1 - To teach tempo , I sing a common song like “Mary had a little lamb” at different speeds, ask them to do a motion at that speed, and request the word for that tempo. I only pick a few per lesson.
2 – I do the same with articulations; sing the song staccato, accented, slurred, or however you wish.
3 – Try it with different dynamics – sing forte, mezzo piano, pianissimo.
4 – Sing the song in different keys. Pitch of the song can also be felt by standing stretched up tall for high pitches, squatted down to the ground for low pitches, or somewhere in between for others.
Lesson extension: Have fun choreographing a favorite piece. Decide the movements you want to do and how many time to do them. Will you have a repeated pattern of movements that you dance, or will each movement be completely different? Are there sections in the music that repeat (like a main theme) that you want to bring out with your movements? When you come up with a combination of steps that you like, practice then perform it for your friends and family!
Literature & Poetry (Language Arts) - Notice the ‘arts’ in Language Arts. Composers like to write music to go with stories and poetry. Sometimes the music ideas come first; sometimes the words or lyrics come first. Either way, composers try to make them fit together well. Read a story or poem that has been put to music. Listen to the music too, of course. How does the composer tell about the characters and actions? Are there different ways to express the characters and their personalities? Great examples are: Darth Vader’s Theme being played by low, powerful, minor key notes; Jaws sneaking up sloooooowwwly, then frantically attacking faster!; Somewhere Over the Rainbow where a dreamer is imagining a beautiful place; Sleigh Ride (the one by Leroy Anderson) bells for the sleigh, a trumpet for the horse whinny; anything from Fantasia (shows an enormous combination of music, art, and stories); or the bird’s theme song in Peter & the Wolf played by a high fluttery flute.
What does the composer do at a really exciting part of a story? How about a sad part? Talk about the dynamics, tone colors, pitches, tempos, keys – major or minor, and anything else that is used.
Operas, operettas, ballets, and musicals are some places where composers get to be creative with stories. Even movies and television shows have background music that helps to tell the story. Next time you watch one of these, listen carefully to how the sounds can match the actions. It’s really fascinating! Sometimes the music even gives you a clue as to what is going to happen!
One of my favorite composers who has a great talent at this is John Williams. He wrote the musical scores to several movies I’m sure you have heard including: Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Close Encounters, and Harry Potter. The timing and the way he makes scenes come alive is just amazing! To see what I mean, watch one of the movies without the sound, then with the sound. How is it different? (Someday I’ll have to write a whole unit on his music!)
Lesson extension 1: Write a poem or story about one of your favorite pieces of music – preferably a piece that has no words so you can create your own ideas instead of the composer’s. Write about whatever the piece makes you think about. Use your imagination – it can be serious or silly!
Lesson extension 2: Try it in reverse. Pick a story or poem that you like and compose music for it. What instruments or sounds do you think would sound like the characters? How could you play them to make it sound like the actions of the story? Would you sing the words of a poem gently, angrily, happily? Trying it various ways can make a completely different song! By the way, it doesn’t have to be with traditional instruments. Household items and homemade instruments work great too!
Lesson extension 3: Create a poem or story with music of your own!
The arts are a sign of your God given creativity! When you are having fun and enjoying your creations (whether they be music, art, dance, literature, or other), share them with others!
They celebrated it before the LORD our God ... joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done. 1 Kings 8:66
jiq
"I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!!"
"I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!"
"I've got the peace that passeth understanding, down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! I've got the peace that passeth understanding, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!"
ijq
David danced before the Lord with all his might...brought up the ark of the Lord with...sound of trumpets. 2 Samuel 6:14-15
The Nutcracker Music Unit 3
Continued from The Nutcracker Music Unit 1 and The Nutcracker Music Unit 2!
Nutcracker Study Guide 2 -
Nutcracker Study Guide 3 - Social Studies, Language Arts, Music, Art, Math, Science, Cooking
Nutcracker Study Guide 4 - Lesson Plans touching most core subjects, Writing Prompts, Compare / Contrast Venn Graph, Filling in the Blank, Story Retelling Notebook Page, Mathematics in Dance, Habitat & Climate in snow scene, Simple Machines – Boat & Castle Designs, Draw & Write Page
Ballet Alphabet Book - Full of ballet terms.
The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet by scenes.
Music Teaching Materials I love these!! Christmas theme music games plus several other piano and music theory activities.
*Arm & Feet Positions in Ballet
I’m using these pictures to make a mini book.
*Large Nutcracker to color Nice for lapbook cover!
*Music Flashcards These are top quality – the best variety I’ve seen on the net. Contains: Staff Notes, Note Values, Dynamics, Intervals, Key Signatures, Rests, Tempo, & Time Signatures. There are other music downloads, also.
*Music Materials Instruments, Composers, Music Notation Cards, Music Manipulatives
Books to check out:
Tchaikovsky Discovers America by Esther Kalman
I believe there is a cassette (maybe CD) and a movie video that corolate with the book.
Of Swans, Sugarplums, and Satin Slippers - Ballet Stories for Children by Violette Verdy / Scholastic
Contains the story of the Nutcracker, plus the ballets Firebird, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Giselle, and Sleeping Beauty.
I hope you can use part or whole of this unit with your children and students. I love music and children especially when they are together! This is the first time I have made a unit like this on a blog. For years, all of my teaching materials were hand drawn or copied from teacher resources. Please let me know if you like this, if I should change or add anything, or if there is another music unit I could help create. I eventually hope to freshen all my old lesson plans with lapbook and notebooking materials. When I figure out how to use my new camera, I will try to load pictures of my children's lapbooks!
God bless you in your musical endeavors! ~ Pamela 
The Nutcracker Music Unit 2
Part 2 - Continued from The Nutcracker Music Unit 1
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
5. What is sugar plum? What is marzipan? Research and write your findings in the Sugarplum & Marzipan Mini Books.
Russian Dance – Trepek - Chocolate
- Listen to the Russian Dance and color a picture. Ask student to tap a steady beat to the music and listen to the tempo and tone color of the piece.
What is the tempo of this dance – allegro, largo, or vivace?
What tone colors / instruments did you hear? All families are heard, with the string family probably most dominant. Listen again though and try to focus on the brass family. Can you hum the brass section parts? Research the brass family and its instruments. Brass Family. Fill in the brass section of the Instrument Family Book - Brass.
Geography / Culture / Social Studies – Where is Russia? Find on a map. What is the climate there? How do people dress? Etc. Russia Map & Flag Mini Books
- If you have not done so already, you may want to research the life of Tchaikovsky or the Romantic Period of music. At the beginning of this unit I have listed many resources, notebook pages, and mini books for a lapbook.
- Try to hear the following rhythmic pattern in the music; it is the main theme and occurs frequently. Try to find the pattern in the music score (see below). How many times can you hear it? Which instruments play it the most? Review note values from your Note Values Mini.
ijq iq iq iq
- Find and discuss musical symbols from the sheet music for Trepek, or simple version for younger children.
Review: accent
Add any new vocabulary you learned to your Nutcracker Music Vocabulary.
Arabian Dance - Coffee
- Listen for tempo and meter of the piece. How would you describe the tempo? Andante? How many beats are in each measure? 3 – this time signature is called ¾. Listen again and tap one strong beat on your lap, and clap two weaker beats with your hands per measure. Use your Conducting Patterns and Conductor mini books to review conducting with 3 beats per measure. Practice it with the music!
- Discuss expression in music – emotions, feelings. How does this piece make them feel like moving or dancing? Compare to the Russian Dance expression and movement.
- Social Studies – Find Saudi Arabia on a map. What clothing is worn? What is the climate like? Etc. about the country.
- In my music classes, the students also looked for musical intervals and ostinatos, and played the ostinato on bells.
-
What is the tempo of this piece? Compare it to others you have listened to.
-
Add any new vocabulary you learned to your Nutcracker Music Vocabulary.
Chinese Dance - Tea
- Listen for musical qualities discussed with the previous pieces – meter, tempo, tone color, dynamics and any others you want to review. The meter is 4/4 – practice conducting 4 beats per measure while listening.
- One of the highest pitched instruments is featured in this piece – the piccolo. The piccolo is a member of the woodwind family. How high or low a note sounds is determined by the amount of vibrations in the sound waves per second. It is measured by hertz (Hz): 1 Hertz = 1 vibration / second. Frequent vibrations make a higher pitch; fewer vibrations create lower sounds.
Table of Musical Pitches This is cool! Click on a piano key to learn its name, octave and frequency in hertz (Hz). Notice that the pitch rises when the frequency increases.
Instrument Ranges Compare the pitch range of several orchestral instruments.
- The way sounds are produced is fascinating! Middle and high school students may enjoy studying the physics of sound at the following sites.
Pitch & Frequency at the Physics Classroom Tutorial
Sound Waves & Music - 5 detailed lessons for: Nature of a Sound Wave, Sound Properties and Perception, Behavior of Sound Waves, Resonance and Standing Waves, Musical Instruments
- Social studies – locate China on a map (China shutterfold) and color a flag (flag of China minit book). Discuss the culture and country.
Add any new vocabulary you learned to your Nutcracker Music Vocabulary.
Dance of the Reed Flutes (Merlitons)
- What are “reed flutes”? The song is referring to instruments that use a wooden “reed” in order to make it play – examples are clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, and English horn. The reed is attached to the mouthpiece; it vibrates when the player blows producing sounds.
Recorders, flutes, and piccolos are also a part of the woodwind family. They do not require reeds in order to play. So, why are they woodwinds? 1 - Some were originally made from wood or reeds, and 2 - the note fingerings are similar to the rest of the family.
Fill in the woodwind section of the Instrument Family Book - Woodwinds with research from here - Woodwind Family .
- Listen to the first eight beats. Can you hear how the pitch changes from high to low? I have younger students stand with knees bent, stand, bend down to ground, stand, and repeat along with the recording.
- Analyze the sheet music looking for concepts learned with other pieces. Add to your Nutcracker Music Vocabulary.
decrescendo (decres. or >) = diminuendo
Dance of the Reed Flutes Sheet Music
- Review 2/4 time signature / meter. Conduct the piece in 2/4.
5. Compare rhythmic note values. Duration of the notes depends on
many things.
a) Does the note have a stem? w = 4 or h = 2
b) Is the oval filled in or open? h = 2 or q = 1
c) How many flags does it have on top? q = 1 or e = 1//2 or x = 1//4
d) Is there a dot (.) after the note? h = 2 or h. = 3
e) Note Values in 4/4 Meter - The value of a note is cut in half every time a flag is added to the note.
f) Try some music math! Make mini puzzles or flap books of Fractions or Whole Numbers.
Whole Note = 4 beats
Dotted Half Note = 3 beats
Half Note = 2 beats
Quarter Note = 1 beat
Eighth Note = ½ beat
Sixteenth Note = ¼ beat
Thirty-second Note = 1/8 beat
- The way the sections of a piece are put together is called form . This piece has an opening section (called A), a middle section (called B), and then returns to the first section (called A). It is made up of three sections, starting and ending on the same theme. This is called ternary form .
Waltz of the Flowers
- Listen for the meter of this piece. ¾ - Tap beat one on your lap to feel the strong or accented beat; clap beats two and three lightly to feel the weaker beats.
3. Wouldn’t it be grand to dance a waltz! Watch one of the instructional
videos below, then dress up in something fun and fancy to hold your own ball!
- Practice conducting Waltz of the Flowers with a ¾ pattern.
- Listen for upward and downward melodic patterns in music. Which instrument(s) plays upward patterns? Which plays downward patterns? What other tone colors do your hear? Review instrument families and their members from your book.
Review – The Nutcracker Suite & Peter I. Tchaikovsky
One of my favorite music teaching resources is “The Big Book of Music Games” by Debra Olson Pressnall and Lorilee Maleha. There are tons of file folders game, card games, and much more fun! It is fantastic for learning and reviewing concepts.
As you put your lapbook or notebook together, review everything you have learned together.
Below are some questions to talk about when you listen to the whole suite.
- Tell at least two facts about Tchaikovsky’s life.
- Name two or more types of compositions he wrote.
- Name three Ballets that he wrote.
- Define ballet, overture, and any other vocabulary you would like your child to remember.
- Name your favorite piece studied and tell why you liked it.
- Name at least two movements of The Nutcracker.
- Tell the story of The Nutcracker.
- Define time signature, give examples, conduct a 4/4 and ¾ patterns like a conductor.
- Name some instruments (tone colors) you heard in the Suite – find their pictures – name the family they belong to.
- Dance or do body percussion to your favorite movement.
- Play the recorder with the March.
- Expression in music – color at least one picture you found on the internet or draw one of your own. Share how at least one movement made you feel when you listened to it.
- Geography /Culture – name two countries that Tchaikovsky chose to highlight, find them on the map, share one aspect of the cultures.
- Find examples of musical terms in a score or sheet music. Tell what they mean.
- Continue to listen to the music in your home or vehicle. You will grow to love it!
Other sites you may want to use with this unit!
Lesson Plans Vocabulary Lists
Writing Prompts Marie versus Clara
Story Map Ballet Costumes
Nutcracker Story Ballet Etiquette
Nutcracker Links Ballet Expectations
Continued on The Nutcracker Music Unit 3 ....
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let Earth receive her king!
Let every heart, prepared Him room,
And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven and nature sing!
Christmas Music
Over 400 lyrics with a tiny bit of info on each.
Christmas Lyrics 1 MIDI
Christmas Lyrics 2 MIDI
Christmas Lyrics 3 Secular
Christmas Lyrics 4 Sacred
Christmas Music 1 MIDI
Christmas Music 2 MIDI
Christmas Music 3 MIDI
Christmas Sheet Music 6 for Flute & Violin
Christmas Sheet Music 7 for Clarinet
Christmas Sheet Music 8 for Piano (Kids)
Christmas Sheet Music 9 for Saxophone
Christmas Carols 1 Canadian
Christmas Carols 2 French
Christmas Carols 3 German
Christmas Carols 4 Latin
Christmas Carols 5 Spanish
Handel's Messiah MIDI
Music Scrapbook Pages 7 Sets
The Nutcracker Music & Tchaikovsky Lapbook Unit
Nutcracker Game like hangman
12 Days of Christmas Coloring Book
12 Days of Christmas Symbol Meanings
12 Days of Christmas & Pascal's Triangle
12 Days of Christmas Posters & Book
12 Days of Christmas Worksheets
Christmas Songs Picture Game 2
Christmas Songs Picture Game 3
May Christ be in your hearts this Christmas and forever!!
Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.
Psalm 149:3
The Nutcracker Music Unit
There are some fantastic lapbook materials already for The Nutcracker and Ballet - see below.
I will be focusing more on the musical aspects (rhythms, movements, notes, time signatures, etc.) of The Nutcracker. I will add lesson plans, worksheets, games, lapbook mini books, etc. as I can.
Hope these will be useful to someone! 
Tchaikovsky and Ballet Study
Notebook Pages, Lapbook Pages, Units
Tchaikovsky Notebook 1 General Tchaikovsky notebook page.
Tchaikovsky Notebook 2 Writing assignment for The Nutcracker story.
Tchaikovsky Notebook 3 Notes from Classics for Kids.
Tchaikovsky Notebook 4 Coordinates with biographies from Classics for Kids , Dallas Symphony Orchestra , and New York Philharmonic.
Tchaikovsky Notebook 5 Use with Tchaikovsky radio show exerpts from Classics for Kids.
Tchaikovsky Lapbook Mini Blank mini book to to write your notes in.
Ballet Lapbook Mini Blank tri-fold or shape book to write in notes about ballet.
Nutcracker Ballet Vocabulary Blank Cards
Nutcracker Ballet Vocabulary Cards Definitions came from Nutcracker Study Guide
Nutcracker Ballet Vocabulary Pocket
Nutcracker Unit & Lapbook This is really cool! Thank you to the ladies who directed me here!
Nutcracker Unit from Homeschool Share
Ballet Lap-N-Note Wow! Another fabulous one at Homeschool Share!
Ballet History, Classes, Steps, Positions (nice pictures), Behind the Scenes, Making a Ballet, Dancer’s Life, Projects to Do
Russia Map & Flag Mini Books Scroll down - part of a unit.
Overture
1. Define overture; tell students they will be listening to the overture of the great ballet The Nutcracker. I have the children color pictures while they are listening to help them sit still and keep their hands busy! I used a book called “The Nutcracker Suite - Simplified for Piano” by Richard Bradley. It contains the story, and coloring illustrations, and brief piano parts of the main themes. Below are some coloring pages you can use for free:
Nutcracker Music Vocabulary Mini Book or Flashcards
Nutcracker Ballet Coloring Book
Clara, Nutcracker, Grandfather Clock, Toy Soldier, Mouse Soldier, Prince, Chinese Dancer, Snow Queen, Ballet Slippers, Mother Ginger and the Bon Bons
Nutcracker Ballet Coloring Book 2
Nutcracker, Tree, Clara, Nutcracker 2, Prince, Toy Soldier, Mouse Soldier, Pasha, Peacock, Chinese Dancer, Dervish, Columbine, Clock, Ballerina, Ballet Dancer, Stage
1 page contains Nutcracker, Mouse King, Drosselmier, Clara, Prince
There is a great list of Tchaikovsky’s compositions here.
Some of the midi file recordings are free to listen to when you sign up, others are for paid members.
Tchaikovsky Biography - Links to You Tube
2. Define and discuss ballet. What do the dancers do? How do they tell the story? Do they speak or sing? What do they wear? What does the orchestra do? How do they help tell the story? Who leads the orchestra? Conductor -- Check at Conducting 101 to learn conducting patterns.
Conducting Patterns and Conductor Mini Books
Begin a study of ballet if you wish. Resources, notebook pages, lapbook minis, and links to units are listed at the top of this page.
3. Teach words to the Overture theme to help them identify the theme when listening. These are just silly ones I made up to help the kids remember the concepts I wanted to teach them! Theme Song Lyrics
Ballet, the Nutcracker was written by Tchaikovsky.
This is the Overture it starts the ballet off just right! (Repeat)
4. Listen to the Overture again and find the recurring theme; sing with it every time.
5. Read a version or two of the story. Discuss the artwork, costumes, scenery, etc. Play the music softly in the background while you read the story.
The Nutcracker Story An online book with pictures from the New York Ballet.
6. On the next lesson, review overture theme and terms. Kids do not like to sit still and listen to classical music over and over again at first. I like to introduce a piece one day, and then review it over several lessons adding new concepts. Sometimes I introduce a new musical piece on the same lesson. Hearing a piece repeatedly over a longer span makes the piece more familiar each time. It becomes like a well-known friend! We like to listen to our piece of the week / month while we are drawing, riding in the car, or even doing household chores – just imagine the kids dancing pirouettes on their toes around the living room while putting away toys and dusting. It definitely is more fun that way!
Define staccato and accent. Identify them in a copy of sheet music. (I listed several sites where you can find sheet music below.) Hum or sing the main theme without staccato notes, then with staccato notes. How does it change the piece? Does it give a different feeling? Listen to the overture again and add a drum part on the accents. Anything can serve as a homemade drum – oatmeal containers, coffee cans, boxes – whatever you can find to tap on! Have fun being creative.
Nutcracker Music Vocabulary Mini Book or Flashcards
Some of it is free – the gif files, and sib files. There are also midi files, and music by subscription. Dance of the Flowers, Arabian Dance, Dance of the Reed Flutes, Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy, Russian Dance, March, several other Tchaikovsky pieces.
You can download three per day free – March, Dance of the Flowers, Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy
Sugar Plum Fairy – whole orchestral score and parts.
By subscription or individual piece.
March, Trepek, Dance of the Flowers
Whole orchestral scores for Overture, March, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Trepek, Arabian Dance, Chinese Dance, Dance of the Reed Flutes, Waltz of the Flowers. Scroll down for list – great for more advanced students who already play an instrument.
Nutcracker Sheet Music to Purchase
7. Discuss meter. Listen to the stressed notes. Beat one of every measure is usually played a little louder than other beats. Count. Identify Overture as in 4/4 time signature. Count 1 2 3 4 for each measure while listening. Tap hands on knees on beat one, and speak all four numbers. Find out how a conductor would direct a piece with four beats in a measure. Write the pattern down in the conducting mini book. Fill in the Note Values mini for lapbook. I am giving easier ones only to my youngest child, and the harder values to my older children. Play the following game to work on note values, music math, and time signatures.
Count the Beats Game Cards B - Harder patterns.
Count the Beats Game Cards C - Blank to add your own.
Count the Beats Game Pocket - to hold cards.
Count the Beats Game Board - This can be attached to a lapbook or file folder.
March
1. Listen to the March. Elementary children - have them do a different movement to each section or
Movement Activity
‘A’ Section –March like toy soldiers with stiff bodies, arms to the side, and high lifted straight legs to the steady beat.
‘B’ Section – gallop like soldiers on horses to the dotted eighth and sixteenth note patterns (like Fritz in the story on his toy horse).
2. Look at the March Music. Point out the music elements on the page – staff, treble clef, time signature, measure, repeat sign, note values, pitches, accent. With younger students, I would just mention the names of each with a brief explanation. Older students, especially if they play an instrument or sing, may want to dig deeper on each of these music theory concepts. Pick parts of the following online tutorial and music theory mini book that your child is ready for. This obviously could be spread over several lessons, or in a few for older children.
3. Questions for students after hearing piece twice.
a) Which instrument family do your hear most often? String or brass? Find out more about the string family and write information in the Instrument Family Book - Strings.
b) What instrument do you hear with the fast ascending notes (going up)? Strings or woodwinds? Concepts: Tempo and Pitch
c) Is this ensemble of instruments a band or an orchestra? Why? What is the difference?
d) What is the meter of this piece? 4/4 or ¾?
e) What dynamics do you hear?
Write down any new vocabulary or symbols from above.
4. Preschool and early elementary: may wish to color Nutcracker pictures while listening to pieces.
5. Upper elementary – high school: Extra activities:
a) Introduce notes G, A, and B on the treble clef with the Flash Cards. Practice reading the notes from March Music.
b) Teach or review note values of half notes, quarter notes, and triplets with the Flash Cards. Locate the different note values on March Music – name and tell of their values. Clap the rhythms several times (do it with the recording if that is easier). Then clap the rhythms and say the names of the notes to that rhythm.
c) Learn to play the notes on recorder. See the recorder fingering Flash Cards. Practice several times slowly over many days until able to play it with the recording.
d) Find dotted eighth and sixteenth note patterns on March Music. Read about, then count and clap the rhythm pattern. If you have sand blocks, percussion instruments, or homemade instruments, play along with the recording. Your student can listen for accents and play a cymbal or other instrument along with.
When teaching group classes, I would play the piano part to the march and assign individual or groups of students to play the recorder, sand block, and cymbal parts with me.
Listen to other version of the March, or versions by other performance groups to compare and contrast what they hear. One of my favorites to compare is a traditional orchestra version with Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s "A Mad Russian's Christmas"
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
- Young children may want to color while listening to the Sugar Plum Fairy. Ask student to listen for a special instrument called the Celesta. Research history with link and listen to samples of the instrument. Which family of instruments is it from? What other tone colors or instrument sounds can be heard in the piece?
Instrument Family Book - Keyboards
2. Teach students my silly lyrics to the ‘A’ Theme. Theme Song Lyrics Listen to the piece again singing the “A” theme, and tapping a steady beat on their laps for the other sections.
Nutcracker Dance of the Sugar Plum, Sugar Plum, Sugar Plum, Sugar Plum Fairy.
Features instrument called celesta, celesta, celesta, came form Paris, France.
Nutcracker Dance of the Sugar Plum, Sugar Plum, Sugar Plum, Sugar Plum Fairy.
By Tchaikovsky, by Tchaikovsky, by Tchaikovsky, the end!
3.Look at sheet music for “Sugar Plum”. Parents – I used the score below for these questions. If you have a different arrangement there will be slight differences. Simply adjust as needed.
Orchestral Score of The Sugar Plum Fairy
Scroll down to Tchaikovsky; there is a score for the whole orchestra, and separate instrument parts to see.
I did not create a lapbook mini for this section; instead, I had the children use copies of the first two pages of the score to circle concepts we talked about and take notes. The pages can be folded to put in a lapbook pocket.
a) What is the meter? 2/4 What does that mean? There are 2 beats per measure, and every quarter note gets one beat.
b) Where is the key signature located? At the beginning of each line. How many sharps # does the Bass Clarinet part have? 3 How many sharps # do the string and celesta parts have? 1 Strings, keyboards, and some brass and woodwinds play in what is called concert pitch and are considered C instruments. A key signature with one # is called concert G major. Other instruments play in different keys due to their sizes and shapes; therefore you will see various key signatures in the score. Although the key signatures look different, they are pitched the same. The bass clarinet part (BC) is in A major but sounds in concert G major. The French horn part (Hn) has no flats or sharps in C major, but it also sounds in G major. The ‘A’ clarinet part (cl) is marked in Bb major with two flats, but sounds in concert G major. Most clarinets are considered Bb clarinets, but some are pitched differently. My daughter recently performed Nutcracker in a youth orchestra switching from her Bb clarinet to an A clarinet as the score called for. The fingerings are the same, but the size variation causes the change in pitch. ~~ Confusing, huh? I hope this makes sense!
c) Find q = 64 on the top left of the first page. This tells the conductor and performers the tempo or speed of the piece. Sometimes it will have M.M. q = 64 standing for metronome marking set for a quarter note at 64. If the number were 60, it would mean there should be 60 beats per minute, or one beat per second. 120 would mean 120 beats per minute, or two beats per second.
d) Find “pizz.” in the string parts on the first page. Pizz. stands for pizzicato - it tells the string players to pluck their strings instead of using their bows; it creates a short, detached sound instead of the usual smooth sound.
e) Look at the celeste part on the first stanza. Find the dot (.) on top of the notes. This is called staccato. The performer will play the notes separated or detached – more of a bouncy feel!
f) Pick out any other concept you would like your child to know.
4. Listen to other arrangements to compare and contrast what you hear.
Continued at The Nutcracker Music Unit 2
&
Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world. Isaiah 12:5
Christmas Educational Resources
Math
I love these ideas!! - Calorie Counting - Baking Math - Gift Spending Budget - Christmas Lights and Watts Used - Countdown to Christmas: Weeks, Days, Hours, etc. - Gift Wrapping Paper Estimation & Measurement – Tessellations - Tree & Snowflake Symmetry, Size, and Trigonometry - Christmas Card Tangram Puzzles - Polyhedral Ornaments - Santa Geography, Distance, Speed, Time Zones, and Circumference of the Earth – North Pole Temperatures & Weather – Compasses & Magnetism – Pascal’s Triangle – 12 Days of Christmas Money – Christmas Card Stamp Counting & Prices: International & Domestic Costs – New Year’s Eve Countdown & Time Zones – Christmas Worksheets & Math Problems: Factor Trees, Addition, Ordering, Dot to Dot, Mazes, Subtraction, Word Problems & Stories, Logic Problems, Sudoku Puzzles – Probability – Graphing – Surveys – History & Culture Links – Crafts
Reading Comprehension, English Basics, Math, Research Skills
Taxes in Bethlehem
Science
Sheep – Shepherds – What is the job of a shepherd?
Reindeer
Christmas Botany – Plants – Christmas Trees, Poinsettias, Christmas Cactus
Real Trees for Kids - Christmas Tree Science Units
Christmas Tree Preservation Experiment
Snow Crystals - Science Lessons & Beautiful Photos
Crystals, Christmas, and Science
Chemistry - The Case of the Christmas Cookie Mystery
Social Studies
Carpenter Occupation
Geneology – Ancestry - Family Tree – Joseph
“The East” (Media, Persia, Assyria, and Babylonia ?),
Egypt, Galilee, Jordan, Jordan River, Samaria, Syria
Who was Caesar Augustus? Herod the Great?
Christmas Around the World
Christmas Traditions Around the World 1
Christmas Traditions Around the World 2
Christmas Traditions Around the World 3
Christmas Traditions Around the World 4
Christmas Traditions Around the World 5
Christmas Traditions Around the World 6
Christmas Traditions Around the World 7
Christmas Traditions Around the World 8
Christmas Traditions Around the World 9
Christmas Traditions Around the World 10
England, Mexico, Finland, France, Italy, USA, Norway, Australia, Iceland
Compare Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20.
To be continued...
No, I'm not kidding -- only one more page, I promise!
Christmas
Lapbooks , Notebooks , Units
ABC
ABC of Advent
ABC Christmas
ABC Christmas Book
Christmas Alphabet Poem
Advent
Advent Activities - Puzzles, games, Advent wreaths, crafts, coloring, and lesson ideas.
*Advent Artist Countdown - Study an art masterpiece each day related to Christmas Advent Advent Calendar
Handmade Advent Calendar - What a sweet idea!
Christmas Clip Art
Christmas File Folder Games
ABC Teach Games - Board Games, Memory Games, Mazes, Dominoes
*Christmas Bingo Story Lesson Plan
Christmas Food
Count to Christmas with a cookie a day recipe!
Christmas Fun Activities
Variety of Activities
Printable signs, cards, stories, poems, scrapbook pages, bookmarks, tags, notebook pages, templates, paper dolls, note paper, crafts, bingo game, advent chain, mini cards, puzzles and mazes, story prompts
* Christmas Activities for Kids & Teachers
Christmas crafts, winter crafts, homemade cards ideas, coloring pages, jigsaws, games, recipes, snowflakes, jokes, links, recycle old cards, wallpaper, photo cards
Christmas Games - These look fun!
Christmas Jokes - Ha, ha, ha, ho, ho, ho!
Crafts
Christmas Crafts & Activities - Crafts, cards, math, spelling, and language arts activities, writing prompts, foreign language, and mini books.
Christmas Crafts - Pinecone Trees, Sandpaper Man, Tree Ornaments, Card Holder
Coloring
Ornaments
Christmas Ornaments that Teach
Scrapbook
Christmas Organization Notebook for Moms
Christmas Literature Units
Legend of the Candy Cane Lapbook
Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
Christmas Phonics - Reading, Writing, Tracing
Christmas Traditions Writing Prompt
Velveteen Rabbit Christmas Unit
Descriptive Writing Activity / Shape Book
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Unit
Reading Comprehension Story & Questions 1
Reading Comprehension Story & Questions 2
'Twas the Night Before Christmas Lapbook 1
'Twas the Night Before Christmas Lapbook 2
'Twas the Night Before Christmas Lapbook 3
'Twas the Night Before Christmas - "NASA" style
Christmas Symbols
This is a really sweet story using symbols to tell the true meaning of Christmas.
24 Days of Symbols Christmas Unit
Christmas Units
Christmas Notebook 1 -Notebook, Cards, Recipe, Labels
Christmas Notebook 2 - Notebook, Lapbook Pictures
One of the largest collections of Christmas sites on every topic!
*Christmas Units from St. Aiden's
Christmas Unit 1 (Language Art, Art)
Christmas Units 4 - Several
*Christmas Units 5 - Huge!
This site has numerous activities related to probably every subject.
Units, lapbooks, worksheets, notebook pages, coloring sheets, library lists, crafts, and links to history.
*Christmas & Nativity Unit Study
*Holiday Freebies! Wow! This is fantastic!
Jan Brett Christmas Theme Books
The Night Before Christmas, Christmas Trolls, Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve?, Christmas Treasury, The Mitten, The Wild Christmas Reindeer, The 12 Days of Christmas, The Hat
Night Before Christmas Drawing Lesson Video
Wild Christmas Reindeer Lesson Plans
Gingerbread Links
Gingerbread Friends Lesson Plan
Jesse Tree
Lapbooks
Legend of the Candy Cane Lapbook
12 Days of Christmas Lapbook 1
12 Days of Christmas Lapbook 2
‘'Twas the Night Before Christmas Lapbook 1
'Twas the Night Before Christmas Lapbook 2
'Twas the Night Before Christmas Lapbook 3
Nativity
Nativity Craft - lapbook pop-up book?
To be continued...
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you!
Isaiah 12:6
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2

Music Flashcards These are incredible! These free downloadable cards contain: note reading, dynamics, intervals, key signatures, rests, tempo markings, and time signatures. Very high quality. Links on the right side of the page include: music icons, web graphics, music images, worksheets, staff paper, and more.
Music Graphic Mania Links to many places!









