2018-03-09 St Patrick’s Day Lesson Ideas

The St. Patrick’s Day Composition, Improvisation Flashcards & Theory Unit is available to download from Teachers Pay Teachers OR use the interactive composition, improvisation, Rhythm Chain and Rhythm erase at www.musicplayonline.com. Musicplayonline has 10+ Irish folk songs and instrumental selections for movement/listening that aren’t included in the TPT version.  The TPT version has additional flashcards, themed recorder mad minutes and a themed staff lesson that aren’t at musicplayonline. 

1.  Two Fun Fact movies are included in this unit. The K-5 movie is shorter with less detail.   Show the students the movie to begin your St. Patrick’s Day unit. There is also a colour by .  note value activity included.

• 2. Leprechaun Improvisation includes:  song, mp3, worksheet
• To the Teacher: this is a melodic improvisation activity for PreK – Gr. 5.
• Discuss the legend that says if you catch a leprechaun he can grant you three wishes. Ask the students for suggestions of what they might wish for.
• Teach the song by rote to younger students.Older students may be able to read the rhythm and the melody. (drm s)
•  Demonstrate how to improvise some of the students ideas for wishes. Use a variety of pitches: s ml, drm, drm s.
• Ask for student volunteers to improvise vocally their wishes.
• If you’d like to perform this, a performance/accompaniment track is included in the unit OR accompany with a C-G bordun on Orff instruments

3, Compose a Melody 1 AND 2 .  Compose with solfa: drm, drm sl Or with the notes CDE or CDE GA

• To the Teacher: Choose from Melody 1 and Melody 2 poems for the composition activity. Both have the rhythm notated, so students only have to write the melody.  Choose whether to have your students compose with solfa: drm, drm sl Or with the notes CDE or CDE GA
• Teach the poem.
• invite students to improvise melodies for phrases of the poem using either do, re, mi or do, re, mi, so, la.
• Use the projectable PowerPoint to create a melody as a class. (copy and paste the solfa or the notes to compose in PowerPoint.)
• Accompany the composition with a bordun on the Orff instruments. You can accompany  drm, drm sl in the key of C with C-G.

Rhythmic Phrases PPT and Worksheet

• Teach or demonstrate how to complete the worksheet using the PowerPoint. Say the phrase and invite the students to tell you which rhythm matches the phrase.
• In the PowerPoint, copy and paste the rhythm into the box.

Have the students complete the worksheet as a center activity or an assessment activity.

5. Shamrock Rhythm Erase

• This has 8 levels for Gr. 1-6  – interactive PDF, PPT, Worksheet are included online and in the TPT version.   To the Teacher:
• Say each of the rhythm patterns.
• When students know them all, click on one to take it away.
• Say all four patterns again.
• Click on another one to take it away.
• Continue making patterns disappear until you are left with only the shamrocks.
• Have the students tell what the patterns are. Click to check if they’re correct. (In the interactive PDF, click the “reset” button.
• Try playing the patterns using body percussion or unpitched percussion instruments.
• Try having the students use the worksheet provided to write the patterns down, check
• their answers with the activity.
• Try a new level!

Leprechaun Hunt Rhythm Chain

• This has 8 levels – interactive PDF, PPT, Flashcards .   To the Teacher:
• • Help us find the leprechaun! To start, click on the start button to make the first rhythm appear.
• When the students have memorized the rhythm click on the rhythm to make it disappear.
• Clap the rhythm again and find the leprechaun’s yellow footprints.
• Click on the footprints to reveal the next rhythm. When the students have memorized the second pattern clap the first pattern followed by the second. As you collect more patterns the rhythm chain will become longer.
• Continue collecting rhythm patterns by clicking on the rhythms and the footprints.
• Have the students tell what the patterns are. Click to check if they’re correct. (In the
• interactive PDF, click the “reset” button.
• Try playing the patterns using body percussion or unpitched percussion instruments.
• Try a new level!

Rhythm Flashcards – in TPT version only
80 Rhythm Flashcards are included, themed for St. Patrick’s Day.

Staff Lesson Workshops –     in TPT version only .
These correlate with the staff lesson at musicplayonline.com – the staff lesson is found in the interactive activities for the first 6 songs in K-6.   (We will be moving the staff lesson to the Units section when we start building our theory section)

Recorder Mad Minutes – themed for St. Patricks Day . – in TPT version only

• Songs / musical selections for St. Patrick’s Day found in the St. Patrick’s Day Unit at musicplayonline.com.  (These are not in the TPT version)

• 1. Paddy From Home
• 2. St. Patrick’s Day Jig
• 3. Fillimiooriay
• 4. I Like Leprechauns
• 5. Leprechaun March
• 6. Lucky Leprechaun
• 7. Connaughtman’s Rambles
• 8. Irish Washerwoman
• 9. Irish Jig
• 10. Irish Reel
• 11. Wild Mountain Thyme
• 12. Mary Mac
• 13. Hi Ho the Rattlin Bog
• 14. Cockles and Mussels
• 15.  Mr. Potato Head
• – and of course there is a menu of suggested activities for each of the songs!

At www.musicplayonline.com The UNITS button is on the left menu

Select Festivals and Holidays – St. Patrick’s Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone!