Core Arts Standards

● With guidance, demonstrate awareness of expressive qualities (such as voice quality, dynamics,
and tempo) that support the creators’ expressive intent.
● With guidance, perform music with expression.
● Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms, melodies, and simple accompaniment patterns) within
related tonalities (such as major and minor) and meters.

I can statements
● I can sing the melody of The Free Bird with good tone in tempo
● I can play the xylophone. Metallophone, or drums with varying dynamics.
● I can explore pitches on an instrument and identify notes that are in the melody.

1. Sing melody on words twice through

a. Ask questions like, What is the first thing the bird did? What is the second
2. Have learners sing melody with you
3. Have the drum rhythm represent the bird pecking. Pat the rhythm and have the class do it with
you
4. Have the bass xylophone represent the river in the song. Split the class in half and have one half
sing the F and the other the C have them tap their legs to the half note while they sing
5. Have the metallophone represent the wind. Sing the part on a doo for the class and have them
repeat back.
6. Lastly have the rhythm for the looping app represent the sun rays. Demonstrate and have the class
repeat back
7. Ask questions at the end like, “What did the stream sound like again?” and “How did the bird
peck?”
8. Once the class is familiar with all part bring out the instruments.
9. Assign each learner a part according to the instrument in the classroom.
10. Have them experiment on finding out how to play their part on the instrument. It may help to give
start pitches.
11. Once everyone has mastered their part begin playing the song first starting with the “stream” or
bass xylophone. Then add in each part and add the singers/melody last.

Extension:
Take turns having one part improvise in the key while the other parts continue to play what is written in
the score.
Have students teach each other the other parts on the instruments and rotate groups so that everyone gets a
chance to play every part.