#1 — Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. #2 — Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. #11 — Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.
Objectives
Sing “Up Down & Around.”
Identify & notate rhythms.
Compose vegetable rhythm compositions.
Materials
Book: Up, Down, & Around by Katherine Ayers
Song: “Up Down & Around”
Optional: MusicPlay Online software
YouTube Recordings
Suggested Teaching Process
Read Up, Down, & Around by Katherine Ayers adding actions.
Up – Raise Arms Up
Down – Reach Down and Touch Your Toes
Around – Turn Around Quickly
Sing the song “Up, Down, & Around” for the students.
Hint: The arrangement includes chords for any harmonizing instrument such as piano, guitar, or ukulele. I like to use the ukulele since I am a traveling teacher.
Next, students sing and perform the directional motions with the song. Students also perform the actions in the middle section with the half-note rests.
Identify which vegetables group up, down, and around.
Next, identify the melodic direction of the words in the song.
Hint: I also recommend exploring tempo and dynamics with this activity.
Finally, review a quarter note and paired eighth notes using “carrot” and “corn.”
Create four-beat rhythmic patterns using these two words.
MusicPlay Extension
Musicplayonline.com uses the words “carrot” and “corn” in their rhythm composition section. This activity supports the last step of my lesson of decoding and practicing ta and ti-ti syllables.
YouTube Extension
As a final activity, I introduce the students to the vegetable orchestra, introducing them to the many uses of vegetables besides simply being eaten.
Encourage students to explore what vegetables they have at home and, with parent permission, experiment with turning them into instruments.
Supermarket Adventure: Visit the supermarket and make a list of vegetables that will work as instruments.
References
Ayres, K. (2008). Up, down, and around. Candlewick Press.
Great Big Story. (2016, September 22). The Vegetable Orchestra literally plays with their food. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM1EjIDLMLY
Hi! My name is Polina, and I teach general music in two Catholic schools in New Haven County in Connecticut. I have been teaching general and vocal music for eight years in private schools. I have three teaching certifications in music, dramatic…