MUED 380 Leadership Portfolio Project - Curricular Design Cahlink 1

These are our voices:

A Song Writing-Based Curricular for 5th Grade

Molly Cahink
MUED 380 Leadership Portfolio Project - Curricular Design Cahlink 2

Transfer Goals 

● Students will be able to compose their own melody in a creative way that reflects how they feel in their
community.
● Demonstrating their songs, students will understand the importance of performing powerful songs,
which they will write.
● Creating a varied rhythmic songs, students will demonstrate everything they have learned in the K-5
general music curriculum.
● Being able to sing in many styles students will use simple and duple time signatures in their projects.
● Creating a profile in which students compare their experiences to those around them for an
extraordinary show.

Theme 

Our theme is about writing songs that explain who we are, and where we come from. This is important to music
learning in a contemporary setting because it helps use what students already know and expands at a whole
new level. This curriculum will help using different students ideas of the surrounding school community to make
a 5th grade set for their final concert. Students will write their own songs, perform and connect them to make a
powerful show that shows who they truly are, and where they come from

Overview of Unit 

Day 1:​ Students today will brainstorm some of their favorite things at school and at home. From this they will
begin to write simple sentences that could be turned into songs. Students will learn through talking to each
other they all have unique experiences. As a teacher, I will be going around and helping students with their ideas
to create some words and songs.

Day 2:​ Students today are going to use what they have learned through the kodaly method of solfege singing
and come up with some simple melodies and rhythms. Students will learn this through reviewing all the solfege
they have learned in elementary school. As a teacher, I will be helping students create these melodies by using
my aural skills training.

Day 3:​ Students today will use what they have learned in the last two weeks and make a class song, and if
groups have made smaller songs they can show them too. This song will show the community while we might be
different ages, and sizes we are all similar too. As a teacher, I will be helping to come up with the final product
so students can show it at the concert.
 MUED 380 Leadership Portfolio Project - Curricular Design Cahlink 3

These are our voices (Day 1)

Overview 

Students today will brainstorm some of their favorite things at school and at home. From this they will begin to write simple
sentences that could be turned into songs. Students will learn through talking to each other they all have unique experiences. As a
teacher, I will be going around and helping students with their ideas to create some words and songs.

I Can Statements (learning goals) 

● Today I can write my own original song, after listening to other songwriters (VA. 5.9 The student will
compare and contrast the relationships between music and other fields of knowledge)
● Today I will brainstorm how music can be written through my own experiences (VA 5.17 The student
will examine factors that may inspire musicians to perform or compose.)

Materials 

● Paper
● Pencil
● Smart Board
● Computer

Detailed Process 

Time Required
2 mins 1) As students enter the door ask them one word to describe themselves

5 mins 2) Explain what today's goals are, and what the overall idea is for graduation.

5 mins 3) Show a song writing video on youtube, this video should talk about the process and
then show an original song.

10 mins 4) Ask students to brainstorm words that they think reflect who they are (help those
who struggle!)

10 mins 5) Write a list of words on the board and show students how they all connect in a way.

10 mins 6) Help make a class sentence or topic that they can focus on and remember for next
week

Assessments 

● At the end of today students will write how comfortable they felt doing the activity, they will put their
names so I can see who will need more guidance in the future of this project.
.
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Extensions: 

Give students a handout of songwriters they can look more into, and songs to listen to at home.

Adaptations 

Size

Color

Pacing Slow down the ideas, and pair up students if they need additional help.

Modality

Include any visual aids or manipulatives here.

 MUED 380 Leadership Portfolio Project - Curricular Design Cahlink 5

 These are our voices (Day 2)

Molly Cahlink

Overview 

Students today are going to use what they have learned through the kodaly method of solfege singing and come up with some
simple melodies and rhythms. Students will learn this through reviewing all the solfege they have learned in elementary school. As
a teacher, I will be helping students create these melodies by using my aural skills training.

I Can Statements (learning goals) 

● I can create a simple melody using soledge. (5.6 The student will create music by 1. improvising
melodies and rhythms of increasing complexity.)
● I can create a goal for my final product and how I hope to sound in our final concert. (5.15 The
student will develop personal criteria to be used for determining the quality and value of musical
compositions.)

Materials 

● Boomwackers
● Orff Instruments
● Piano
● Smart Board
● Ukulele

Detailed Process 

Time Required
3 mins 7) As students enter the door, ask them if they remember one of the words the class
picked out last week that people used to describe themselves.

5 mins 8) Review Solfege (D-D1) talk about skips and leaps in music

3 mins 9) Bring out Boomwackers and Orff Instruments and remind students how to use
them, and tell them they are their to support them in writing melodies

10 mins 10) Have students divide into 3 small groups and use 3 different sentences and create
melodies, that could be used for their class song.

10 mins 11) Ask if any groups would like to perform their melody for the class

5 mins 12) Add all the different ideas to the song, and ask for students to vote on which one
they think works best.
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Assessments 

● As you go around the room, have a checklist of students who you want to make sure are on task and
go up and ask them to show you their work. If they refuse to ask if they could write down what the
learned in class. After class have everyone on their notecard the best part of today, and something
they can improve on for next class.

Extensions: 

Students might want to keep writing, provide students with a small songbook for themselves, and ask them
to use it for music writing only.

Adaptations 

Size N/A

Color N/A

Pacing You can slow everything down, and give notes to general teachers before for students.

Modality N/A

Include any visual aids or manipulatives here.

 MUED 380 Leadership Portfolio Project - Curricular Design Cahlink 7

 These are our voices (Day 3)

Molly Cahlink

Overview 

Students today will use what they have learned in the last two weeks and make a class song, and if groups have made smaller
songs they can show them too. This song will show the community while we might be different ages, and sizes we are all similar
too. As a teacher, I will be helping to come up with the final product so students can show it at the concert.

I Can Statements (learning goals) 

● I can sing using varied types of songs (5.2 The student will sing a varied repertoire of songs alone
and with others, including 1. demonstrating beginning choral behaviors and skills in ensemble
singing; 2. singing with attention to blend, balance, intonation, and expression; 3. singing melodies of
increasing complexity written on the treble staff; 4. singing in two- and three-part harmony; and 5.
modeling proper posture for singing.)
● I can create a song ( 5.6 The student will create music by composing a short original composition
within specified guidelines)

Materials 

● Smart Board
● Song Lyrics
● Students journals
● Any instruments the class has decided to use

Detailed Process 

Time Required
3 mins 13) Students will come in the door and say how they prepared for this project by
learning how to write songs giving one word answers

5 mins 14) Students will talk about how they used the Kodaly method of prepare, present, and
soon perform for this project

10 mins 15) Students will view the song the class created, and prepare to present in smaller
groups the verses, and perform the chorus together

5 mins 16) Have students who wrote more songs show the class

10mins 17) Present the song to the teacher at the end of class, and ask for feedback
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Assessments 

● Students will be given a sticker when they complete a task on the clipboard for each group, this will
be a way to see which groups need more guidance, overall everyone should be successful.

Extensions: 

Give students a journal at the end, and say when they run out of song writing room, to come back and get a
new one, as this project is full of creativity.

Adaptations 

Size If a student can’t hold an instrument, then help them by adding features to be succesful.

Color N/A

Pacing I think having the small groups will help with pacing.

Modality N/A

Include any visual aids or manipulatives here.