In this unit children will explore and develop musical ideas by using ICT and other methods. They will use simple music software, tape recorders and a keyboard to compose, collect and communicate their musical ideas. They will amend and modify their work to explore various musical and sound effects, and use ICT to create, organise and record sounds.
Children will be able to apply what they have learnt in this unit in music.
Where this unit fits in
This unit assumes that children:
- can use ICT to make selections
- are familiar with graphic representations of music.
- sequence
- electronic keyboard with a range of sounds and the ability to store and play sequences
- CD-ROM of musical instruments
- tape recorders
- music composition software with icons to represent musical phrases
- musical cards showing pictures of various musical instruments whose sound can be recreated on an electric keyboard
Sounds
Video
Software suitable to use:
Online Resources-for Teachers:
Online Resources- for Pupils:
Objectives:
key idea: that ICT can be used to select and control sounds
key idea: that sounds can be stored on CD-ROM
technique: to use ICT to record sounds
key idea: that ICT can be used to organise and reorganise sounds
technique: to use icons to arrange musical phrases
key idea: that electronic and live sounds can be combined in a performance
- use ICT to create, organise and reorganise sounds
Activity 1-Using 2Simple Modelling Toolkit-2beat.
Create different rythyms by clicking on the different instrument in time to- a clapping rythym in mind, or that the teacher has made up.
Once you are familiar with selecting the instruments with the mouse, (Using the IWB is better for more accurate rythyms) you can then work with a partner.
Partner claps A) rythym and Partner B) tries to re-create the rythym selecting the instruments s/he feels are best suited.
Partners then swap roles.
Structure of the lesson:
Partner work here gives opportunity for collaboratiion, discussion, consolidating knowledge and skills and a chance for pupils to do self assessment and peer assessment.
The buddy system set up in our ICT classes; puts a more confident ICT user with a less confident ICT user and this is set up for every lesson. The children know where they sit and who they are supporting. Over the time they often swap roles depending on the activity and their strengths and weaknesses. By the end of the year the less confident are able to help others in some areas and begin to explain task that they once struggled with themselves.
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QCA-ACTIVITIES:
Section 1: SETTING THE SCENE
Create a set of musical cards which have pictures of various instruments whose sounds are represented on an electric keyboard.
Introduce children to the sounds and encourage them to listen carefully to the quality of sounds (timbre) and describe them using a musical and expressive vocabulary.
Ask children to take it in turns to select and play the musical sounds they have chosen on the keyboard.
Section 2: SHORT FOCUSED TASKS
Discuss families of instruments, such as strings, wind and percussion. Demonstrate sounds and features of these instruments using classroom instruments and a CD-ROM.
Give children the opportunity to search the CD-ROM for themselves. Ask them to find an example of an instrument from each family and to write its name and family on a card. Then ask them to use a tape recorder to record a sound sample and to sketch an instrument. Ask the class to make a display which includes an invitation to listen to instrument families on cassette.
Section 3: SHORT FOCUSED TASKS
Demonstrate a piece of music software in which an icon represents a musical phrase. The class discuss which pictures have musical phrases that sound happy/sad, fast/slow, or sound like the beginning/middle/end.
Together the class choose four pictures and create a musical sequence. They suggest lyrics to fit in with the melody.
After rehearsal the children perform and record the class song.
Section 4: SHORT FOCUSED TASKS
Work with the class to create a longer musical composition using the same software to create 'a loop' (repeating a complete section of music as many times as required). Ask groups of children to take turns to improvise percussion parts.
Ask the class to identify the rhythmic pattern which can be repeated and to devise a percussive accompaniment. They record their ideas using symbols and record their performance using a tape recorder.
Discuss with the children some of the differences between the live and computer-controlled aspects of the composition.
Section 5: INTEGRATED TASK
Tell the class that they are going to experiment with music software and create simple melodies.
Divide the class into groups and encourage the groups to think about creating a mood in their compositions by selecting appropriate sounds and phrases. Ask them to think about the structure of their compositions, by using a simple pattern such as AABA. Ask them to save their compositions and present them to the rest of the class.
Expectations
most children will: use music software to develop and refine a musical composition
some children will not have made so much progress and will: use music software to create a sequence of musical phrases
some children will have progressed further and will: use music software to develop and refine a musical composition and adapt it in the light of performance
Assessment
