Music: MLK songs and "Can You Hear It?" - classical music appreciation

 Grades 2 and 3 sang songs to honor Martin Luther King Jr. The songs involved a game and some various rhythms and forms, such as ABA or ABACABA (rondo) form. All grades reviewed the 4 instrument families and did some classical listening with the book "Can You Hear It?" It pairs works of art from the MET with well known classical pieces. Some familiar pieces to students were "Flight of the Bumblebee, The Nutcracker, and Spring." Some new favorites were "Fossils and Billy the Kid." 2 pieces that help with the study for younger students are "Carnival of the Animals" and Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," which are found throughout the book. We also discussed that many of today's popular artists have been influenced in some way by classical music. Pictured here, we changed pace with some impromptu performances by 3rd and 4th grade. A variety of instruments, and no practice needed!