Second Grade Folk Dances!

In Second Grade, we have begun learning folk dances in music class. The folk dance that we have started with is called "Chimes of Dunkirk." This longways set (a type of line dance) was created based on the circle dance to the French tune "Le Clarion de Dunkirk," and is described as one of the "merriest and noisiest" dances. This dance is extremely fun to learn, and the kids have been having a blast! Here's a show of Mrs. Smith and Ms. Ott's class as we have just learned it. They are slowly getting the hang of it, still working on the transitions from the turn to the stomps, but they're doing so well and we're having a blast learning it!

Vocal Exploration!

In all grades, we explore the different sounds our voices can make! In Second Grade, we are currently using a beautiful rainbow fan to help us explore our voices. The game is called "Fan Master." Whoever uses their best singing voice and follows the fan with their fingers gets to become the next fan master and lead us in our warm-ups. We usually get about 3 kids per class to do it, and they are learning so much while having fun! With "Fan Master," we learn to use our voices in high and low sounds, and what those sound physically look like, with a pretty visual to go along with it! Here are a few second grade classes working with their fan master!

We're having so much fun! Even our football players love a chance to be the fan master! This is our friend Kade as the Fan Master, with Mrs. Rhodes and Mrs. Washington's classes following his fan motions! :)

Here we have our friend Jake leading Mrs. Carlan's class in some awesome vocal exploration!

We have so much fun exploring our voices here in music class at BCPS!

Arioso Land

This is the magical land we call Arioso Land!

Here in Arioso Land, the people and animals all speak the language called "Sing-Speak," where you can only sing what you want to say. If you try to talk it, they have NO IDEA what you are saying! Kindergarten and first grade have been meeting some awesome friends here the past few months, singing back and forth to each other in the sounds of the animals of Arioso Land.

We have met two humming bird friends; twins named Flick and Flitter!

We have also met two owl friends, who visited the first graders last year, named Puff and Ball!

As the year continues, we will keep getting better and better with our singing voices and improvisation (making up songs) until we can create new songs using words we've made up anytime, anywhere!

Creative Movement

n all of our grades, we have been working on creating movement that matches the music, and exploring different ways to move our bodies; this allows us to learn balance, spatial awareness of others, and how our bodies move within our own spaces. We really work hard on this with Kindergarten, so that they have the balance they need to go up and down stairs, do the fun physical activities in PE, and are aware of how their bodies act within relation to others around them.

Here we have Kindergarten playing the game "Musical Houses and Families." Students 'drive' around the neighborhood of hula hoops while the music plays. When the music stops, they must go to the nearest 'house' (hula hoop). The people within their hula hoop become their family, and from then on they must drive staying connected to their family. I take a hula hoop away each time the music stops until there is only one left, and we all become one great big family! This activity is great for kids who have a hard time moving around a space without bumping into others and things, and allows for the great community aspect of music to take affect!

Here is first grade playing Freeze Dance! When the music stops, they have to freeze in whatever shape the stick figure on a card I hold up is making! This really allows for the students to discover what kinds of ways their bodies can move, and allows for some laughs for all of us!