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Carpet Seating Blues? Try this fun Cricut project!

9/2/2018

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So you have a carpet in your room and need to figure out seating? Carpets help to absorb the sound we make... so you want to keep your carpet at all costs! However you can't do anything to permanently mark the carpet... administration won't like that. I used to use carpet squares, but now many states now have rules about any and all fabrics/rugs in the classroom- they must meet California regulations for fire safety.

So what do you do?

Well, this neat cricut craft will help with seating AND meet all the regulations:

Velcro Carpet Letters!

You will need:

Circut Explore (or Higher) and Standard Mat available Here   You can also use a die-cut machine if available

Spray Adhesive Available Here
​

Hook Side Only Fastener- 6 inch by 1 yard ( I bought 3 yards and it made 56 letters)  Available Here
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Measure out a 12 inch wide length of your hook fastener sheet.
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Give your mat a quick spray with the adhesive to make sure it sticks!
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Place the sheet on the TOP of your mat, hook side UP. You will need to make sure your images are cut backwards for this to work!

You also need to trim any overhang or the mat won't fit in the machine.
 Make sure that your letters don't go over the 6 inch mark! So they cut correctly, you'll need to reverse them. If you want, you can use my free file available here: 

I use the musical alphabet and have the students sit in a square formation.
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Cut it out! Don't mind the stubble- it comes off with a good scraping!
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Peel and Enjoy! I'll be applying a layer of T-shirt paint to color-code these for my seating charts!
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Boomwhacker Keyboard

6/19/2017

1 Comment

 
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Photo: A homemade Boomwhacker Keyboard
Looking for a fun way to store your boomwhackers AND reinforce concepts like sharps and flats? Try a boomwhacker keyboard! This one took my boyfriend about 20 minutes to put together and it's so simple.

You'll need:

2  long 2x4s (look in the cull section at home depot- that's the DISCOUNT wood section.)

8 white garbage bins and 5 black garbage bins from the dollar tree.

Screws

Paint

Glue (if desired for EXTRA hold)

Labels for the bins (See File Below)

Screw the frame together, sand the edges and paint it/seal it. The back section needs to be higher than the front section so that you can see the labels on the bins, Then screw the garbage bins in and label them. That's it! We didn't use a template or exact measurements, either.

Voila!
boomwhacker_piano.pdf
File Size: 529 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Did you try this in your classroom? Have a question or suggestion? Let us know in the comments below!
Happy Music Making!
-Mel.
1 Comment

Recorder Modifications for the General Education Classroom

6/9/2017

1 Comment

 
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Photo: Recorders in their class bin with recorder "belts" . Use yarn to create inexpensive, bright belts.
Inclusion in the music classroom is so beneficial for students- but what to do when tasks become too complex for some of our diverse learners? Modifications and scaffolding are an integral part of ensuring that ALL students benefit from class time, and most of the time it's up to us to develop and hone these teaching tools.

Recorder can be a particularly tricky instrument to modify for given the skills required to play: hand/eye coordination, literacy, finger dexterity, breath control and internalization of the beat to name a few. Recorder requires so many skills that can sometimes be difficult for students with special needs. Here are some simple fixes that work for my room that might help these students in yours!

Problem: Students Have Trouble with Remembering Which Hand Goes On Top

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Use a sticker to help students remember which hand goes on top! The dollar tree carries small stickers in large packages!  Place the sticker on the right side of the recorder and tell students that they need to be able to see their sticker when they play. If they can't see it, they have the wrong hand on top!

Problem: Students Do Not Have Enough Finger Dexterity to Feel Holes/Completely Cover Holes.

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Use hot glue to go around the finger holes and help students "Feel and Seal" the finger holes to prevent leaks- and prevent squeaks. The glue is clear so its not really noticeable. You can also try using corn pads.

Problem: Students Can Not Remember Finger Patterns in Real Time

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For these students, I've found that writing the letters next to the holes works most of the time. For the "A" you'll need to write a few different letters, I even include a simplified finger chart right on the recorder. Here is the labeling system that I use:

           B
           A C*D*
           G
 X F#
E
D
C

Problem: Students Can Not/Will Not Control Breath

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 Use a mute! Available here these simple mutes will cut the sound down a bit- although they also bring the instrument down a half step. I use these when students have extreme difficulty controlling their breath and it becomes a distraction. We also use them for everyone during group practice. Students can still play and hear themselves... its just not as loud.

The more of the window that is blocked, the lower the volume level will be. Work with students to determine what the best fit will be.
Did you try this activity in your classroom? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Happy Music Making!
-Mel.
1 Comment

Pool Noodle Rhythm Kabobs

6/8/2017

3 Comments

 
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Photo: Pool Noodle Chunks
Looking for a fun rhythm activity on the cheap? I LOVE it when I can make creative, fun activites and spend little to no money while doing so!

For this fun activity, take a few standard issue pool noodles and chop them into 2 inch sections (sharp scissors will do the trick). Go to the Dollar Tree- you can make enough for an entire class by spending about 8 dollars.

 Using a sharpie, draw quarter notes, 8th note pairs and quarter rests on the noodles. I go over this with clear nail polish or elmer's glue so they don't rub off.

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Photo: A Rhythm Kabob made from a mallet and pool noodle chunks.
Using a mallet with a large tip, have students put the noodles on the mallet to make thier kabob. I usually tell them what side of the room we start reading from- Library Side- and what side of the room we end reading at- Hallway Side-. Make sure the students are oriented to make this work for the set up in your room.

Students can either:
Listen to the teacher play/say a pattern and write it down on thier kabob by turning the noodles.
or
write a rhythm pattern and then play it on an instrument. We like to do this with handchimes.

I've found that having students place their kabob on the ground and turn it there works better than having them hold it in their lap or in thier hand.
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Photo: A lone kabob waits to be used. Have students keep their kabobs on the floor for the best results!
Did you try this activity in your classroom? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Happy Music Making!
-Mel.

3 Comments

Composing With Cookie Trays

6/6/2017

1 Comment

 
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Picture: Magnetic rhythm cards form an ostinato while magnetic chord cards form a chord progression for a ukulele composition project.
Cookie trays from the dollar store are a great way to get students composing! Using magnetic rhythm cards, students can create different rhythmic patterns. They can even write on the laminated cards with an Expo marker to create simple melodies (Example: Using B,A and G while composing for recorder.)

rhythm_cards.pdf
File Size: 266 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

The cookie trays can even double as a white board! Laminate peices of thick white construction paper and glue magnets on the back, Expo markers will easily wipe off the laminated paper with a peice of felt. You can even cut the felt in fun shapes using a die cut press or cricut machine.
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Dry Erase board made with a cookie  tray and a laminated peice of constuction paper. Afflix magnets to the back of the paper to make them stay. Use a die cut press to make erasers out of felt peices.
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Store all of the cookie trays, makers, erasers, white board inserts and  magnets using milk crates.
Did you try this activity in your classroom? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Happy Music Making!
-Mel.
1 Comment

    Mel Steiger

    Hi-I'm Mel. I teach Music and I make stuff. If I have any really interesting ideas that I think you'd find useful, I'll post them here!

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