Aaron Copland & "Simple Gifts": Upper Elementary Music Lessons for Smart Board

*This is a SMART NOTEBOOK file, please make sure you have a version of smart notebook in order to use this product*

This is a musical mini unit on Aaron Copland, “Appalachian Springs,” and the song “Simple Gifts.” I love doing this lesson with my upper elementary students around Thanksgiving, but it’s such an important message for any time of the year! This year, my 4th graders performed “Simple Gifts” with the folk dance for our Thanksgiving sing-along.

National Standards:

*Singing in unison and two parts (melody and roots)

*Performing on classroom instruments

*Reading & writing simple notation

*Listening, analyzing, and comparing music (including instrument identification)

*Understanding relationships between music and other disciplines (dance/movement, language)

*Understanding music in relation to history and culture (The Shakers, Aaron Copland)

Vocabulary- By the end of this unit, students will understand and be able to define:

*Folk Music

*The Shakers

*Ballet

*Theme and Variations

*Melody

*Roots

Includes:

*Thorough lesson plan and teacher's notes

*Interesting facts, information, and pictures of the Shakers and Aaron Copland

*Rhythmic ostinato activity for classroom instruments

*Interactive activity in which students learn about theme and variations, and sort the instruments they hear in each variation of “Appalachian Springs”

*”Simple Gifts” lyrics with color-coded roots for singing and playing

*Folk dance to go along with “Simple Gifts”

*Links to two versions of “Simple Gifts” for students to listen to and compare

*Prompt for students to consider their “Simple Gifts,” and put their simple gifts to rhythm

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Happy teaching!