OBJECTIVE:
4th
grade students will be able to identify the Four Sacred Elements found in
Native American culture, and will create a soundscape representing one of the
Sacred Elements based on their prior knowledge of Native American music and the
universal Elements of Music (pitch, dynamics, duration, tempo, melody, and
texture).
PURPOSE:
This
is the third lesson in a 4th grade Native American Music unit. Students have already analyzed numerous
Native American Music examples and styles and have learned about Native
American history and culture in Social Studies class and through their Music
lectures and discussions. The
overall Native American unit will fulfill the following MENC content standards:
2.
Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
8. Understanding relationships between music,
the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
9. Understanding music in relation to history
and culture
MATERIALS
NEEDED:
¨
Visual Art
representing the Four Sacred Elements (see PowerPoint example)
¨
Music representing
the Four Sacred Elements.
Suggested: Mary Youngblood
and Tito La Rosa, The Prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor, 2001.
Songs: Earth Spirit,
Fire Spirit, Water Spirit and Wind Spirit
¨
ITunes software
(to play the music)
¨
LCD projector (to
project the PowerPoint)
¨
Teacher Korg GEC3
(to manage class)
¨
Student Headsets
(to listen, respond, work with other students)
¨
Macintosh
computers (2 students/computer)
¨
Creating Music
software (for soundscape project)
¨
One, 45 minute
class period
ANTICIPATORY
SET:
¨
Have the Four Sacred
Elements image in PowerPoint projected on a screen (no words, just image). Have the Four Sacred Elements music
playing in the student headsets.
Note: Connect the teacher
Macintosh computer to the LCD projector and GEC3. Have the image in PowerPoint projected on the screen. Set the GEC3 to ³LECTURE² and play the
music in iTunes.
¨
Meet students in
the hall.
¨
Tell them that
there is music playing in their headsets, and an image projected on the screen.
¨
As they walk in
they should answer the following questions, ³What do you see? What do you hear?²
PROCEDURE:
¨
After students
have listened and are settled, turn the music down.
¨
Ask, ³What do you
see? Call in with your
reflections.²
¨
After students
have responded, summarize what they have observed.
¨
Ask, ³What does
this image represent? Call in with your ideas.²
¨
After students
guess and/or respond with The Four Sacred Elements, add the PowerPoint title
³The Four Sacred Elements² and the words ³Water, Air, Earth, Fire². Discuss haw the Four Sacred Elements
are an important aspect of Native American culture. The Sacred Elements provide all that humans needed to
survive.
¨
Ask students ³What
do you hear? Call in with your
reflections.²
¨
After students
have responded, summarize what they have observed.
¨
Show students the
iTunes music selection that shows that each of the songs was created to
represent one of the Four Sacred Elements (use the LCD projector). Discuss how
the Sacred Elements were revered for their gifts and celebrated through music,
art, dance, costume, storytelling, poetry and other art forms. Art forms were used to give thanks to
the Sacred Elements, which sometimes took on human forms – such as those
in the image projected.
¨
Ask students to
take out a piece of paper.
¨
Ask students to
write down the Four Sacred Elements.
¨
Ask students to
select one of the Sacred Elements and write 5 descriptive words for that
Element.
¨
Ask students to
write 5 different sounds that relate to their chosen Element. Remind them to think about the
instruments that were a part of Native American music and materials that were
available to Native Americans to create sound and music (Note: Native American instruments and natural
materials were discussed in earlier classes).
¨
Tell students that
they will now be using the Creating Music software to create a soundscape for
their chosen Element using their descriptive words and sounds (Note: students should already be familiar with this software and
creating soundscapes in order to keep this lesson to 45 minutes).
¨
Tell students they
will have the remainder of the class to work on this soundscape. The next class will be used for each
soundscape presentation.
¨
Students will need
to turn in their descriptive sheet at the end of class, which will be returned
the next class.
CHECK
FOR STUDENT UNDERSTANDING:
¨
Collect the
student written words.
¨
Check that all of
the Four Elements are correctly identified.
¨
Review the 5
descriptive words and 5 sounds for appropriateness. Make comments as necessary.
CLOSURE:
¨
At the end of class, ask
students, ³What did we learn today?²
¨
Points that should be
discussed include: naming the 4
Sacred Elements, Music, Visual Art, and other art forms enabled Native
Americans to recognize and honor the Four Sacred Elements, there are numerous
Native American instruments and materials that can be used to compose a
soundscape representing one of the Sacred Elements.
EXTENSIONS:
¨
Have student¹s
draw/paint/sketch an image to go with their soundscape. This can be done in Music class, or as
a joint Art Class project.
¨
Have students
perform their soundscape using keyboard/Midi music and/or real instruments.
¨
Have students
compose, notate and compose a musical score (using Western musical notation)
representing one (or all) of the Four Sacred Elements. Students should use their soundscape as
a guide.
¨
Have students
write a poem and/or story about one of the Four Sacred Elements using their
descriptive words, then compose a musical score or soundscape to perform with
their written words. Students
should first receive a mini-lesson on Native American poetry and/or storytelling. This could be done in Music class, or
as a joint English/Social Studies class project.