First Grade Barred Instrument Lesson: Exploring Sound with Frog and Toad
Objective
Students will explore sound using barred instruments while practicing good mallet technique, focusing on allowing the mallet to bounce off the bar.
Materials
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- Barred instruments (xylophones, glockenspiels. I wouldn’t use metallophones)
- Mallets
- A copy of a Frog and Toad story
Lesson Outline
1. Introduction/Story Time
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- Quick chat on the importance of proper mallet grip.
- Introduce or reiterate the mallet cues: “Pinch and Wrap” or “Gentle fists, bike handles come down.” Do it with invisible mallets, then with holding the mallets AWAY from instruments, then at the instruments.
- Pick and read a story from the Frog and Toad series.
- Discuss the characters and how they move, emphasizing bouncing or hopping motions.
- Highlight certain words or phrases that you can play during the story (“…and the kite went high in the sky…”)
2. Demonstration
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- Practice and model the correct mallet grip using the chosen word cue
- Show how to allow the mallet to bounce off the bar, mimicking the hopping of Frog and Toad.
- Explore high and low (“way up high_______, way down low_____, up the ladder (single bars are played), now down you go!” glissando down)
3. Guided Practice
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- Have students pick up their mallets and practice the grip using only visual gestures.
- Guide students in bouncing the mallet off the bar, creating a resonant sound.
- Use phrases like “Frog hops” and “Toad hops” to make it engaging.
- Add fast/slow; soft/loud; high/low; and then combine! i..e. slow & soft (my favorite, LOL!)
4. Story Integration Activity
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- As you read or recount parts of the Frog and Toad story, instruct students to create sounds on their instruments that match the actions of Frog and Toad.
- Encourage students to experiment with different bars to explore various sounds while maintaining good mallet technique.
Extension Activity
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- Have students create their own short story about Frog and Toad, incorporating different movements that they can represent with the barred instruments.
- Allow students to share their stories and sounds with the class.