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Lesson Title: Limerick Poem

Grade Level :5-7

Global Objective (I.R.P.)

Integrated Curriculum: Music, Language arts

I.R.P.'s (TSWBAT):
Grade 4 Language Arts:

·        Create and present a variety of personal and information communications including oral poems.

·        Demonstrate an awareness of how to use language to develop and maintain friendships and relationships in school.

·        Listen and show respect for others by communicating their ideas and information in an orderly fashion.

·        Demonstrate a willingness to work with others toward a common goal.

Grade 4 Music:

·        Reproduce rhythmic patterns while maintaining a steady beat.

·        Identify rhythmic patterns and beat.

·        Apply skills and attitudes appropriate to a variety of roles, demonstrating:
performance etiquette, performance skills, respect for contributions for others.

Grade 5 Music:

·        Identify beat, metre, and rhythmic patterns in classroom repertoire.

·        Perform rhythmic patterns using vocal or instrumental skills.

Suggest modifications for use at other grade levels:
For younger grades, I would not break into smaller groups. Teacher would need to spend more time teaching the limerick and reserve more time for performance.

Other possible songs in music text that relate to lesson presented:
Woodchuck, Mr. Latimo,

Specific Objective(s)

TSWBAT:

·        maintain a steady beat

·        chant an ostinato

·        describe the characteristics of a Limerick verse relate to musical form

·        write a Limerick

Materials:

·        portable percussion instruments for each member of the class and limerick worksheets

Lesson Implementation:

Hook:

·        Students stand up

·        Teacher keeps a steady beat while chanting Verse1. Students listen. The teacher chants and claps the melodic rhythm of the lyrics and the students echo

Procedure:

·        Chant and clap the melodic rhythm again, students echo. Ask how many phrases there are.

·        All chant verse 1, march and chant to a steady beat

·        Add ostinato #1

·        Add ostinato #2

·        Ask students what they were performing (ostinato)

·        Perform final version in Ternary Form, ABA, A=chant, B=play poem, A=chant poem

·        Ask students what they learned about the form of the piece (rhyme scheme, phrases - rhyme)

Put students in groups of 6, ask them to create their own limerick

Conclusion:

·        Teacher introduces “The Limerick Song” – sings the chorus to students; 2 times; students echo

·        Students share limerick poems

·        Perform “The Limerick Song” (found in the music text or the blue pages of your guitar book) in Rondo Form. Teacher assigns each limerick group a letter starting with B, C, D, E, etc.

·        Perform as A (chorus) B A C A D A E A etc.

·        Collect Limerick worksheets.

·        Teacher asks students to put their instruments away
 
Assessment

During the activity, monitor behavior and participation. Encourage students who are not participating. Observe student's abilities to feel beat, rhyme, and the syllabic structure of the limerick. Following completion of the activity, collect limericks to check that students have correctly identified the stressed words, used the right number of syllables on each line, and identified words that need to rhyme.

Justification

The initial activity focused on rhythmic patterns and steady beat. The objectives pertaining to listening and being respectful of others, communicating ideas in an orderly fashion, using vocal skills, and demonstrating performance etiquette were met during the final performance of the limericks in the song. Through the integration of  Music and Language Arts, students see the relationship between metre and rhythm and how it applies to poetry. Group work teaches students how to work cooperatively creating a poem and provides support in the final performance.