Hayden Klinedinst MUED 403/404

Action Inquiry Project Lesson 1

Grade Level: 4th Class Type: General Music Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

Lesson Topic/Focus Identifying Solfège Syllables in a Melody

Objective(s) Students will be able to identify solfège syllables and pitches of a given pentatonic melody
using musical notation.
Materials -SmartBoard
-Kaboom Materials:
-Staff Whiteboards
-Dry Erase Markers
-Erasers/Paper Towels
-Popsicle Sticks
-Cups
Prior Knowledge -Students have experience with pentatonic solfège syllables, excluding high do.
-Students have experience with identifying pitches on the lines and spaces of the treble clef
staff.
Planning with UDL Multiple Means of Engagement (Purposeful and motivated learners): Students will
collaborate with one another during Kaboom!
[Link] Multiple Means of Action and Expression (Strategic and goal-directed learners): Students
will use physical motions during the Opening/Hook.
Multiple Means of Representation (Resourceful and knowledgeable learners): Students
will activate prior knowledge by reviewing previously learned solfège syllables.
Vocabulary Words, if Before: staff, treble clef, solfège, pentatonic scale (low do, re, mi, sol, la)
applicable During/After: melody, high do
Assessment Performance Tasks – Students will notate solfège (observed).

Learning Strategies / Instructional Procedures

Opening (Hook, Introduction, Attendance/Patriotic Song of the Month
Warm-Up, etc.)
Review Objective – “Today we will be identifying solfège syllables that make up
different melodies.”

1. Review how we read the treble clef staff:

-“There are five lines on the staff…”
-“You count from the bottom to the top…”
-“1-2-3-4-5…” (going from line 1 up to line 5)
-“1-2-3-4…” (going from space 1 up to space 4)
-“There are four spaces on the staff…”
-“Five lines and four spaces…”
-“E-G-B-D-F” / “Every Good Boy Does Fine…”
-“F-A-C-E-Face…”

2. Write out pitches on the lines and spaces of the staff during review.
Instructional Strategies  Introduce new knowledge.
 Model new skills and knowledge.
 Guided practice.
 Pose leading questions.
 Small group practice.
Procedures: 3. Write s-l-s-m on the staff – sing the melody, then identify and write all pitches (G,

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 Hayden Klinedinst MUED 403/404

A, G, E).

4. Identify and write sol (s) and have students identify the remaining solfège syllables.
Label on the board. Use scaffolding, as needed – e.g., “is it a step or a leap?”

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for different patterns – each integrating different solfège
syllables from the pentatonic scale, excluding high do.

6. Create a pattern using high do – sing it, then identify and label high do – d’. Have
students identify and label the remaining solfège syllables.

7. Repeat step 6 by creating different patterns that use d’. Have students eventually
identifying all solfège syllables in a given pattern.

8. Write “s-m-s-d’” on the board – “what if we are given the solfège syllable but need
to write it on the staff?”

9. Identify and write where sol is of the given pattern from step 8 on the staff. Have
students try mi and sol (use scaffolding, as needed) – maybe d’ as well? If not, identify
and label d’.

10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for different patterns – each integrating different solfège
syllables from the pentatonic scale.

11. Kaboom!
-Instructor splits students into 5-6 groups consisting of about 4 students per
group – based on assigned seating arrangements.
-Students pull out a popsicle stick from the cup with a pattern of four solfège
syllables. Their task is to read the stick and place erasers/bingo chips on the
staff (provided for each group), corresponding with the syllables on the
popsicle stick.
-If they are correct, they get to keep the popsicle stick and obtain 1 point. If
they are incorrect, the pattern goes back into the cup and they obtain 0 points.
-If a student pulls a “kaboom!” popsicle stick, they must place all their current
popsicle sticks back into the cup and they lose all of their points.
-The winner is determined by who has the most amount of popsicle sticks in
the group when instructor decides time is up – winners get something from the
prize box!
Closure Review (for a prize) – what are the solfège syllables of this melody? Write on the
board.
-s-l-m-d
-s-m-r-d
-s-d’-s-l

Review Objective – “Today we identified solfège syllables that make up different

melodies.”
Extension School Song

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 Action Inquiry Lesson Plan 2

Grade Level: 4th Class Type: General Music Length of Lesson: 25-35 minutes

Lesson Topic/Focus Performing a melody using the voice and Orff instruments
Objective(s) -Students will be able to perform the melody to the song “Funga Alafia” with accurate
pitches and rhythms through singing
-Students will be able to perform the Orff arrangement to “Funga Alafia” after learning it
through the rote teaching method.
Materials -SmartBoard
-Soprano/Alto Xylophones
-Alto Metallophone
-Claves
-Finger Cymbals
-Bates, Katherine Lee and Samuel A. Ward. “American Patriotic Song: America the
Beautiful.” YouTube, uploaded by Ian Berwick, 20 May 2016,
[Link]
-Funga Alafia. (n.d.). Beth’s Notes. Retrieved 22 April, 2024, from
[Link]
Prior Knowledge -Students have a basic understanding of the solfège syllables that make up the pentatonic
scale
-Students have a proficient understanding of and experience with how to appropriately and
accurately play the various Orff instruments (see Materials above for specific
instrumentation).
Planning with UDL Multiple Means of Engagement (Purposeful and motivated learners): Students can choose
which Orff instrument they would like to play
[Link] Multiple Means of Action and Expression (Strategic and goal-directed learners): Physical
actions for students during individual instrument part teachings
Multiple Means of Representation (Resourceful and knowledgeable learners):
Highlighting and clarifying patterns and relationships for each part of “Funga Alafia” (e.g.,
the vocal melody is the exact same in ms. 1 and 3)
Vocabulary Words -Melody
-Solfège
-Soprano/Alto Xylophones
-Alto Metallophone
-Claves
-Finger Cymbals
Assessment Performance Tasks:
-Students will perform the various parts, including the melody, of “Funga Alafia” – observed
-Students will identify the solfège syllables of a given melody – observed

Learning Strategies / Instructional Procedures

Instructional Strategies -Introduce new knowledge.
-Model new skills and knowledge.
-Guided practice.
-Pose leading questions.
Opening (Hook, Introduction, 1. Attendance
Warm-Up, etc.) 2. Patriotic Song of the Month – encourage students to sing along with the melody!
3. Review objectives!

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 4. Solfège Review – write the following pitches on the staff (G is Sol) and have
students identify the solfège syllables after being given Sol
a. s l s m
b. s d’ s l
c. s m r d
Procedures 5. Orff Arrangement – have individual students identify solfège syllables for the
vocal melody; then, teach individual parts to students first, with motions, followed
by carry out instrument playing:
a. Soprano/Alto Xylophone (A – see below)
b. Alto Metallophone (B – see below)
c. Claves – play on beats 1 and (1) + every measure
d. Finger Cymbals – play on beat 4 every other measure

Motions:
-Alto Metallophone (B) – pat knees/lap
-Soprano/Alto Xylophone (A) – ocean wave motion (going upwards d l s l,
then backdown for d; repeat)
-Claves – clap
-Finger Cymbals – pretend to play the instrument

Playing:
-After adding body motions, select a student to transfer the body percussion to
the instruments, in the following order (one at a time, singing the song in
between each addition of the new instrument)
-Alto Metallophone
-Soprano/Alto Xylophone
-Claves
-Finger Cymbals
-Repeat as desired, rotating students throughout the different instruments.
Closure 6. Review objective – “Today we learned new melodies by identifying the solfège
syllables and then performing them through singing and playing instruments.”
Extension This activity could be repeated for other songs, such as “Sarasponda” or “Tideo.”

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 Action Inquiry Lesson Plan 3

Grade Level: 4th Class Type: General Music Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

Lesson Topic/Focus Creating a Melody Using the Pentatonic Scale

Students will be able to create a melody using pitches and solfège
Objective(s)
syllables of the pentatonic scale.
-Dry Erase Markers
-Klinedinst, Hayden (2024, May 1). Melody composition worksheet.
Microsoft Word.
-Ian Berwick (2022, August 26). Star Spangled Banner National
anthem of the United States of America [Video]. YouTube.
[Link]
-Klinedinst, Hayden (2024, May 1). AIP creating lesson. Microsoft
Materials
PowerPoint.
-Klinedinst, Hayden (2024, May 1). Melody composition worksheet.
Microsoft Word.
-Roster
-SmartBoard
-Soprano/Alto Xylophones
-Whiteboards
Students have experience identifying and performing pitches and
Prior Knowledge solfège syllables of the pentatonic scale, when notated on the treble
clef staff.
Multiple Means of Engagement – Students may choose who they
want to work with during the composition activity.
Multiple Means of Representation – Visual representation is
Planning with UDL
provided for students during the composition activity.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression – Utilizing appropriate
goal setting/parameters when carrying out the composition activity.
-Melody
-Composition
Vocabulary Words -Pentatonic Scale
-Pitch
-Solfège
Performance Tasks – Students’ ability to create a pentatonic melody
Assessment using solfège syllables and musical notation will be judged through
observation and written work.
-Introduce new knowledge
-Model new knowledge and skills
Instructional Strategies -Guided practice
-Pose leading questions
-Independent practice
1. Attendance – Use roster to note students that are (not) present.
2. Patriotic Song of the Month – Play the YouTube video (“The
Star-Spangled Banner”) on the SmartBoard for the class to sing
along to.
Opening/Introduction
3. Solfège Identification Review – Choose two (2) students to pass
out the whiteboards and another student to pass out dry erase
markers to the class. Have students respond to the prompts on the
SmartBoard. Review all answers and clarify/explain, as needed.

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 4. Introduce Composing a Melody/Review Objective – Review
that we’ve encountered patterns (e.g., s m s l – s m r d – etc.) and
melodies (e.g., “Funga Alafia”) that have already been created.
Today, we are going to create a melody of our own using the
pentatonic scale.
5. Parameters of the Composition – Review the parameters for this
composition activity, clarify/explain as needed:
-The melody needs to…
!
a. be written in ! time.
b. be between four (4) and eight (8) measures in length.
c. end on Low Do (d).
d. use all pentatonic solfège syllables (d, r, m, s, l, d’) at least
Lesson Procedures once.
e. use quarter notes, half notes, and eighth notes.
-Highlight the pentatonic scale and rhythmic values notated on the
SmartBoard for students to use during their collaborative work
time.
-Explain that some (but not all) groups’ compositions will get to
be played for the class!
6. Getting into Groups – Allow students to choose another student
they would like to work with (groups of 2, or 3 – if needed).
Students should find their partner, then choose a location in the
room relatively close to one of the Soprano/Alto Xylophones.
7. Collaborative Composing – Monitor progress as students work
through this activity. Provide clarification, as needed. Encourage
students to use “questions and answers” to create their melodies.
8. Performing the Melodies – Have students identify (and label) the
Closure solfège syllables that make up the chosen melodies to be
performed. Sing them a few times!
Use other methods of performing such as recorder or Orff instruments
Extension
and invite students to perform using these methods.