Testing Season: Adapting Activities for a Quiet Music Class
It’s that time of the year again. You guessed it – testing season. The last few years, April came up on me way too quickly. At the last minute, I tried to adapt my regular active and loud lessons to quieter music activities during the 2 weeks of testing. Today I have lots of different types of quiet music activities to use with your students during that dreaded testing season.
Composer and Listening Lessons
First, a great quiet and peaceful music lesson you can use during testing season is composer and listening lessons. If you have, use your composer of the month or any composer you wish to teach. Start with a short biography or read book about their life. Then plan for a few listening activities. Listening glyphs work really well for a very calm activity with a composer lesson. Students color a picture based on certain elements they hear in the music.
For another listening activity, use scarves to add movement – just right since they make no sound. You can also perform simple movements for students to mirror you as they listen. Pat 8 beats on your lap, then your head, etc. With a little bit of prep, you can also create a background story to the composer piece you play. On his YouTube channel, Mr. DelGaudio has a wonderful example using Brahm’s Hungarian Dance #5. Plan for quiet and simple motions that match the music and tell a story at the same.
Children’s Literature
Secondly, another great type of quiet music activity is using a children’s book as a theme for your lesson. For example, I love the story “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.” Each year in Kindergarten, I use that book for my entire lesson. First, I read the book and we listen to the song. Then we try to remember all of the animals and their order, which leads to a discussion about fantasy or fiction and non-fiction books. I often use another “old lady who swallowed” books at the end too. My students love when I read a short book to them, and they sit so still and quietly – perfect for testing season.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Every year, I look forward to the lesson when I pull out my old lady doll and little bean bag animals. After I read the story, I pull out each of the animals from her “stomach” to show my students. Then we’ll sing the song and take turn putting the animals in her “stomach.” My kids love it! There’s a lot of great children’s books that you can use during testing season. Here’s a few of my favorites for quiet music class time (some are Amazon affiliate links, but don’t worry – you won’t pay any more though).
- Song Garden
- The Little Red Hen
- The Napping House
- The Remarkable Farkle McBride
- Had a Little Rooster
- Jennie Jenkins
- My Aunt Came Back
- Change Sings
Music Theory Review Games
Next, I love using review games during my April lessons. For example, with my 2nd and 3rd graders, I use self-checking Google Slides games to review a specific rhythmic or melodic element or meter, instruments of the orchestra, tempo, or any other topic. I can use them with the whole class or in a small group or station activity depending on the class time.
Here’s a few that I use during testing season since they don’t require any loud music making:
Depending on when Easter is, you can also add a quiet music Easter egg hunt. I hide rhythms on Easter egg flashcards around the room. I break up my class into 2 different groups to make it easier to “hunt.” Then I play the song “Hunting for Easter Eggs” from Music K-8 with its very mysterious, sneaky music. The kids are normally as quiet as can be when they walk around looking for a rhythm egg.
Other Ideas for Teaching During Testing Time
Finally, when you’re planning for quiet music activities because of testing time, think outside the box a bit. Could you possibly team up with your Physical Education teacher(s) and plan a combined class. Especially for those classes that have just had testing all morning, they would love it. You could plan a group game of kickball, a freeze dance, folk dancing, parachute activity, or anything.
Consider the option of taking your music classes outside if the weather allows. This allows a little bit more freedom in space and being quiet.But you may need to plan a bit more for sound equipment and letting the office know exactly where you and your class is on that day.
Hopefully, these quiet activities and tips will make testing season a lot less stressful on you. Let me know if you get a chance to use any of them. You can leave a comment below, email me (beth@bethsmusicclassroom.com), or send me a DM on Instagram @bethsmusicclassroom.
If you’re looking for some exciting, energetic elementary music activities, check out this post on Parachute Music Activities,
