The week before a holiday I like to do stations with my kids. Some teachers call them centers. Centers, stations, whatever you want to call them, they are fun for teachers and kids! So what are they, how do you do them, and why do you them?
Stations are just that. Different stations set up around the room and each station has a different short activity. The kids are separated into small groups and the groups rotate around the room through the different stations. Some teachers let the groups freely move between stations at will but I always do it a little more systematically because that’s what works for me and my kids. I assign each group a station to start at and at certain timed intervals, I give them a signal for when its time to clean up their station to get it ready for the next group and then I give them a second signal for when its time to actually move to the next station. The signals are just simple patterns that I play on the piano (like going back and forth really quickly between 2 different C’s or a chord progression or a loud repeated low note). Each signal is unique so they know exactly what to do and when.
At the beginning of class I give brief directions for each station but then I have more detailed directions for each one at the actual station. My classes are all divided in to instrument family groups at the beginning of the year so I don’t have to think about who is going to be in what group together. They already know and I can just say, “Woodwind group, go to station 1!” when its time to start.
Of course, this week all our stations were Thanksgiving themed and we used activities we had already introduced (or at least some version of them ) in previous classes.
Thanksgiving Write The Room: Write The Room activities are always great1 It gets the kids moving around the room while still focusing on music, usually rhythm. Rhythm cards with thanksgiving picture icons on them scattered around the room (or in this case, I put 2 different sets scattered on the board) and they find and copy the rhythm on their page next to the matching icon.
Pick a Piece of Pie: Cards with pumpkin pie slices and a rhythm pattern with solfege. I set out a xylophone with solfege syllables labeled (Do, Re, Mi, So, La) on the appropriate bars. They had to take turns playing the pattern on the xylophone so they could listen to it and then they had to sing it.
Worksheet: I always like to have at least one worksheet station. This one had 3 worksheets for different levels. One of them was composing with fall food rhythm cards. The 2nd page was writing in letters for notes on the staff for the song Who Has Seen the Wind. And the 3rd page students had to write out the rhythm of the song Autumn Comes (with a little help provided). Both of those songs are pretty fall melodies in minor keys that we had gone over in class.
Turkey Trot Game: This is actually a game I created for my TPT store for recorder matching and practice. But I adapted it in this scenario for younger kids who aren’t playing recorder yet as well. In the Turkey Trot board game, there are cards with letters, cards with a note on the staff, and cards with recorder fingerings. If the student picks up a letter, they have to play that letter on their recorder. If they pick a note on the staff, they have to name the letter. If they pick a recorder card, they have to name the note and play it (if they get both correct they get to move 2 spaces on the board). I changed it for younger kids but removing the recorder and staff cards and adding rhythm cards from another activity. So the younger kids had to pick a letter card and a rhythm card, find the letter on a glockenspiel and play the rhythm on that letter.
The kids love stations because they get to move around the room, have a little freedom, and chat with their friends. I love stations because I get to see the kids learning and creating music all on their own. It also allows kids to learn from each other and gives me a chance to do some simple assessments and work one-on-one with students who may be struggling.
If you haven’t tried stations, I would encourage you to go for it! If you have tried stations, let me know how it went for you or feel free to share your own tips and tricks! To check out my Turkey Trot game for recorder go check out my TPT store (this also comes in a Piano version and a Flute version as well!)
Miss Donna 4 Music 