My students LOVE Stomp!! How could you not?? Their performances are engaging, funny, and very impressive! Recently in music class, 4th and 5th graders used Stomp performances as inspiration for their own rhythmic performance. Check out some of their favorite video clips:
And their favorite ...
The classes LOVED doing their own version of Stomp! They brought in all kind of trash/recyclable items to use for their instruments such as cardboard boxes, plastic containers, and tin cans.
They worked with small groups to create a performance piece using contrasting rhythm patterns performed on their trash percussion instruments. Some groups used props, created choreography, or added their own dose of Stomp humor! ツ I was so proud of their creative compositions!
HI,
ReplyDeleteI love your ideas...I would like to know how you organize your curriculum. When you did the Stomp unit...does everyone do it? So do you rotate curriculums every 4 years K-4 or do you teach each grade level a different unit? Are your units divided by the quarter? I'd love to know more about your planning strategies...Sandra
Thanks, Sandra! I am constantly tweaking and changing my curriculum. As soon as I think I've gotten everything planned out, I change something else. ;) I tend to use a wide variety of sources. Some of my favorites include: Gameplan Curriculum by Randy DeLelles and Jeff Kriske, Mallet Madness by Artie Almeida, and Parachutes and Ribbons and Scarves, Oh My! by Artie Almeida. I have many other lessons that I have collected over the years from mentor teachers and conferences as well. Our county adopted the "Making Music" curriculum (Silver Burdett) but I use it more as a resource for songs rather than following their lesson plans. The music teachers in our county created a curriculum map that we follow loosely. :)
DeleteAt the beginning of the year, I always do a rhythm review unit with 2nd-5th. After the review, I like to do some kind of cumulative project/class performance. I have been doing "Stomp" with 4th and 5th because I think it is a great way to show growth over the year. I video tape their performances as evidence.
I hope this helps!
Hi Clare, What rhythm cumulative project do you do with 2-3 after the rhythm review at the beginning of the year? What do you use to review rhythms??
ReplyDeleteI love the organization of the stomp instruments--I assume they made those as part of their grade?
Hi Ashley!
DeleteI have done a variety of rhythm review projects with 2nd and 3rd. Sometimes I have the groups compose rhythm patterns and then create a corresponding performances using body percussion. I have also had them create performances using boom whackers and sometimes I just have them play a variety of rhythm games at centers.
When we begin our Stomp unit, I introduce "trash percussion" and show the students examples of instruments from former students. I let them bring in instruments if they would like but I do not make it a requirement. I keep the instruments (the ones that survive) from year to year and let students chose any they would like from the boxes. Students who bring instruments in know that they are donating them to the music room for other students to use. It has worked really well for my students. Let me know if you want a more specific break-down of the unit.
I hope this helps! Thanks for reading my blog!
This looks like so much fun and a lot of learning going on too!! i would love a specific break down of the unit if you would be willing to share!
DeleteThanks
Susan
Thanks, Susan! See my response to Christine below for more information on this unit. Thanks so much for reading! :)
DeleteHi Clare,
ReplyDeleteI'm filling in for a K-5 music teacher over the next couple of months and am planning on doing rhythm-based activities and projects with grades 3-5. I love the idea of working towards a collaborative stomp-type performance like you did with your classes. Would you be able to provide me with a more specific break-down of the unit that you mentioned above? My email is miette5@hotmail.com
Thank you!!
Nora
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ReplyDeleteI love this idea! Thanks so much for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThis is my first year teaching Grade 3,4, and 5 Music and Drama and this will be such a fun way to do our rhythm unit. Thank you!!!
Thank you, Melissa! My kids always LOVE this unit and I hope yours do too! Have fun! :)
DeleteHi Clare! Thanks for sharing your ideas with the Stomp project. I would be interested in seeing your plans, objectives, etc to see how you lay it out for the students - IF you don't mind sharing. My email is penny.zaugg@southeastpolk.org
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
Hi Penny! See my response to Christine below for more information on this unit. Thanks so much for reading! :)
DeleteGood evening Clare! I just want to say you have lots of awesome ideas. I would love to pic your brain a little as well get suggestions on something's I should do with my children. I have been teaching music for 12 years and I love it most days. On other days, I'm not sure whether I'm coming or going. I seriously need help before I go crazy. I wasn't always this unorganized or unprepared, but this year is ridiculous. Please contact me when you get a chance at Latasha.gordon@slps.org or lgpeyton1913@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHi Clare,
ReplyDeleteI am starting a STOMP unit with the students after they learn about instruments of the orchestra. My district is huge into technology, student-centered classrooms and rubrics. Would you mind giving me a more specific breakdown of this project? Also, I was wondering how you grade this ...like check points, cumulative, etc. Thank you so much!
Hi Christine!
DeleteHere is a breakdown of how I do my Stomp unit:
- I do several weeks of rhythm review with various games (rhythm bingo, rhythm centers, notating and composing rhythms with partners, etc.)
- I a boomwhacker activity (http://highshoalsmusic.blogspot.com/2013/09/boomwhacker-rhythms.html) to help the students practice playing contrasting rhythms together. This usually takes my classes two weeks
- The next week, I show the students several stomp video clips (you can find lots on YouTube) and we discuss how they each played a rhythm pattern which fit together with the other performers' rhythms. We also discuss the types of instruments they used and how they were "found sounds" or "trash percussion" instruments.
- The students then get with a group of about 4 students and begin brainstorming ideas for their performance. The first week, they mostly just write ideas down and the following time they begin nailing down the specifics of their performance. Each person in the group comes up with a rhythm pattern making sure that all of the rhythms fit together nicely. Sometimes I have them practice with regular classroom instruments to get the feeling of their performance.
- I show the students some examples of trash percussion items they could use for their instruments (cardboard boxes, tin cans, plastic bottles, etc.) and they begin bringing in the instruments to my classroom. I make sure to tell them that anything they bring in will be donated to the music room. It is too difficult for me to keep track of whose instrument is whose so I do not return them. Instead, I keep those that are salvageable for the next year's group. I have containers for each type of instrument: drums, metal, guitars, shakers...
- The classes do a quick write-up of their group's choices and I take a picture of each group with their instruments to display in the hall.
- The classes perform their compositions for the class and I usually record them. That way they can look back at their performance and critique themselves and I can use the best clips to show to the next year's group.
I haven't rubrics or grading but I think I will be adding that next year. I mostly use it as a chance for them to practice composing and practicing contrasting rhythm patterns. It also gives them a great idea of how to put together a performance by collaborating.
Let me know if you have any other questions! Thanks for reading! :)
Did you ever add a RUBRIC to your unit? If so I would be very interested in knowing what you grade them on/how you organize your rubric. i'm looking forward to doing a STOMP unit with my Gr. 4/5's this spring and then for their year end concert I'm going to have each class perform a STOMP like composition. Ex. 1 class doing a basketball routine, another class do the cup song, another class a bucket drumming arrangement. Thanks so much for your help :)
DeleteHi Jennifer,
DeleteSomehow I totally missed your comment but better late than never! ;) I have never used a rubric with this project but it would lend itself very well to using one. I don't give any "grades" in music so we basically just talk through what would be on the rubric using class discussion format. I hope your performances went well! Sounds like fun! :)
Hi Clare! About how many weeks do you take for the whole "Stomp" activity? I read your earlier comments about the rhythm activities taking several weeks and wondered how long the whole section takes you. Thanks! Mickaela-- By the way, your blog is fantasic and has inspired me with your wonderful lesson ideas and creativity! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Mickaela! Thank you for your sweet comments. I'm glad I could give you some ideas and inspiration. :) I usually do this unit right at the beginning of the year as a rhythm review and it usually takes me about 6 weeks total. The first 3 are rhythm review activities/games and the last 3 are for the stomp projects (creating, practicing, and performing). You can really adjust it to any length of time depending on the ability level of your students. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks for reading!
DeleteHi Clare
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your website. I was hoping to see a break down of your Stomp Unit. This will be my first attempt at doing this in my classroom and I would love to see how you process it. Thank you for sharing! lisa.taormina@fraserk12.org
Regards,
Lisa Taormina
I am not a fan of blogs, but yours is really AWSOME! Thank you for getting teachers like me, in their first years of teaching, really inspired.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Otilia
My email is mmerkel@algona.k12.ia.us....sorry forgot to include that in my previous comment.
ReplyDeleteClaire, I just found your blog and read about your STOMP project. I do one with my sixth grade every year and really like the form that you use for it. When I downloaded it to print however, the form that I got was not the same as is in your pictures. This one asks what the form was of the students' compositions and gives a group self-assessment. How do I get to the form that is show hung up on your wall?
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Claire,
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog and have been looking at your STOMP project. I do one each year with my sixth grade and really like your project form. I printed off the one from your link, but it isn't the same as the one shown in the picture of your STOMP wall. this one asks for the form of the composition and has a group self-assessment. I have a group rubric that I already use, so I don't need that. How can I get a copy of the form shown in the pictures?
Thank you!
Patrice patrice.england@ovsd.us
Hi Patrice,
DeleteI updated my project worksheet to include the form and self-assessment and don't have a copy of the previous version. :( You can easily re-create it in a Word document. Thanks for reading!