Lesson Plans from Edumate

Grade 1

Lesson 2 – Curwen Hand Sign

WEEK 14 
Bilingual/International Period 
Teachers' Day Celebration

International Period 
(W) Finger Family Song  (10 minutes) 
The class will review the names of the fingers with the song "Finger Family" and then the teacher will help them
recall how the fingers are named in piano playing. 
(W/I) Discussion on the Names of the White Keys of the Piano Keyboard (15 minutes)
The teacher will first ask the students to identify the two colors of the keys on a piano keyboard. 
After the students have given the colors black and white, the teacher will then try to explain how to remember
their names by asking the students to consider an octave as composed of two houses. 
The first house is a smaller house, which is made up of the three white keys that sandwich the group of two black
keys.
It is the 'Dog House'.  D (the dog) is in the middle of his house. C(cat) is the dogs friend, and his right-hand,
and  E  refers to the egg of his Hen friend.
The second house is the bigger house, made up of the four white keys sandwiching the three black keys.
It is the people's house. The Grandma (G)  and the Aunt  (A)  would often visit the house, the Grandma using the
Front (F) door and the Aunt using the Back (B)  door.   
The students will then be called individually to name a black piano keyboard and write the correct letter name or
pitch name of teach of the white keys. 
(I) Naming White Keys (10 minutes) 
The students will be given individually a paper with two octaves of blank piano keyboard and what they need to
do is to write the letter names of the white keys.

WEEK 15

Bilingual/International Period 
(W) Review of Previous Lesson (5 minutes) 
The teacher will first ask the students to share with their classmates the last lesson they have taken up (which is
on  National Anthems, and Things to Remember when Singing). 
(W) Twist (5 minutes) 
To introduce the lesson, the teacher will ask the students to watch the video of twist and later on to dance along
with it. 
Then the students will have to make their own description of what the word twist means. 
The teacher will then explain that another way of interpreting a music aside from singing it, is by way of
movement or dancing. 
(W/I) Discussion on Curwen Hand Sign (10 minutes) 
The teacher will then explain to the class that there is a another way of interpreting song in Music, that is
through hand signal. 
The students will then be asked to focus on board and to try singing  the famous do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do scale. 
The teacher will then introduce Guiddo d' Arezzo as the one to first use the solfa (so-fa syllables). 
Then the teacher will ask the students to focus again as he introduces John Spencer Curwen and his
contribution, the Curwen Hand Sign. 
The teacher will then introduce the Curwen Hand Sign, and will ask the students to repeat after him. 
To reinforce the discussion, the students will be asked to watch a video clip that contains simple drills on Curwen
Hand Sign. 
(G) Hands-On on Curwen Hand Sign (10 minutes) 
The class ends with the students, being called by group, to do the Curwen Hand Sign. 

International Period 
(W) Finger Family Song  (10 minutes) 
The class will review the names of the fingers with the song "Finger Family" and then the teacher will help them
recall how the fingers are named in piano playing. 
(W/I) Discussion on the Names of the White Keys of the Piano Keyboard (15 minutes)
The teacher will first ask the students to identify the two colors of the keys on a piano keyboard. 
After the students have given the colors black and white, the teacher will then try to explain how to remember
their names by asking the students to consider an octave as composed of two houses. 
The first house is a smaller house, which is made up of the three white keys that sandwich the group of two black
keys.
It is the 'Dog House'.  D (the dog) is in the middle of his house. C(cat) is the dogs friend, and his right-hand,
and  E  refers to the egg of his Hen friend.

The second house is the bigger house, made up of the four white keys sandwiching the three black keys.
It is the people's house. The Grandma (G)  and the Aunt  (A)  would often visit the house, the Grandma using the
Front (F) door and the Aunt using the Back (B)  door.   

The students will then be called individually to name a black piano keyboard and write the correct letter name or
pitch name of teach of the white keys. 
(I) Naming White Keys (10 minutes) 
The students will be given individually a paper with two octaves of blank piano keyboard and what they need to
do is to write the letter names of the white keys.

WEEK 16 
Bilingual/International Period 
(W) Watching and Singing songs for Holiday Season (10 minutes) 
The class will watch the video clip of Jingle Bells and then sing the first verse and chorus of the song. 
(W/I) Review of Curwen Hand Sign (10 minutes) 
The teacher will then review the class with Curwen Hand Sign calling individuals to do the hand signs. 
(W/G) Group Performance (10-15 minutes) 
The class will then be divided into three groups and will be asked to apply the Curwen Hand Sign to the chorus
part of the song, Jingle Bells. 
The groups will be given 10 minutes for practice, after which they will have their group presentation 

International Period 
(W/I) Review of the Names of the White Keys of the Piano Keyboard (15 minutes)
The teacher will present again the names of the white keys of the keyboard using the story about the dog house
and the people's house. 
  Individuals will then be called in front to write the letter names/pitch names of the white keys on a blank piano
keyboard. 
(I) Making a Keyboard and Naming the Keys  (10 minutes) 
The students will be given a bond paper where they should draw a piano keyboard (C-C2) and write the letter
names of the white keys. 
(I) Playing "Jingle Bells" on the Piano (10-15 minutes) 
The students will play the notes of "Jingle Bells" on the Keyboard using the correct finger of their right hand. 
WEEK 17 

Bilingual/International Period 

(W) Energizer Song (5 minutes) 

The class will first sing and dance to the tune of  "Tooty-Ta Song" 

(W/I) Review of the Curwen Hand Sign (10 minutes) 

The class will first review together all the hand signs for the solfege. 

Then individuals will be called to go to the board and give either the solfege name of the picture flashed or do the
Curwen hand sign for a given solfege name. 

(I) Unit Quiz (15-20 minutes) 

After listening to the instruction of the teacher, the students will start answering their Unit Quiz which is about
"Santa Hands" where they should be able to write the corrrect
solfege name to the different hand signs made by the hands of Santa Claus. 

International Period 

(W) Watching of Do-Re-Mi (8 minutes) 

The students will be asked to watch the short clip on Do-Re-Mi from the musical "Sound of Music" in order to
give them an idea how songs are formed. 

(I) Review of the Names of the White Keys (7 minutes) 

Individual students will then be called to answer questions on the board and to see if they have already mastered
the names of the white keys. 

(I) Playing "Jingle Bells" on the Piano (15-20 minutes) 

The students will then play the notes of "Jingle Bells" on the Keyboard using the correct finger of their right
hand. 

WEEK 18 

Bilingual/International Period
Last Class of the Term 

(W) Review of Topics Covered (10 minutes)

The class will review the topics that have been covered for the 2nd Half of Term 1. 

Performances will be shown and students will look at the exhibit of pictures in the Music Room .

(W) Short Movie Viewing on Music

Movie: Mozart's Band 
International Period: Giving of Cards
Core Tactic – Guided Practice
Students will be guided by the teacher accordingly in order to learn how to do the Curwen Hand Signs
accurately. Students wil have to imitate and practice the hand signs applying it to familiar songs and
rhymes.