Write the Room

I discovered a new review activity this summer called "Write the Room". My 5th graders are studying music symbols and I thought this would be an easy way to review the first 8.  I created cards with music symbols on them and their name and definition. I posted these cards around the room. Then, each student gets a sheet to fill out. They walk around the room finding each symbol and fill out their sheets. It's a great way to get them up and moving, and having the symbols spaced out around my room kept the kids from getting too congested in one area. For the more advanced kids that already knew the symbols, I had them try to fill out their sheets without looking first, and then walk around to check their answers.

Here are the sheets I made. They can be edited to include any other symbols you would want to use. I've also seen this done with rhythms.

Symbol Stations

The 5th and 6th graders each just completed their unit on music symbols. I have a great rug that has 24 different music symbols on it, and I created 5 stations for the students to rotate through learning the names and definitions of each symbol. I added Symbol Stack Attack this year. Using those small Dixie cups you can buy at the grocery store, I put a symbol on the bottom of each cup. Students must correctly name the symbol before they can use it in their stack. I let them work together to create one giant tower, or individually to see who can make the biggest tower. Here are some pictures of the students working on their stations.
(I posted more details about the stations last year if you want to look back and find out more info.)

 

Music Symbol Bingo

Symbol Sorry

Cup Stack Attack

Bingo

Symbol Race

Swat the Symbol

Music Symbol Centers: Symbol Stack Attack!

My 5th graders are preparing for their composition project, so we are covering all of the music symbols on my classroom rug. I posted pictures of the different centers I use last fall, so I won't post them again. But I do want to show you a new center I added this year.

It's the Symbol Stack Attack! center. I took small Dixie cups (the kind you would use in your bathroom) and drew music symbols on the outside bottom of each one. The group must name and define the symbol in order to use it to build a tower. The more cups they answer correctly, the bigger the tower they can create. Here is a picture of one group who was able to identify all 24 cups.

Music Symbol Centers

The 5th graders have been studying all of the music symbols from our classroom rug. They need to be able to identify each symbol and explain what it means. To help us practice, we did Music Symbol Stations. There were 4 stations: Symbol Sorry, Symbol Race, Swat the Symbol, and Music Symbol Bingo. Here are some pictures of the kids playing the games at each station.

 

Music Symbol Bingo:
The students create their own cards first.

Symbol Sorry:
Much like the board game Sorry!, only they have to name the music symbol they land on.

Swat the Symbol:
A caller calls out the name of a symbol and the students race to swat it on the board with flyswatters.

Symbol Race:
Students race to see who can correctly identify the most symbols. They place a marker on each square they answer correctly. The person with the most markers wins.