Boom Chicka Boom (Dynamics) | Music Lesson Plan

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Your students will learn about two dynamic levels: piano (p) and forte (f) with this manipulatives-based music lesson plan. Super cute illustrations make this lesson irresistible!

Level

Grade K-1

Objective

Students will understand and demonstrate two dynamic levels: piano (p) and forte (f). This lesson is designed to fulfill Standard #4 of the National Standards for Music: Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.

Materials

Boom Chicka Boom (Rhyme)
Boom Chicka Boom | Music Lesson Manipulatives
Plastic Sandwich Bags


Lesson Prep

Print one set of Boom Chicka Boom manipulatives for each student in the class and one for yourself. Laminate each page. Cut the radio cards out, and seal each set of 8 cards in a Ziploc sandwich bag.

'Boom Chicka Boom (Dynamics)' Music Lesson Plan

Step 1
Tell students, "Let's learn about dynamics. Dynamics is a big word for all the loud and soft sounds we hear in music.

There are four basic levels of dynamics in music:

Soft
Medium Soft
Medium Loud
Loud

Music composers typically use Italian words to express how loud or soft they want the music played. The Italian words for these dynamic levels are:

Piano (Soft)
Mezzo Piano (Medium Soft)
Mezzo Forte (Medium Loud)
Forte (Loud)

We will focus on two dynamic levels today:

Piano (Soft)
Forte (Loud)

Step 2
Tell students, "I am going to teach you a funny rhyme. I'll say a phrase, and then you repeat it. If I say it forte - loud, I would like you to say it forte. If I say it piano - soft, I would like you to say it piano."

Step 3
Boom Chicka Boom! (forte)
(Students repeat)

I said a boom chicka boom. (piano)
(Students repeat)

I said a Boom Chicka Rocka Chicka Rocka Chicka Boom! (forte)
(Students repeat)

Oh Yeah! (forte with jazz hands over your head)
(Students repeat)

Uh huh. (piano with jazz hands beside your face)
(Students repeat)

I said a Boom Chicka Rocka Chicka Rocka Chicka Boom! (forte)
(Students repeat)

Step 4
Tell students, "Awesome! Now I am going to give you a chance to show me what you have learned about dynamics. Each one of you will receive a sandwich bag with 8 radios." Show students the radios. "The big radios are for the forte sounds - the loud sounds, and the small radios are for the piano sounds - the soft sounds." Pass the radios out.

Step 5
Tell students, "I would like for you to take your radios out of the sandwich bag and place them in a pile beside you, and the bag behind you."

Step 6
Tell students, "I am going to say the first phrase of Boom Chicka Boom, and then I would like for you to repeat it. Listen closely to how loud or soft I am saying the rhyme because you will be choosing a radio to represent that dynamic level." Perform the phrase.

Step 7
Tell students, "Choose a radio based on the what you just heard." They should choose a big radio for forte, or a small radio for piano, and then place it on the floor in front of them. Follow by taping the correct radio to the white board.

Step 8
Tell students, "Here's the second phrase." Perform the second phrase. "Select a radio and place it to the right of the first radio." Follow by taping the correct radio to the white board.

Continue this routine until the students have correctly selected one radio to represent the dynamic level for every phrase of the rhyme.

Step 9
Tell students, "Now that you have chosen a radio for each phrase of the rhyme and placed them in order from left to right, let's perform the rhyme. As we say each phrase, put your finger on the radio that goes with that phrase."

Perform rhyme.

Step 10
Tell students, "I would like for you to suggest a different arrangement of the dynamic levels." Rearrange the cards on the white board to reflect their suggestion, and perform the rhyme again.



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