3rd-5th Grade Bilingual Music Lesson Plan

 

I love having the opportunity to work with bilingual students. The lesson plan below contains activities and songs that are ideal for a bilingual group of young musicians grades 3-5.

3rd-5th Grade Bilingual Music Lesson Plan - 45-60 minutes

 

Materials:

1. Optional (ukulele or other instrument to accompany songs)
   
2. Optional (a vihuela or guitar)
3. Copy of Finding the Music book
4. Bluetooth speaker and/or projector
5. If no projector: lyrics poster of "Cielito Lindo."
   

Class Greeting 

A class greeting with an instrument helps establish music time.  Sing "Time for music" with a doorbell "ding-dong sol mi" melody. Now use the same melody to have them echo a greeting in Spanish such as "bue-nos di-as."  Ask what language that is, then show a map like the one below with countries that speak Spanish. 

 

Allow students to share if their family has ever lived or lives in one of these places.  Explain that when Spain colonized these lands, there were already rich musical traditions in all these places, and new types of music formed when the Spanish brought their guitars and the Spanish language.  One of these musics born from this combination is Mariachi music, which was born in Mexico but is popular in all these countries and many others around the world (there's even Mariachi bands in Japan!)

 

Play the following short video introducing mariachi music and instruments.  The video includes a quiz which students will want to take. 

 

 

 

Ask them to say the names of the instruments in English and Spanish.  Have any of you ever seen a mariachi perform?  Let's take turns sharing if we have.  Hopefully from this discussion it is mentioned that mariachis play an important part in all the important life events of people who love this music: births, birthdays, mother's day, graduations, weddings, even funerals.

Finding the Music: Share the book Finding the Music with the class and try to use big motions and add "sound effects" as you read to keep students' attention.  This book is in both languages, so you may choose to read it in either language.

 

Sing along song: "Cielito lindo" is mentioned in the story, so students will be interested in learning to sing it and share it with their family members who might know it.  Ask students to help you translate the lyrics and go over pronounciation to make sure everyone is comfortable singing.  You can also opt to only teach the chorus and have students accompany you with percussion / body percussion (pat, clap clap) during the verses to reinforce the waltz rhythm.

If there is extra time, you can share your favorite mariachi song and ask if students can identify the instruments and steady beat.  Here is one example:

 

 Goodbye Song: Go over the instruments of Mariachi music and the song once more before dismissing students.  Remind them to ask their family members if they know "Cielito lindo."

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Did you try some or all of this lesson plan?  Let us know how it went!