Below you will find the lesson plan, PDF of interactive slides, and video of a UDL-based exploration into articulation with 3rd grade students. 

I was fortunate enjoy to have a dream job as an elementary general music teacher at Country Meadows Elementary School and Willow Grove Kindergarten and Early Childhood Center. Below are images from our music classroom at Country Meadows.

Music is a cultural act and artifact. Music learning, thus, should engage with music in a culturally sensitive and exploratory manner. As an elementary general music teacher, I was interested in helping students engage in cultural studies and self-exploration in music class (along with developing musical skills and understandings related to musical dimensions such as rhythm, melody, form, texture, etc.). During my studies at Northwestern University, I developed a music curriculum to help students come to know culture and themselves through music. Below, you will find the proposed curriculum document and examples of the final "concerts" students developed (many arrangements were crafted by and with students). 

I was luck to work with young singers in the "Country Meadows Singers" group (4-5th grades). Over the years, the students arranged and sang many song. Below is a playlist of some of the music students sang. 

During my time as an E.C.-5th grade general music, I facilitated pop song writing projects. In 5th grade, students used iPads to create group songs in which they explored chord progressions, from, tonality, texture, and expression. Below you will find examples of the CM Rocks albums students created. Most groups did not choose to create lyrics.  

When I taught E.C.-5th in Illinois, the 4th and 5th grades were expected to have a combined concert in December (a historic expectation of the administration). I asked students to choose themes, repertoire, and craft dramatic materials to link the songs. Students crafted dramatic materials in coordination with classroom teachers and reading/writing coaches and research/writing activities were connected to grade-level curricular targets. Here, you will find a musical review the 4th and 5th grade students crafted. Students choose all music, choreographed/taught movements, constructed props, authored scripts, edited videos, and performed the music.