Plasq (Desktop Free Trial Download/$29.99 Full Version/ $4.99 App) A new resource I discovered at a tech conference a few months ago. Plasq is a software program/app that allows the user to create full length comic books on their device. The resolution and friendly user interface allows for the comic book newbie to have a great experience creating killer comic books for themselves.

What kinds of things could you do with this program?

1.) Have students write their own plot for an opera! Compose their own songs after to go along with it or have them choose a famous song that already exists to go along with a new story.

A great way to wrap up the end of an opera unit or even to drive the point home that music creates or shares a story.

2.) Show what they have learned in music his year through the comic book. Perfect to type in facts about composers, musical periods,definitions about symbols or musical names then draw a picture to go along with.

What a way to show understanding right? Have them create something they would WANT to show off to even their friends!

 3.) What about an interactive story? Just like the Book The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything where as you read students need to play along and do certain parts. Students can create their own in a comic book format that includes interacting with instruments.

End the school year with a bang and have students create their own and then perform it for the class! OR! You read it and the students interact and then try to guess who’s story it is that they just performed. Turn a comic book adventure into a piece of music!

What kinds of super things do you do with your students towards the end of the year?

  I’m starting to hear the undeniable stressed out moans from teachers trying to survive the end of their year.  So much to do, so little time right? I remember staring out the window with the kiddos wanting to be outside just as much as they did. So what happened? I took them outside! We played music games! We had fun! Sure it was a little chaotic, but that’s the price to pay for some fun outdoor learning!

Here’s one of the games we played:

What you’ll need-

1.) Two of those foam air powered rocket launchers found in any toy store

2.) Yarn or ribbon for markers

3.) Paper with different notes and rests written on them. (Attach them to clipboards to weight them down)

4.) Hand Held whiteboards with markers.

Setup:

• Mark out different lines outside on the grass with the yarn or ribbon to look like a target.
• Place the paper with the different notes and rests at each marker, one per marker, sort of like I drew out below (sorry for the horrible computer drawing):

• Draw 2 measures on the whiteboards and mark them in 4/4 time.

Procedure:

    The point of this game is to have students launch the rocket launchers to the target to build two measures on their board in 4/4 time. Where ever the rocket lands closest to they have to use that next in their composition. If they land on a note or rest that does not fit, then they continue until they find a note that does. First team to fill two measure in 4/4 wins!

• Divide the class in half and have them line up behind the start line.
• When you say go, the first player for each team grabs the rocket launcher and launches it towards the targets.
• They have to go retrieve their dart and determine which note or rest they landed on and race back to their team’s whiteboard to fill it in.
• When the first player is done, the next player goes and so on.
• If a player lands on a note or rest that does not fit in their board they cannot use it and the next player must go.
• First team to fill in their measures wins! *If you want to add a level of difficulty, have them clap the rhythm or sing the solfege in order to pass!*

What sorts of activities do you do outside at the end of the year?