Sponge Activities
Throughout the year, there will be times in my classroom when I may need to work with one section of the choir, address a situation with a student, or take care of urgent business. There will also be times during rehearsal when the students will need a break from singing. A sponge activity can help fill those times by cueing a transition, refocusing students, building community, breaking up a long rehearsal, and reinforcing a concept.
*Theory Practice Sheet Time (TPST):
- I will always have theory practice sheets available for students in case I need to work with a section, student, or take care of urgent business.
- The practice sheets will reinforce the music theory concepts the students have already learned. Click here to see an example document.
- At the end of class, students will turn in their practice sheets for me to see their progress, which will affect their participation grade for the day.
- For example, if the students had 15 minutes of TPST and got at least the front side of the worksheet done, they would receive full points for participation. Tying progress to the participation grade will encourage the students to stay on task.
Zip! Zap! Zop!:
- This is an energy transfer game that is played in a circle. One person starts by extending their arm towards another singer, looking directly at them, and projecting the word “Zip!” The person who has been zipped extends their arm and looks at another singer, and sends a “Zap!” The third person sends a “Zop!” and the pattern repeats.
- There is no such thing as a mistake in this game, so if anyone says something out of order, we all pull an imaginary cord and say, “Ah OOO gah!” Then the person starts the pattern again.
- The purpose of this activity is to breakup a long rehearsal while empowering the students’ confident artistry (a concept that is worked on year long). It also requires the students’ to concentrate and develop their listening skills.
*Improvisation:
- Divide the class into groups of 2 or 3. Read an improv scenario to them and give them 30 seconds to a few minutes to improvise a scene in their groups. Before starting, remind them that in improv, negative words do not exist.
- Improvisation builds community within the small groups and allows students to be creative.
Move Like A...
- Motion to have the class stand up silently.
- Write a random noun on the board, for example: sandwich. Other example nouns include: wind, a dragon, molasses, a comb, water, and a flower.
- The students then have to move around the room as a sandwich might. Play fitting background music from a prepared playlist.
- Before this activity, remind the class that the goal is to be creative, not entertaining. Include that it is important that they do not touch anything or anyone else in the class.
- This activity will be used to breakup a long rehearsal while encouraging them to use their imagination and explore movement (a concept that is worked on year long).
Mirror Clap:
- Students mirror a leader at the front of class who moves their arms in a side-ways eight pattern, clapping in the middle. The leader randomly stops clapping, and if the class is doing a following attentively they will stop, too. The leader resumes and can change size and speed of movement.
- I will be the leader when I introduce this activity, but afterwards a student can lead if I need to take care of urgent business or work with a small group.
*Brainstorm:
- The class thinks of everything they know about a specific topic that has already been taught, a volunteer writes the ideas on the board. Any unclear ideas can then be discussed.
- This activity reinforces important information and can be lead by a student if I need to take care of something.
- Variation: divide the class into groups of 5-10 and assign each group a different topic (concert etiquette, uniform details, tips for good tone, etc). Groups then present their lists to the class.
*Karaoke:
- Ask for volunteers to karaoke. Use karaoke tracks on YouTube that have lyrics in the video. Songs must have school appropriate language and content. If a song is questionable, pick a different one or wait until next the karaoke time, giving time for the song in question to be looked up.
- Mark down which students go, so other students have a turn next time.
- The rest of the class will be the audience for the performing student, applauding at the end of the song.
- This activity reinforces audience etiquette, teaches how to sing with a microphone, gives extra performance experience, and encourages the students as soloists.
*Concert Clip and Rubric:
- Hand out a copy of the MSVMA (Michigan Schools Vocal Music Association) choir festival rubric to each student.
- Play a concert clip from another school or professional group while the students mark the rubric as if they were adjudication the performance.
- Have students share what they marked and why, then discuss it as a class. Also, discuss what the group performing could do to improve.
- Students are practicing listening skills, getting familiar with the rubric, and being exposed to new music.
Build A Machine:
- Divide the class into groups of 5-10. Give the groups 10 minutes to each create a “machine” that moves to the beat of a rhythmic techno song. Play the song in the background as they work.
- The machine can make anything or do anything, as long as it is classroom appropriate. Each group will perform their machine for the rest of the class.
- This team-building activity encourages creativity and gives another opportunity for the students to perform in front of each other.
Harmonize:
- Have the class sing a unison pitch on a unified vowel.
- Select students one at a time to improvise a harmony as the rest of the class continues singing the pitch.
- This activity breaks up long rehearsals, allows students to be creative exploring harmonies, and reinforces listening and tuning skills.
*Tongue Twisters:
- Write out a tongue twister on the board.
- Have the class read it as a group, then have students practice on their own at their own speed.
- Ask for volunteers to recite it for the class. See who can say it the fastest with it still being understandable.
- This amusing activity works on annunciation and breaks up a long rehearsal.
*Ticket Out The Door:
- Pose a question to the class and have students write down their answer on a scrap piece of paper that they will turn in as they leave class.
- Example questions:
- What are three things you need to remember before we sing [song title]?
- This activity lets me know the student’s understanding and reinforces concepts we have discussed in class.
Silent Counting:
- Conduct a 4-pattern and have class count aloud as you conduct.
- Cue class to stop counting audibly, but have them continue counting at a steady tempo in their heads.
- After waiting a 10-15 seconds, cue the class to begin counting aloud again. The goal is for everybody to come in on the same number/beat.
- This activity reinforces each student’s ability to maintain a steady beat silently.
*Body Percussion:
- Set a steady beat on a metronome and have the class keep the beat with a part of their body (tapping, snapping, nodding, clapping etc).
- Select students to improvise a rhythm with body percussion as the rest of the class continues the steady beat. Continue adding students to increase the complexity of the rhythmic mix.
- This activity breaks up long rehearsals and allows students to be creative exploring body percussion.
Silent Solfege:
- Sing a scale on repeat as a class.
- Cue class to stop singing audibly, but have them audiate both the solfege syllable and pitch.
- After waiting a 10-15 seconds, cue the class to begin singing aloud again. The goal is for everybody to come in on the same pitch and syllable.
- This activity reinforces each student’s ability to audiate and maintain a steady beat silently.
* = I created this activity