The Secret Language of So and Mi

Lesson Plan • Unit 2, Lesson 2

Duration: 30 Minutes

Grade: 2nd Grade Music

Objective

Students will be able to sing and identify the solfege pitches 'So' and 'Mi' on a two-line staff and use correct Curwen hand signs.

Key Concepts

Solfege (So, Mi)
Curwen Hand Signs
Pitch Matching (Minor 3rd)
Two-Line Staff reading

Materials Needed

1
Meet So and Mi Slides
2
Solfege Matching Cards (Game)
3
So-Mi Melodies Worksheet

Instructional Arc

05'

Warm-up: Solfege Echo

Teacher sings short So-Mi patterns (So-Mi, So-So-Mi, Mi-So-Mi). Students echo back using their voices only. Then, introduce the hand signs: So (flat palm facing in) and Mi (flat palm facing down).

08'

Direct Instruction: The Two-Line Staff

Explain that "So" is higher than "Mi". Show the two-line staff. On a two-line staff, if So is on a line, Mi is on the line below it. If So is in a space, Mi is in the space below it.

10'

Game: Singing and Signing

Use the matching cards. Hand out cards with different So-Mi patterns written on them. Students must find their partner who has the same pattern and sing/sign it together.

07'

Practice: So-Mi Melodies Worksheet

Students identify So and Mi on a two-line staff and write their own short 4-beat melody using just these two notes.

Assessment & Differentiation

Check for Understanding

Can students accurately show the difference in height between So and Mi hand signs (So should be higher, near shoulders; Mi near stomach)?

Differentiation

Support: Use color-coded notes (Blue for So, Yellow for Mi).
Challenge: Have students create a "riddle" melody where they sing the pattern and a friend has to draw it.

The Secret Language of So and Mi

So Mi Lesson Plan

Meet So and Mi Slides

So Mi Matching Game

So Mi Melodies Worksheet