"Penta" Means "5"

We've been reviewing the pentatonic scale in 4th grade! We learned all about it when we were in 3rd grade (remember "Cumberland Gap"?), so we are now reviewing this concept with a song called "L'il Liza Jane," and we have been busy!

We're practicing writing the pentatonic scale ("pentatonic" means "5 tones"), which includes the pitches do, re, mi, so, and la. We watched a video of the musician Bobby McFerrin speaking/singing at a science festival about how the brain is basically wired for a pentatonic scale (to see the video, click here- it's pretty amazing that he can make a room full of scientists sing the pentatonic scale by jumping around the stage!).

We talked about folk songs, and we learned a patterned movement to the song. We'll be adding instruments to this song, including Orff instruments (xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels) and even recorders. We've even composed some pentatonic melodies!