Submitted by Tracy, Farmington, Missouri

Idea posted November 11, 2009

It's been a few years since I've used all of these centers, but I will try to describe each of the sections as best I can. *smiling*

Center #1: In Music K-8, Vol. 10, No. 5, there is a word group find for The Star-Spangled Banner (SSB). I have copies of that and pencils at one station. They take a blank word find, put their name on it, and get as much finished in the time that they have and then put it in another folder.

Center #2: Read a short history of the SSB with a partner. When finished, read it again.

Center #3: I printed the lyrics on a pretty American flag. Then printed it on cardstock and cut it into tiny pieces. At this station they put the puzzle together relying on their knowledge of the lyrics.

Center #4: Definitions. This was a folder game with definitions. The word was on the top of a flag or star and the definition was at the bottom of the folder. You lift the little flags and the correct answer is underneath.

Center #5: This one wasn't sturdy enough so it only made it a few times. I took a roll of that adding machine paper and wrote out the lyrics to the song with some strategic blanks here and there. Students were supposed to sing the song and fill in the blanks. Instead, they played by rolling the paper around. *sigh*

Center #6: Coloring sheet with key phrases. Really ugly beast because it was just hollow letters. It was one of the first ones to go and was replaced with a better coloring sheet.

Center #7: Orff station. Students read a few measures of melody and played them on xylophones.

If I revise this whole SSB thing, I would add a listening station with several different performers singing the SSB and either writing down descriptions or catching what they heard with descriptions that I have given them.

I would also create a center that used a wooden cube and a copy of the lyrics. On the cube I would write the beginning of phrases such as "Oh, say can you see..." or "And the rockets..." Students would roll the cube and finish the phrase and their partner would check their answer.

I would probably add a computer station with a video from United Streaming. If I had more than one computer to use, I would make sure that I had a copy of the music in Finale and I would let students embellish or rearrange it.