Scratch: Size and Pitch

The challenges of distance learning have led me down a deep rabbit hole to learn how to code. I have been using Scratch to create interactive music experiences for my students learning at home. If you missed my other posts on Scratch, click this link.

I use fairy tales to help introduce the kindergarten students to the Orff instruments for the first time. I "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" we compare the sizes of the billy goats and the sizes of the bars. The bigger bars sound lower and the smaller bars sound higher. We also change our voices to sound higher and lower. In this Scratch game, the students click the goats and troll for sound effects.

Three Billy Goats Gruff

In Goldilocks, we continued to explore size and pitch and compared the different size xylophones. Papa Bear becomes the bass, Mama Bear becomes the alto, and  Baby Bear becomes the soprano. Goldilocks is the glockenspiel. In class, we get to take turns rotating through these instruments while I read the story. With the Scratch game, they get to play all the sounds. They can click the character or click the instrument.

Goldilocks

I hope your students enjoy these games! 

Click for more Scratch games created by me.

Click to join the Facebook Group Scratch for Music Educators.

Scratch Melodic Games

The challenges of distance learning have led me down a deep rabbit hole to learn how to code. I have been using Scratch to create interactive music experiences for my students learning at home. If you missed my other posts on Scratch, click this link.

The projects I'm sharing in this post focus on melody. In Tideo, the students will play the Tideo phrase at the ends of each line. In the video lessons, we examined the staff notation and used hand signs to sing in solfege. In a normal lesson, we would transfer this melody to the Orff instruments. In the Scratch, the song will play and a yellow box will appear around the notation for each phrase. Students use their number keys to play the melody.

Tideo

I would normally use "Home" by Phillip Phillips with recorders. We would play the chorus on recorders and play the refrain on the xylophones. On Scratch, students will use their number keys to play both on a virtual xylophone. A yellow box will appear around each melody to show the students when to play.

Home

"The Ballad of the Beetles and the Bedbugs" allows students to play a melodic ostinato to accompany the song-a broken bordun. Then, they have a chance to improvise a melodic section. This is one of the first lessons introducing melodic improvisation. I love using the baseball analogy. I compare Do to homebase and ask the students to end their melody on Do.

Beetles and Bedbugs

I hope your students enjoy these games! 

Click for more Scratch games created by me.

Click to join the Facebook Group Scratch for Music Educators.

Music Educators Coding With Scratch

Coding. Did I ever think I would be teaching myself how to code? Nope. But, here I am jumping down the rabbit hole. Who knew it would be something that would expand my skills as a music educator?

I elected to be a cloud teacher for the district through December. I am the sole elementary music educator for 1400 cloud students. So, all of my teaching must be delivered asynchronously. With this large amount of students, creating instrument kits was out of the question. So, I started searching the web for interactive music instruments to include in my virtual classroom. That is when I discovered Scratch.

Scratch is a website where anyone can program interactive games, stories, and animations. This is completely free and you do not have to log on to access the games. I first found interactive instruments that were created by others.  I featured them in my Virtual Classroom. You may click the image below to visit and take a peek.

I started including these instruments in lessons. I provided a link for the students to go to the virtual xylophone and try to play a song using their number keys. That seemed to be successful, but I wanted the students to be able to see the notation of the song and also play along to a track. So, I learned how to remix a Scratch project.

Scratch is also an interactive community where you can view projects created by others and also remix them. Remixing is a process of using someone else's project as a starting point and altering things to make a new project. For my first remix, I used a xylophone created by another user and added a new background and playing track. I have embedded it below. Click the space bar to begin the audio track. You can use the numbers or the letters to play the pitches, but it is easiest to use the numbers since they are in chromatic order. Our kindergarten through 2nd grade have touch screen Chromebooks. They would be able to touch the bars to play. The touch aspect would also work well on tablets or iPads.

After I got a taste of remixing, I had to learn more. My next projects used a guitar and strumming chord patterns. I used "Monster Mash" to get students in the mood for Halloween. For those students who do not celebrate, I offered an alternative-"Don't Worry Be Happy".  I learned how to animate using motion. The bat and bird fly over the correct chords. The characters also have speech bubbles which tell the strumming patterns and the upcoming chord. Both projects are embedded below. Click the green flags to begin. You can use your letter keys to strum the chords or you could click the letters with your mouse or touch screen.

 

For the next project, I decided to combine the two options to play harmony and melody. I used the song "Skin and Bones". Students can play the Dm chord by clicking the guitar or using their space bar. The glockenspiel can be used to play the "Oo-Oo-Oo-Ooo" phrase. They can click the bars or use the number keys. Click the green flag to begin the audio track.

I'm sure I'm not done creating Scratch projects. I'll try to keep you updated. If you click the link below, you can view all the projects I have created in Scratch.

Music With Mrs. Dennis on Scratch

If you are interested in learning how to code with Scratch, you can follow these Facebook Groups.

Teaching With Scratch

Scratch For Music Educators

Mallet Wrapping Update

Four years ago, I searched YouTube for tutorials on mallet wrapping. Here is my first post on that journey.

Below is a picture of  mallets that I rewrapped four years, They are starting to fray. 

I also have several pairs that were still factory-wrapped that are in rough shape.

I spent the weekend rewrapping over 17 pairs of mallets and I have made a tutorial video for you. I hope you will be brave and attempt to save some of your old tattered mallets. If you have any questions after watching the video, I'd be glad to answer them.  Happy wrapping!

Orff Visual Update

My second year teaching, I created an Orff visual aid with removable Velcro bars. More details about that instrument can be found on this post.

After 14 years of teaching, the foam board is severely worn. The F was ripped and replaced by folded paper and a paperclip. Many of the labels have multiple layers of scotch tape holding them on.  I decided it was time for an upgrade.

If I was going to create a new Orff visual, I wanted it to last until my retirement. So, I decided to make it out of wood. I had some scraps of utility plywood from an art project. I measured and cut my pieces, sanded the edges, and painted with acrylic craft paint.

I have a friend with a Cricut which could custom cut vinyl for the letters. I created white letters for the bars and black letters for underneath the bars. I bought new velcro dots and then sprayed the bars and base with a Mod Podge clear coat.

Here is a picture with the extra sharps and flats.

The students were so excited to see the new "fake instrument". It is functional and aesthetically pleasing. I'm certain this will last for many years to come. I may even get to pass it along to a new teacher when it is finally time for me to retire.

Orff Arranging With An App

I love to use the Acapella app to help create Orff arrangements. You can record videos and hear multiple parts simultaneously. There is a free version and paid version available in the Apple Store and Google Play.

With the free version of the app, you can record up to one minute in length.  Since most of the Orff arrangements use repeated ostinatos, I have never needed a video longer than one minute. The paid upgrade offers longer videos and more options for formatting the video windows. 

I have used the Acapella app to create videos to share Orff arrangements with other teachers. I have also posted videos on my classroom webpage for students to watch and practice at home. A few examples can be found below. 

I have recently explored the social features of the app and would love to collaborate with other music teachers. If you download the app, you can click the “Discover” tab at the bottom of the screen and search for song titles, artists, tags, or people. I have added the tag #orff or #recorder to my videos.. If you would like to follow me, search for “mrsdennis” under people. If you follow me, I will follow you back. I look forward to building a community of music educators sharing Orff arrangements with each other!

Friday Reflection: Orff Bar Storage

I am very fortunate to have a large collection of Orff instruments. I am also very fortunate to have a large space to allow most of the instruments to remain out at all times and still have open space for movement. Here is a glance of my Orff set-up. You can view a full tour of my room on this post.

I feel like I have a pretty good system for my instruments ... except for my accidentals. For years, I have kept the accidentals separated in Ziploc bags in a basket on the shelf. When we needed F# or Bb I would have to pass the bags out. Matching the correct bag to the correct instrument was very time consuming. I knew I needed a new system and kept trying to brainstorm solutions. 

Last May, I started saving empty containers of disinfectant wipes. I removed the labels and then used zip ties to attach them to the instruments. I have a few instruments on rolling stands.  These containers were attached to the legs of the stand and the weight rested on the bottom brace. I used 2 zip ties on the top and 2 zip ties on the bottom. 

Most of my instruments sit flat on the floor. I first measured the height of the instrument so the container could sit right below the edge of the top piece of wood. I cut the container easily with a box cutter. The instrument pictured below is Sonor Primary line. There are threaded holes already in these instruments to attach legs which are purchased separately.  I used these holes to feed the zip ties through. It took 3 zip ties to secure these containers through the holes.

The Sonor alto metallophones sit a little taller and didn't need as much trimming. 

I have a couple older Sonor instruments that have pressed wood boxes. These instruments were taller and the containers did not need trimmed at all. They also had metal threads for legs, but there was not a hole going through the wood box. I used a drill to create a small hole through the wood inside the threaded hole. 

I'm so pleased with this new system. I was afraid there may be rattling from the bars vibrating against each other, but we have been playing with them a few weeks and I haven't noticed any noises. My older students have done a great job switching the bars and returning the naturals back when they were finished. The students have also used the containers for extra mallet storage. Since I used zip ties, these containers can be easily removed and then replaced if needed.

The best thing about this system is that it was practically free! I bought some zip ties at a discount store for just $2. In May, I also asked the classroom teachers to send me their empty wipe containers. Since they were cleaning for summer, I quickly accumulated enough for my instruments. 

How do you store your accidentals? Share below if you have a great idea that others may want to copy.

Intro To Melodic Improv

I am a member of the MusicEd Blogs Community on Facebook. We are collaborating for the month of February to share our best ideas for teaching melody! If you are not already following us on Facebook, you should click the link above. For today's post, I will give you some tips on how to teach melodic improvisation.

Improvisation! Does that word scare you? It used to scare me. I was not offered many opportunities to improvise as a student in school. Without experience and frame of reference, I had no idea how to approach teaching it. Thanks to my training in Orff Schulwerk, I have become very comfortable teaching melodic improvisation. I regularly provide opportunities for all my students to create and improvise both rhythmically and melodically. I hope some of the advice I explain below will help you feel more comfortable teaching improvisation.

1) Choose a Familiar Medium 

If you would like your students to improvise, they should have lots of experience playing or singing in unison on the chosen instrument. If you choose an instrument that is unfamiliar to the students, they may not feel comfortable or confident exploring their creativity. 

2) Start With Body Percussion

When presenting students with a new, challenging task, gradually ease them out of their comfort zone. Before I ask my students to improvise with pitch, they have lots of experience improvising rhythmically. Body percussion can provide a variety of sounds while still focused only on rhythm. Body percussion is also a great connection to something familiar. The 4 basic body percussion sounds are patsching (patting), clapping, stamping (stomping), and snapping. We first improvise on our "leg-a-phones" by patsching. Then, I allow them to have 2 sound choices--patsching and clapping. We gradually add stomping and then snapping. If I started with 4 sound options, they may be too overwhelmed. Remember to add only 1 element of change at a time. Start with a steady beat and then gradually add paired eighth notes or even rests. Improvising rhythmically with multiple body percussion sounds will make melodic improvisation with multiple pitches less intimidating.

3) Pentatonic Power

The pentatonic scale is a great place to begin with melodic improvisation. By removing fa and ti, there won't be any notes that "sound wrong". I use this "fake instrument" as a visual to show my students which bars to remove. When we are first improvising, we are mostly in the key of C so they know do (tonic) is the lowest pitch. But, I teach movable do and we often modulate to F and G. I also use la-based minor. If we improvise in minor, they know to end on la.

4) Limit the Freedom

Students will have greater chances of success if you limit their freedom of choice. Take baby steps. and gradually ease them out of their comfort zone. When I begin teaching melodic improvisation, I simplify the rhythm and begin with quarter notes only. I also limit the number of pitches the students can choose. We start improvising on one note do. Next, they can choose from 2 notes (do and re), but they must end on do. Then, they can choose from 3 notes- do, re, and mi. Eventually, they will have freedom to improvise with the entire pentatonic scale, but that would not happen in the first lesson. I also make sure they can feel the phrase length and successfully end on do before we add more complex rhythms like paired eighth notes. 

5) Provide a Framework

In addition to simplifying the rhythm and limiting the pitch choice, you should also provide a clear framework to structure the improvisation. I like to begin with short 4 beat phrases. In this example, I use the song, "Snowflakes". Each phrase begins with a skip from do to mi on the word "snowflakes". The full notation is below, but the lyrics are: Snowflakes gently falling, Snowflakes dance around, Snowflakes gently falling, Snowflakes touch the ground.

When we improvise to this song, I ask the students to repeat this phrase--"Snowflakes something else, Snowflakes end on G". During "Snowflakes" the students continue to play G and B as they did in the melody of the song. During "something else" and "end on", they improvise and choose any pitch in the pentatonic scale. Their final note must be G, which is tonic for this song. By alternating the improvisation with something familiar, the students are less intimidated. For a final performance, we would perform in ABA form. The "Snowflakes" song would be the A sections with the improvisations as a B section.

Another example can be found in a previous post with the book "Leap Back Home To Me". Students improvise on the phrase "Leap a-way" and then "Leap back home" This is the same rhythm with 3 quarter notes and a rest, but this time playing 2 measures at once. The phrases are still separated by a rest on beat 4 to provide a familiar structure. Eventually the phrases can get longer.

6) Rhythmic Building Blocks

When students can improvise successfully with quarter notes, you should add paired eighth notes. Orff utilizes speech to make rhythms seem more familiar to the students. We often pair 2-beat rhythm patterns with words and call them rhythmic building blocks or rhythmic building bricks. Here is an example of these rhythms with types of shoes--flip flop, tennis shoe, penny loafer, boot.

This activity was used with the poem "Cobbler, Cobbler". You can find more information about this lesson by clicking the link. Before improvising, we would compose 4-measure rhythmic patterns. Each student creates their own pattern to perform verbally and then notate. Before moving to the barred instruments, we choose one rhythm and notate it on the board. When we improvise, we are still in rhythmic unison performing the rhythmic phrase we notated on the board. After a few times experiencing this stage with different types of building blocks, I will give the students the opportunity to improvise with their own rhythm instead of a group rhythm. In order to end cleanly together, I always ask them to choose a quarter note and quarter rest as their last rhythm. This note will also be do. So, for the first 3 measures, it may feel like chaos, but on beat 4, we are in unison again. 

7) Gradually Shrink the Ensemble

Performing solo is very intimidating. Performing something you have created can make you feel even more vulnerable. So, here are some tips to gradually ease your students into improvising a solo.

First, they must be comfortable singing/playing in unison with the group, then in unison with small groups, in unison with partners, and finally performing a provided melody as a solo.

When approaching improvisation, continue the same pattern with large group, small group, partners, and soloists. On the barred instruments, I like to separate into 2 groups with woods vs. metals. For 4 groups, I separate like this: 1) glockenspiels; 2) soprano/alto xylophones; 3) soprano/alto metallophones; 4) bass xylophones/metallophones. You may separate differently based on your instrumentarium. You may choose to separate based on rows or numbers.

8) Differentiation

Differentiation seems to be an education buzz word in recent years. Improvisation is the best way to provide differentiation for your students. By letting the students improvise, they have the power to create a melody appropriate for their skill level. If they are struggling, they may stick to more simple rhythms and limit their choice of pitches. If they are more advanced, they may choose more complex rhythms and may explore more than one octave on the instrument. Remind the students that if they feel overwhelmed they can always simplify their rhythm or pitch options.

9) Self-Assessment

Exploration is usually unstructured and would consist of hitting random notes. Improvisation may begin as exploration but should move past that phase into purposeful musical choices. I provide a few questions for my students to assess their own performance.

Keeping a steady beat is important to feel the ends of the phrases. If your students cannot keep a steady beat while improvising, they need to simplify the rhythm or have fewer pitch choices. Ending on do is a must. In order to sound finished, we should end on the tonic. Lastly, they must ask themselves if their melody was sing-able. Could they try to sing and repeat what they just improvised? If they are leaping all across the keyboard, the likely answer is no. Encourage them to begin with stepwise movement, gradually adding skips or leaps. By giving them a rubric, you make them responsible to assess themselves and they will begin improving their performance each time.

10) Be a Model

My last tip for you is to BE A MODEL!!! If your students don't see you improvising, taking risks, and making mistakes, they won't be as confident to attempt their own improvisation. Create an environment that is safe and welcoming of all musical ideas. Show your students how to give praise to those who are succeeding and positive support to those who need extra guidance. If you are relaxed and comfortable, they will have fun and have no idea that melodic improvisation is supposed to be scary and difficult. Best of luck!!!

Coda

I hope you found something of value to help your confidence in teaching melodic improvisation! If you have any additional tips you would like to share, feel free to leave comments below. I would also love some feedback if you have done activities similar to these. If you would like more ideas about teaching melody, don't forget to follow our MusicEd Blogs collaboration for the entire month of February. You can find all past posts on the Facebook blog.

Finding Do with "Leap Back Home To Me"

I am a member of the MusicEd Blogs Community on Facebook. We are collaborating for the month of February to share our best ideas for teaching melody! If you are not already following us on Facebook, you should click the link above. 

For today's post, I am sharing a lesson on how to introduce melodic improvisation with a picture book. I love using children's literature in the classroom. Books are magical and can capture the attention of even the most challenging class.  about the book "Leap Back Home to Me" by Laruen Thompson. This book is featured in an old post from 2012, but I have updated my lesson procedures after many years of refining.

If you are not already familiar with this book, watch this short video:

When singing with solfege, I always call do home base. I use this book with second grade to introduce melodic improvisation on the Orff instruments and ending on do. 

The book is very rhythmic and is set up in stanzas of 4 lines. In each stanza, the first 3 lines are different places that the baby frog leaps when playing and exploring away from the momma frog. The 4th line always repeats the phrase "leap back home to me." Here's an example:

"Leap frog over the  lady bug,

Leap frog over the bee,

Leap frog over the tickly clover,

Then leap back home to me."

 I start reading the text in a speaking voice. But, on the last phrase, I sing "mi, mi, re, re, do." The students soon catch on to the form and anticipate the recurring phrase to join in the singing.

After finishing the book, we read notation of the phrase on the board and sing with solfege and hand signs. I also review the form of the poem asking how many places the frog leaps away from the momma before leaping back home. (Answer: 3)

We move to the Orff instruments and set up our instruments in C pentatonic, removing F and B. The students echo short melodies I create with mi, re, and do. We compare these melodies and I ask them which phrases sound finished.  We conclude together that it sounds more complete to end on do.  Then, we learn the phrase for "leap back home to me" (mmrrd) and perform it again while reading through the book.

To begin melodic improvisation, I have students echo this short phrase with a speaking voice and clicking their mallets-"leap away, leap back home". The rhythm is ta ta ta rest, ta ta ta rest.  I instruct students to choose new notes on their instruments for "leap away" but play mi, re, do for "leap back home". We practice this phase several times together and in small sections. Then, I ask them to choose new notes for "leap back" as well. The only note we must play together is "home". We take turns sharing as small groups and then I offer individuals to perform as well. If all the students feel eager to solo, I will provide a steady beat bordun on C and G as we take turns performing quickly, one after the other.

The students always enjoy the book and are eager to explore the instruments and improvise. By the end of the year, I introduce rhythmic building blocks and to get students comfortable improvising with rhythms using quarter notes and paired eighth notes.

I hope you and your students enjoy this lesson! It is one of my favorite activities I look forward to each year. If you would like more ideas about teaching melody, don't forget to follow our MusicEd Blogs collaboration for the entire month of February.

Welcome Back, Class: A Review Unit

To start the year, I plan a unit that will review many musical elements and dust off the vocabulary they may have forgotten over summer. This is a 3-lesson unit for 4th grade which will get the students playing rhythms, singing a melody, playing harmony, improvising, and composing. Here is an overview:

Lesson 1:

I begin the unit with body percussion, including patting, clapping, rubbing, and stomping. We review rhythmic durations by viewing the notation on the board including quarter note, half note, eighth note pairs, and quarter rest. I review dynamics by adding a crescendo on the 3rd phrase. We review the element form and perform the poem in a 2 part round with voices and body percussion. Then, we review timbre and add hand drums.

Lesson 2:

The Remix!!! We review the poem and discuss the musical elements. We discover we were missing melody and harmony in our previous lesson. We echo solfege and review the lines and spaces on the staff. We perform the melody on Orff instruments. We add a broken bordun for harmony. I have the students echo a rhythmic phrase "Fourth Grade Rocks!" They improvise with that phrase twice. I give them parameters for their improvisation. The first phrase CANNOT end on do (C). The second phrase HAS to end on do (C). We perform the improvisations in small groups: 1) glockenspiels; 2) alto/soprano xylophones; 3) metallophones, 4) basses. Our final performance is ABA form with the improv sandwiched between the song.

Lesson 3:

We compose! The students match school subjects with the correct rhythmic building block. I ask them to create a phrase using 8 books. I give them some parameters for composing. I ask that the last book be a rhythm with quarter note and quarter rest. I also ask that the phrases begin with the same 2 books. (Books 1 and 5 should be identical and books 2 and 6 should be identical). The students first get in small groups and use manipulatives to compose. Using manipulatives first saves the erasers on my pencils!!! When the group can perform the poem both verbally and with body percussion, they are given a worksheet to notate their patterns. When everyone is finished with their worksheet, we do a final performance in rondo form sharing the book compositions. We alternate the "Welcome back, Class" poem with each individual group.

This unit is always great fun! After only 3 lessons, I can say my students have used body percussion, played drums, played xylophones, used expressive speech, used their singing voice, performed in round, with ABA form, and rondo form, improvised melodically, and composed rhythms! It is a great way to start the year!

If you are interested in teaching this unit, you can search my TpT store for full lesson plans, PowerPoints, printable worksheets, and manipulatives.

Click Here To Download

Orff Organization

I have had my Orff instruments labeled for many years, but students are often confused with the names. If I ask for alto xylophones to raise their hands, alto metallophones often raise their hands as well. They see the first word "alto" is the same and don't bother reading the second word. Kids are lazy! I am tired of correcting this mistake, so I made some new labels to help prevent confusion and to integrate some color theory! (I am also responsible for teaching visual art.)

I have created labels that are color-coded. All instruments with wooden bars are assigned a warm color (red, orange, yellow, or pink). All instruments with metal bars are assigned a cool color (blues, greens, and purples). Now, when asking for certain instruments or groups, I can call out a specific color or a color family. There are large labels that I placed on the front of the instruments and smaller labels that are on the edge of the instruments near the mallet holes.

I also created a chart to show our entire instrumentarium from highest to lowest pitch. You see the soprano metallophone and soprano xylophone posters side-by-side because they have the same range of pitches. The alto and bass xylophones and metallophones are also at the same levels. (We do not yet have a bass metallophone, but I put it on the chart anyway because I have high hopes to acquire one soon!) The posters feature a picture of the instrument, the type of bars it has, and the relative pitch level.

Before we move from the carpet to the instruments, I always review our procedures to keep the students and instruments safe. I also review proper playing technique. I decided to create posters of these rules to help our visual learners. There are 6 rules: 1) Step Around, 2) Lift With 2 Hands, 3) Aim For the Center, 4) Alternate, 5) Bounce Your Mallets, 6) Wait For the Teacher.

My students recognized the new labels and posters right away and they seem to be a great reference during class. If you think these labels will help your students as well, you may find them on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Click To Download

Broken Fan Tutorial

Props can be a great way to peak student interest in a classroom activity or add a polished touch for a performance. If you are purchasing props for an entire class or grade level, it can become expensive. It is sometimes difficult to find an inexpensive prop that is also durable and can withstand the nervous hands of a student awaiting show time.

Recently, my Orff Ensemble performed the Korean folk song "Arirang",  which included a fan dance. These fans were only $1 each from the Dollar Store. They are made of plastic and fabric and come in a variety of colors. I purchased them from the store in December, but they are currently out of season for their brick and mortar stores.  They are still available online but you must purchase a minimum of 24. Follow this link to the Dollar Tree online store.

During rehearsals, we had no trouble with these fans. While waiting to perform, two students accidently broke their fans. I'm so glad I had extra! After the performance, I tried to find a way to repair the broken fans instead of throwing them away. I am very pleased with the results. Actually, I think the repaired fans are going to be more durable than the originals. Follow this simple tutorial to save your broken fans!

Broken Fan Tutorial

To repair your fan, you will need a large paperclip and some needle nose pliers.

Step 1: Straighten the inside of your paperclip, pulling it open to form a 90 degree angle.

Step 2: Insert the straightened clip through the end of the fan.

Step 3: Using needle nose pliers, form two more 90 degree angles so that your paperclip forms a box around the end of the fan.

Step 4: With pliers, coil one end of the paperclip around the other.

Step 5: With pliers, continue coiling and then snap off any excess paperclip by bending the piece back and forth repeatedly.

Step 6: With pliers, bend the coil down and make sure there are no sharp ends that would scratch your hand while holding the fan.

I hope you find this post helpful! I originally purchased 12 fans, I will definitely be ordering some more to have a complete class set. If you have any lesson ideas that use fans, please add them in the comments below!