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UNIT 1 Animal Voices
In this unit, learners will explore animal sounds and movements as the stimuli for creativity and the development of fundamental musical concepts, such as pulse, pitch and timbre. They will learn new songs and experiment with different voices and be introduced to simple rhythm notation and pitches using a single-line stave.
Learning Objectives
2MM.01 Participate in music making with an increasing awareness of others.
2MM.02 Contribute to performances with mostly accurate timing and awareness of pulse and melodic shape.
2MM.03 Explore and combine sounds in response to a range of given or chosen stimuli.
2MM.04 Begin to demonstrate basic organisation of musical ideas when contributing to improvisations and compositions.
2MS.01 Listen and respond to music through asking and answering questions and making sounds and movement.
2MS.03 Recognise that there is a link between sounds and symbols.
Resources
Audio 01–47 Display pages 01–37 Student’s Book pages 03–08
Tuned percussion Untuned percussion Found sounds/other soundmakers
Teaching
09 Kaeru no Uta Backing
10 Kaeru no Uta Frog Sound Rhythms Teaching
11 Animal Sounds Pitch Game 1
12 Animal Sounds Pitch Game 2
13 Mabata Wadogo Performance
14 Mabata Wadogo Teaching
15 Mabata Wadogo Backing
16 Kaeru no Uta Round Performance
17 Kaeru no Uta Round Leader Teaching
18 Kaeru no Uta Round Second Voice Teaching
19 Kaeru no Uta Round Backing
20 Kaeru no Uta Ostinato Teaching
21 This Is a Sound that the Cat Makes Performance
22 This Is a Sound that the Cat Makes Teaching 1
23 This Is a Sound that the Cat Makes Teaching 2
24 This Is a Sound that the Cat Makes Teaching 3
25 This Is a Sound that the Cat Makes Teaching 4
26 This Is a Sound that the Cat Makes Backing
27 Comic Duet for Two Cats
28 Pitch Line 1
29 Pitch Line 2
30 Pitch Line 3
31 Pitch Line 4
32 Mi Chacra Verse 1 Teaching
33 Mi Chacra Verse 2 Teaching
Animal Name Game Cards (in printable resources) Recording device
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34 Mi Chacra Verse 3 Teaching
35 Mi Chacra Backing
36 Animal Rhythm Game Performance
37 Animal Rhythm Game Crocodile Teaching
38 Animal Rhythm Game Bear Teaching
39 Animal Rhythm Game Armadillo Teaching
40 Animal Rhythm Game Dolphin Teaching
41 Mabata Wadogo Rhythm Performance
42 Animal Clapping Game 1
43 Animal Clapping Game 2
44 Animal Clapping Game 3
45 Animal Clapping Game 4
46 Animal Rhythm Game Backing
47 Rain Forest
Background Information: Listening and Songs
Mi Chacra 01
Traditional
This traditional song from Argentina is about a beautiful farm, the animals you can find there and the sounds they make. It provides both a lovely melody to encourage accurate performance of pitch and an introduction to the timbres of the sounds made by farmyard animals.
Animal Sounds 04
by Steve Grocott
This copying song is a good warm-up at the start of a lesson. Making the animal sounds encourages learners to explore and stretch their voices in an enjoyable way. It provides a starting point for learners to contribute their own sounds and to extend their knowledge of the natural world.
Kaeru no Uta 06
Traditional
This traditional song from Japan has a simple melody that moves by step. It incorporates two contrasting frog sound words with different rhythms. Learners will sing this as a two-part round and add a simple tuned ostinato accompaniment.
Mabata Wadogo 13
Traditional
Swimming ducks are the subject of this traditional echo song from East Africa, sung in Kiswahili. It has vocal effects imitating the ducks’ sound and a lively rhythm accompaniment. Each phrase is repeated as an echo, making it easy to learn. The simple chord structure means it can be accompanied using the same tuned percussion pattern as Kaeru no Uta
This is a Sound that the Cat Makes 21
by Steve Grocott
Using the same format as Animal Sounds, this song extends the opportunity for a vocal warm-up. It off ers a stimulus for talking about how we use pitch, timbre and dynamics to make expressive music. Learners are given starting points for making their own improvisations and compositions.
Animal Rhythm Game 36
by Steve Grocott
This is a simple warm-up chant focusing on the rhythms of animal names. Notation of the rhythms is provided for learners to explore, experience and practise how symbols can organise sounds. It provides a template for learners to organise name rhythms in their own compositions and then use symbols to notate them.
Comic Duet for Two Cats 27
attributed to Gioachino Rossini
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In this duet, two operatic vocalists perform a conversation as cats. It has a comical feel, encouraging learners to experiment with their own voices focusing on how musical pitch, timbre and dynamics help communication. The piece, titled in Italian Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti, is attributed to the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868), who wrote many operas.
Rain Forest 47
by Scott Prairie (performed by A Moving Sound – a Taiwanese performance group)
This piece of ambient music with influences from countries across Asia depicts a rainforest, including animal and bird sounds. The rainforest sounds are blended with musical instruments that sometimes mimic the animal sounds and also play melodically. The piece shows how music can be used with a purpose to evoke the experience of being in a particular place.
LESSON 1 Exploring Animal Sounds
Learners will sing songs from different parts of the world about animals, focusing on vocal timbre and pitch. They will explore using their voices to produce different timbres and use different soundmakers to add rhythm patterns in a song.
Resources • Audio 01–10 • Display pages 01–08 • Student’s Book page 03 • Untuned percussion • Found sounds/other soundmakers • Tuned percussion (teacher use, optional)
Vocabulary Timbre, Pitch
ACTIVITY 1 Sing a Chorus and Add Vocal Sounds in Mi Chacra
• Explore making animal sounds using voices.
• Sing a chorus of a song in Spanish and add animal sounds with voices.
Listen to Mi Chacra 01 and join in with the animal sounds in each verse (‘cuac ’, ‘miau ’, ‘guau ’). Explain that this is a traditional song from Argentina, sung in Spanish. Ask learners which animals they recognise. (Patito –duckling; gatito – kitten; perrito – puppy. Note that the ‘ito’ word ending is because they are all young animals.)
Show the chorus lyrics on Display 01 and learn to sing the chorus by copying each phrase with the teaching audio 02 . Then sing with the chorus performance audio 03 . O va, camara’, o va, camara’, o va, o va, o va. O va, camara’, o va, camara’, o va, o va, o va.
Show the lyrics on Display 02 and play the performance audio 01 . All tap the pulse on knees during the verses and join in with the animal sounds and choruses.
ACTIVITY 2 Explore Vocal Timbre in Animal Sounds
• Sing a two-note melody accurately.
• Invent a new line for a song and improvise animal sounds with voices.
Show Display 03 and listen to Animal Sounds 04 , echoing each phrase and animal sound. Repeat to ensure learners are confident singing the two-note melody. (Support learners to sing the melody accurately by marking the pitch with your hand – see Teaching Tips. Try singing with the backing audio 05 .)
Talk about different sounds animals make, inviting learners to suggest and demonstrate their own animal sounds. Encourage them to exaggerate the ‘timbre’ (sound quality).
Show Display 04 and support learners to sing their own animal phrase and animal sound for the class to copy (e.g. ‘This is a sound that the cat makes: meeeeoooow, meeeeoooow’). Some learners may like to improvise sounds for ‘This is a sound that I make…’
Learners make a note of their favourite and their invented phrase and sound in their student’s book.
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ACTIVITY 3 Explore Pitch in Kaeru no Uta
• Explore pitch in a song.
• Learn to sing a song in Japanese.
Listen to Kaeru no Uta 06 . Which animal do learners think this song is about? (It is a traditional Japanese song about a frog.)
Listen again, and model marking the pitch of the two frog sound phrases using your hand.
Use Display 05 and the frog sounds teaching audio 07 to practise singing these phrases. Notice that the first phrase stays on the same pitch, whereas the second phrase rises up then down by step. Encourage learners to mark the rising and falling pitch with their hands.
Learn to sing the complete song by copying each phrase with the teaching audio 08 , following the lyrics on Display 06, if needed.
Practise singing the song all the way through with the performance audio 06 , then the backing audio 09 when confident.
ACTIVITY 4 Explore Frog Timbres Using Soundmakers
• Perform rhythm patterns on untuned percussion and other soundmakers.
• Explore the timbre of diff erent soundmakers to mimic frog sounds.
Show Display 07 and practise clapping the frog sound rhythms, using the teaching audio for support if needed 10 . Sing Kaeru no Uta with the performance audio 06 and clap the rhythm for those lines.
Show Display 08 and have a selection of untuned percussion and found sounds available (e.g. guiros and other scrapers, maracas, pencil scraping on a rough surface). Invite learners to suggest and demonstrate ideas for suitable sounds to mimic the frog sounds for the two frog phrases. Encourage learners to think about matching the timbre of the soundmaker with the frog’s voice (e.g. short croaky scraping sounds).
Explore ideas as a class or in pairs. Learners make a note of their chosen sounds in their student’s book.
Perform the song with the performance 06 or backing audio 09 , inviting a small group to add their frog sounds rhythmically for the two phrases. Repeat to allow other learners the opportunity to make their sounds.
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TEACHING TIPS
• Learners may choose to make different animal sounds for the examples in the songs.
• Some learners may prefer to sing their animal phrases in Activity 2 with another learner or with you. You could play a starting pitch on the note G on a chime bar.
• Watch the Teacher Support video on ‘How to show pitch when teaching a song’ for support with pitch marking.
• Watch the Elements of Music videos on pitch and timbre, if needed.
• Encourage learners to be creative finding sounds, using classroom objects or body percussion as well as untuned percussion.
EXTENSION IDEAS AND FURTHER LISTENING
• Explore percussion and found sounds for the other animals introduced this lesson in Animal Sounds and Mi Chacra, or any that learners suggested in Activity 2.
LESSON 2 More Animal Sounds
Learners will sing in two groups in an echo song and a two-part round. They will explore pitch, including reading and notating two-note melodies with a pitch line.
Resources • Audio 04, 06, 09, 11–20 • Display pages 09–15 • Student’s Book page 04 • Chime bars or other tuned percussion (notes G and E)
Vocabulary Pitch, Melody, Round, Ostinato
ACTIVITY 1 Explore Pitch in Animal Sounds
• Explore two-note pitch notation.
Revise singing Animal Sounds by echoing each line 04 . Use pitch marking (using your hand) to follow the melody as it alternates between two pitches.
Show Display 09 as you sing the song again, and discuss how the display shows the pitch. (The higher note is above the line and the lower note is below the line.)
Show Display 10, which shows two alternative melodies. Play each pitch game audio in turn 11 12 and ask learners to identify which melody is being played. (Pitch game audio 1 matches melody A: the melody stays on one note. Pitch game audio 2 matches melody B: the melody alternates between two pitches, starting on the lower note.)
Learners invent their own two-pitch melody for the first line of the song and write it in their student’s book. Invite individuals to share their melodies with the class.
ACTIVITY 2 Sing an Echo Song – Mabata Wadogo
• Sing an echo song from East Africa in two groups.
Listen to Mabata Wadogo 13 , showing the lyrics on Display 11. All join in singing the echoed lines.
Talk about the meaning of the song. (It is a traditional East African song about ducks swimming on a farm.)
Practise singing each line with the teaching audio 14 and repeat until secure. Ask learners whether the duck sounds ‘gwa, gwa, gwa ’ are sung on the same pitch or whether they go up or down. (They are the same pitch.)
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Divide into two groups to sing the song: group 1 sings the leader part (the call) and group 2 sings the echo. Then swap over. (If confident, try singing with the backing audio 15 .)
ACTIVITY 3 Sing a Two-part Round in Kaeru no Uta
• Sing a familiar song as a round.
• Prac tise holding their own part while others are singing something different.
Revise singing Kaeru no Uta with the performance audio 06 and the lyrics on Display 12, if needed. Listen to the round performance audio 16 and ask learners to describe what they hear. (There are two voices singing. The second voice starts after the first.) Explain that this is an example of a song sung as a ‘round’.
Show Display 13 and practise singing the first voice part with the leader teaching audio 17 . Then repeat with the second voice part 18 .
Divide into two groups to sing the round. Practise several times, giving each group the opportunity to sing the first and second parts.
ACTIVITY 4 Play and Reflect –Two-note Ostinato with a Song
• Learn a pitched ostinato to accompany a song.
• Play a two-note ostinato following pitch notation.
Show the ostinato accompaniment for Kaeru no Uta on Display 14 and explain that an ostinato is a repeating pattern. Play the ostinato teaching audio 20 and model singing and playing the two-note ostinato using chime bars or other tuned percussion (notes G and E), with a beater in each hand. Ask learners to join in, miming holding two beaters and singing the ostinato (sing – G G E; play – right, right, left).
Use these notes:
Repeat to allow other learners the opportunity to play the accompaniment.
I am confident singing in a round.
I am confident playing a two-note ostinato accompaniment.
TEACHING TIPS
very quite not sure
• When singing as a round, try to ensure there are confident singers in both groups.
• When singing as a round, give a clear signal to the second group when to start singing.
• Position confident learners next to those who are less confident, for additional support.
• Learners may find it interesting to discuss different sounds used to represent animal sounds in other languages, e.g. ‘gwa’ used for a duck in Mabata Wadogo and a frog in Kaeru no Uta
• When using tuned percussion, you may like to remove other notes from xylophones or put sticky dots on glockenspiel bars to indicate which notes to play.
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Support a small group to practise playing the ostinato accompaniment on tuned percussion as the rest of the class sings with the performance or backing audio 06 09 .
Show Display 15 and ask learners how confident they felt singing in a round in Activity 3 and playing the ostinato. Encourage them to complete the reflection in their student’s book.
UNIT 1 ANIMAL VOICES
EXTENSION IDEAS AND FURTHER LISTENING
• Using the notes G and E, ask learners to try playing the melody for ‘This is a sound that the chick makes’ from Animal Sounds
• Try singing Kaeru no Uta as a round with the backing audio 19
• Play a tuned percussion listening game: one player plays a short melodic pattern using two pitches for a partner to listen and copy.
• Invite a small group to perform the same tuned percussion ostinato to accompany the singing in Mabata Wadogo Start the pattern on the ‘ba ’ of ‘Mabata ’.
LESSON 3 Comic Duet for Two Cats
Learners will explore the use of pitch, duration and dynamics when using their voices. They will listen to examples, improvise their own musical conversations and explore reading and drawing pitch lines.
Resources • Audio 01, 21–35 • Display pages 16–19 • Student’s Book page 05
Vocabulary Pitch, Duration, Dynamics, Timbre
ACTIVITY 1 Explore vocal sounds in This Is a Sound that the Cat Makes
• Explore pitch, duration and dynamics with vocal sounds.
Listen to This Is a Sound that the Cat Makes 21 and all join in with the echo for each line. Ask learners how this song is different from Animal Sounds. (It uses the same melody, but the lyrics are only about cat sounds: the sounds are performed differently each time.)
Play each teaching audio in turn 22 23 24 25 . Ask learners to describe and compare the cat sounds, e.g.
1. Four short meows that get louder.
2. Two long meows that rise in pitch. 3. Two long meows that rise then fall in pitch.
Four short meows that get quieter.
Show Display 16 and join in singing the echoes again 21 , trying to copy the sounds accurately, thinking about duration of sound (long/short), dynamics (volume) and pitch. (Use pitch marking to help guide learners’ voices when changing pitch. Sing with the backing audio 26 if preferred.)
ACTIVITY 2 Listen to Comic Duet for Two Cats
• Experience expressive use of the voice in a musical context.
• Listen to a piece and imagine what is happening.
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• Improvise a cat conversation using expressive voices.
Listen to Comic Duet for Two Cats 27 without giving any information and ask learners to describe what they hear. How many voices are there? (Two operatic soprano voices are singing as cats, as though having a conversation.)
Listen again and afterwards ask learners to describe what they imagine happening in the conversation. (There is no right answer to this. Encourage learners to give musical reasons for their answers, e.g. referring to dynamics – how loud/quiet, duration – how long/short, and timbre – sound quality.)
Ask learners to improvise their own cat conversation in pairs. Invite pairs to perform their cat conversation to the class. What do learners imagine happening in each conversation? Encourage positive feedback.
ACTIVITY 3 Explore Pitch Lines
• Explore following pitch lines with voices.
• Draw pitch lines for a friend to interpret.
Show the four pitch lines on Display 17 and play the four pitch line audios in turn 28 29 30 31 . Ask learners to match each audio with its pitch line. (Answers: Pitch line audio 1 – B; 2 – A; 3 – D; 4 – C.)
Trace along each pitch line with your finger and ask learners to follow the direction with their voices.
Trace an imaginary pitch line in the air, asking learners to follow it with their voices.
Invite a confident learner to trace a pitch line for the class to follow with their voices.
Learners draw a pitch line in their student’s book and invite a partner to follow it with their voice.
ACTIVITY 4 Sing Mi Chacra
• Learn to sing verses in Spanish.
• Sing with increasing accuracy and clarity.
Show the lyrics on Display 18 and revise singing the chorus and making the animal sounds with the Mi Chacra performance audio 01
Show the lyrics of the verses on Display 19 and learn to sing the verses by copying each line in the teaching audios 32 33 34 . Repeat until confident.
Prac tise singing the complete song with the performance 01 or backing audio 35 .
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TEACHING TIPS
• Watch the Elements of Music videos on pitch, dynamics and duration to support learners, making sure they understand the difference between pitch going up and down (getting higher and lower) and dynamics (volume).
• When singing Mi Chacra, encourage learners to make sounds at the start of words clear (e.g. ‘m’ on ‘mi ’ and ‘ch’ at the start of ‘chacra ’).
EXTENSION IDEAS AND FURTHER LISTENING
• Search online for a video performance of Comic Duet for Two Cats to show how the performers interact.
• Invite learners to draw longer pitch lines, asking their friends to interpret them with their voices.
• Revisit other songs from the unit. Learners benefit from regular repetition when learning new material.
• Listen to The Waltzing Cat by Leroy Anderson. Notice how the violins produce the meow sound with note slides (glissandi). Ask learners whether the meow sounds go up or down in pitch. (They go down.)
LESSON 4 Animal Rhythm Game
Learners will use the names of different animals to focus on rhythm. They will perform with body percussion and percussion instruments from notation and have the opportunity to compose their own rhythm pieces.
Resources • Audio 13, 36–46 • Display pages 20–26 • Student’s Book page 06 • Untuned percussion • Animal name game cards (in printable resources) • Other soundmakers
Vocabulary Pulse, Rhythm
ACTIVITY 1 Explore Pulse and Rhythm in Animal Rhythm Game
• Perform a body percussion pattern to the pulse.
• Practise clapping animal name rhythms.
Show Display 20 and listen to the chant Animal Rhythm Game 36 . All join in keeping a steady pulse using the body percussion pattern shown on the display: tap knees, tap knees, tap shoulders, tap shoulders.
Ask learners which animals were mentioned in the song (crocodile, bear, armadillo, dolphin).
Show the animal images on Display 21 and play each animal teaching audio in turn 37 38 39 40 . All practise clapping and saying each animal name rhythm with the teaching audio.
Play the performance audio again 36 , showing the lyrics on Display 22 if needed. All join in the chant, adding the clapped rhythms for the animal names.
ACTIVITY 2 Explore Rhythm in Mabata Wadogo
• Revise singing an echo song and sing with increasing confidence.
• Clap the rhythm of the song.
Revise singing Mabata Wadogo by joining in the echo of each line with the performance audio 13 , following the lyric s on Display 23 if needed. Encourage learners to sing with increasing confidence and accuracy.
Show Display 24 and listen to the Mabata Wadogo rhythm performance audio 41 . Join in clapping the rhythm in the echoed lines.
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Perform the song twice through with the rhythm performance audio 41 :
• First time, all sing the words with the leader and clap the rhythm for the echo.
• Second time, clap the rhythm as the leader sings and then sing the echo.
ACTIVITY 3 Explore Stick Notation in Animal Clapping Game
• Explore reading stick notation for animal name rhythms.
• Play a listening game to match notation with their rhythms.
If possible, before the lesson prepare a set of animal name game cards (available in printable resources). Show the animal name rhythms on Display 25. Play each Animal Rhythm Game teaching audio in turn and model clapping the rhythm while following the notation 37 38 39 40 (The rhythm is shown in stick notation – see Teaching Tips.)
Play the animal clapping game. Clap one of the rhythms (without saying the animal name) or use the game audios 42 43 44 45 . Learners listen and clap back. Ask if they can identify which animal name was being clapped. (Answers: Animal clapping game audio 1 – bear; 2 – armadillo; 3 – dolphin; 4 – crocodile.)
Invite learners to select one of the animal name game cards and clap the rhythm to the class. Can the class identify which animal name rhythm it is?
Learners match the animal rhythms to the correct animals in their student’s book.
ACTIVITY 4 Explore Rhythms on Untuned Percussion
• Explore timbre of untuned percussion and other soundmakers.
• Play rhythms on untuned percussion or soundmakers.
Have a selection of untuned percussion and other soundmakers available for the class to explore. Display the animal name rhythms from Activity 3 (Display 25) and invite learners to suggest suitable sounds to play each of the rhythms. Encourage them to think about suitable timbres for each animal (e.g. a sharp sound for the crocodile, growling sounds for the bear, a snuffling sound for the armadillo and a leaping sound for the dolphin).
Show Display 26, which shows a range of soundmakers. Allocate an animal to each pair of learners, who choose a soundmaker for their animal and practise the rhythm of its name.
Invite pairs to demonstrate their animal name rhythm. They may make a note in their student’s book of their animal and chosen soundmaker.
Perform the Animal Rhythm Game chant, inviting different pairs to add their sounds. (Use the backing audio for support if needed 46 .)
TEACHING TIPS
• Support learners to find a suitable body percussion sound or movement if clapping is difficult for them.
• Stick notation is a useful graphic for helping learners to follow rhythm, and a stepping stone to reading staff notation. The single stick represents one crotchet beat. The two sticks joined together (a pair of quavers) are played twice as fast so that together they last the same time as one crotchet beat. It is not necessary to know their names, only for learners to understand the relationship between one stick and two joined sticks. The other symbol is a one-beat rest. Watch the Teacher Support videos: ‘What is rhythm or stick notation?’ and ‘Introduction to staff notation’.
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EXTENSION IDEAS AND FURTHER LISTENING
• Ask learners to suggest other animal names (in English or their native language if it isn’t English) that fit the given rhythms. Support them to work out the number of syllables.
• Listen to some pieces about animals, e.g. La Poule (The Hen) by Jean-Philippe Rameau; Silver Spider by Sue Verran, Chris Warner and Evelyn Glennie.
• Support learners in the listening game according to their confidence, e.g. you may like to whisper the animal names first time before omitting the words.
LESSON 5 Rainforest Sounds
Learners will listen to a recording that uses music to evoke a sense of place. They will make their own composition with the same purpose using voices, body percussion and instruments.
Resources • Audio 06, 16–19, 47 • Display pages 27–32 • Student’s Book page 07 • Untuned percussion • Other soundmakers/found sounds • Tuned percussion • Recording/filming device (optional)
Vocabulary Timbre, Dynamics, Conduct, Improvise
ACTIVITY 1 Revise and Perform Kaeru no Uta
• Revise singing a song in unison and as a two-part round.
Show the lyrics on Display 27 and revise singing Kaeru no Uta with the performance audio 06 . Explore making the vocal timbre of the frog sounds more croaky.
Divide into two groups to revise singing the song as a two-part round. Allow each group to practise their part using the leader and second voice teaching audios 17 18 .
Then sing the song in two groups with the round performance audio 16 . Repeat to build learners’ confidence.
If the class is confident, try singing the song as a round with the backing audio 19 .
ACTIVITY 2 Listen to Rain Forest
• Listen to a piece of music and discuss its mood.
• Learn about instruments used in a piece of music.
Listen to Rain Forest 47 , without revealing the title . Afterwards, ask learners to describe any sounds they heard and to suggest where it might be set. (Draw out that there is a mixture of instrument sounds and animal sounds. Invite learners to suggest a setting and give musical reasons. All ideas are valid at this point.)
Show the rainforest pictures on Display 28 and discuss what learners know about rainforests.
Listen again and ask learners to identify any animal sounds they hear (e.g. a frog and a whistling sound that could be a bird.)
Show Display 29, which has images of some of the instruments played in the audio. Discuss how each one makes its sound. (Kalimba – played by plucking with fingers. Two-tone slide whistle – blown while moving a slider up and down. Caxixi basket shaker – shaken. Frog scraper – a beater is scraped down the frog’s back.)
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ACTIVITY 3 Explore Rainforest Sounds Together
• Explore timbres for a given mood.
E xplain that you are going to compose your own rainforest piece using the rainforest photographs on Display 30 and the listening piece Rain Forest for inspiration. Explore rainforest sounds that can be made using voices, bodies, percussion and found sounds with appropriate timbres. Examples:
• Breeze in the trees and mist – long quiet sounds (e.g. a long ‘shhhh’ breathing out, rubbing hands together, soft beaters running up and down a xylophone.)
kalimba
caxixi (basket shaker) two-tone slide whistle frog scraper
• Drips – short quiet sounds (e.g. vocal sounds ‘t’ or ‘p’, whispering ‘pitter-patter, pitter-patter’, tapping cheeks or drum with fingers, individual notes on tuned percussion.)
• Frogs – croaking vocal or soundmaker sounds (e.g. ‘gero gero’, scrapers and other sounds from Lesson 1.)
• Birds – vocal whistles or squawking sounds, slide whistle, recorder.
Divide the class into groups and allocate a rainforest element to each (e.g. breeze, drips, frogs and birds). Groups practise their sounds and record their ideas in their student’s book.
ACTIVITY 4 Compose Rainforest Music and Reflect
• Compose a class rainforest piece using improvised sounds.
• Follow simple cues and direction for starting/stopping and changing dynamics.
Show Display 31 and demonstrate conducting a group to start/stop and change dynamics (volume). Start with arms in front and hands together (no sound; ready to play); move arms apart to indicate that learners should start making sounds; widen the gap to get louder; narrow to get quieter; bring hands together to stop. (Explain that the opening and closing hairpin symbols are used in music notation to indicate getting louder and quieter.)
Open arms to start. Open arms to get louder.
Narrow arms to get quieter. Close arms to stop.
Each group chooses a conductor and practises starting, stopping and controlling dynamics.
Organise a class improvised composition, e.g. each group performs once on their own, then you or a confident learner direct each group to start to build layers of sound. All can fade out together or one group at a time.
After rehearsing, record or film a performance. All listen back and reflect on the performance. Show Display 32 and ask learners what they liked best about their role in the performance. Learners make a note in their student’s book.
TEACHING TIPS
• It is important to allow learners time to explore and improvise with sounds before bringing the composition together. If there is time, swap groups to enable learners to explore sounds for different elements.
• Keep the composition quite short so there is time to listen, repeat and refine.
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• You might need to help with directing groups when to start and stop.
• Encourage learners to leave space between their sounds. They may find this tricky, especially when being asked to get louder.
EXTENSION IDEAS AND FURTHER LISTENING
• Search online for rainforest animal, bird and insect sounds to inspire learners when making their own sounds.
• Watch the video of A Moving Sound performing Rain Forest live and see the instruments that are played. Notice that this performance involves live improvisation. One performer engages the audience, offering sounds to members of the audience to join in. Consider adding these ideas to your own performance (e.g. inviting the audience to join in; learners moving around the room making sounds either as an improvisation or as a more planned performance).
LESSON 6 Perform and Reflect
Learners will revisit activities from the unit, respond to feedback and improve how they convey mood in performance. They will sing in parts and combine singing with playing instruments.
Resources • Audio 01, 06, 09, 16, 19, 35 • Display pages 33–37 • Student’s Book page 08 • Untuned percussion (e.g. shakers and scrapers) • Other soundmakers/found sounds • Tuned percussion
• Recording device
Vocabulary Timbre, Ostinato
ACTIVITY 1 Improve, Practise and Perform Mi Chacra
• Demonstrate some understanding of feedback and make changes.
• Sing a song demonstrating development of control.
Show the lyrics on Display 33 and revise singing Mi Chacra with the performance or backing audio 01 35 . Focus on the quality of singing. Encourage breathing deeply, singing clearly, singing together and in time.
Using a selection of untuned percussion and other soundmakers, invite a few learners to select suitable timbres to join in with the animal sounds.
Record or video a performance with the backing audio 35 .
Show Display 34 and all watch or listen to the recording, thinking about the questions on the display.
Do the instruments fit well with the animal sounds?
Can we hear the lyrics?
If time allows, perform (and record) again, making improvements.
ACTIVITY 2 Sing Kaeru no Uta Adding Instruments
• Combine singing and playing with others.
Show the lyrics on Display 35 and revise singing Kaeru no Uta, first all together 06 , then as a round 16 . Invite a few learners in each group to play untuned percussion instruments (e.g. shakers and scrapers) for the frog rhythms. Also add some learners playing the tuned percussion ostinato throughout (G G E – see Lesson 2, Activity 4), using Display 36 as a reminder.
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Use these notes:
Practise as necessary. Then record or video a performance, first all together and then, if confident, as a round. Perform more than once, swapping groups to allow everyone to play an instrument. Ask if learners felt confident performing their part. You could also invite a few learners to add tuned percussion, playing a repeated note C (a drone) throughout. (Perform unaccompained or use the backing audios 09 19 .)
ACTIVITY 3 Revisit and Refine Rainforest Sounds
• Convey a mood with music.
• Conduct and follow a conductor.
If possible, watch or listen to your recording of your class rainforest composition from Lesson 5 and talk about how it might be improved. (E.g. How could we make our background sounds more interesting/atmospheric? Should we leave bigger gaps between our bird and frog sounds?)
Keep the same groups from Lesson 5 but swap the elements they are working on (e.g. breeze, drips, frogs and birds)
Give each group time to explore sounds for their new element (see Lesson 5, Activity 3).
Allocate the role of conductor to a different learner in each group and support them to practise directing their group to start and stop and change dynamics (see Lesson 5, Activity 4)
Record or video a whole-class performance. Watch back and discuss, comparing it with your previous performance and drawing out how the performances were different. Which performance did learners prefer, and why?
ACTIVITY 4 Reflect
• Reflect on performances together and individually.
If possible, watch or listen to the recordings from the previous activities. Show Display 37 and discuss the reflection questions together. Then ask learners to complete their own reflection in their student’s book.
Which other activities did you enjoy in this unit? Which was your favourite?
Which performance did you enjoy the most? Why?
TEACHING TIPS
• If possible, perform to a friendly audience. If an audience isn’t available, encourage learners to imagine they are performing to one. Talk about how to present a good performance with confident posture, clear singing and following cues when to start/stop.
SAMPLEPAGES
EXTENSION IDEAS AND FURTHER LISTENING
• Some learners may be able to invent an ostinato to perform in your rainforest composition (similar to the kalimba pattern in the Rain Forest audio), using tuned percussion and a beater in each hand. They may alternate between two pitches or, if more confident, play two pitches with each hand, e.g. C G D F, C G D F (left hand C and D; right hand G and F).
