Category: Year 1

Year 1, Unit 2: Animal Rhythms – Lesson 6

Key Learning Objective:  To read and perform a four bar notated rhythm. Starter activity: Pupils select favourite warm up song to focus their voices, bodies and brains. Main activity: Using a selection of untuned percussion instruments, children chant the animal rhythms and then play on their instruments, reinforcing a four-bar rhythm. Plenary: Revisit ‘Zebra Crossing’, incorporating a game […]

Year 1, Unit 2: Animal Rhythms – Lesson 5

Key Learning Objectives:  To compose and perform a four beat rhythm. To use this as a rhythmic ostinato.   Starter activity: Revision of the song, ‘Tony Chestnut.’ Main activity: Revision of the rhythm picture cards, followed by revision of the term ‘ostinato’ and the creation of a four-bar rhythm using the animal pictures. Plenary: Revisit ‘This Train is […]

Year 1, Unit 2: Animal Rhythms – Lesson 4

Key Learning Objective:  To compose, perform and maintain a rhythmic ostinato.   Starter activity: Learn the song ‘Tony Chestnut’ before revisiting two earlier songs as extended exercises. Main activity: Introduction to additional notation, using new animal rhythms. For example, demonstrating four semi-quavers as ‘alligator’. Plenary: Learn the song ‘This Train’, furthered through addition of instruments playing the animal […]

Year 1, Unit 2: Animal Rhythms – Lesson 3

Key Learning Objectives:  To identify the difference between pulse and rhythm. To recognise, play and compose simple rhythm patterns with the aid of animal note value cards.   Starter activity: Listening and response exercise using the chant ‘H.E.L.L.O.’ Main activity: Creation of an individual rhythmic pattern, based on syllables found in the words ‘frog’ and ‘monkey’. Plenary: Listening […]

Year 1, Unit 2: Animal Rhythms – Lesson 2

Key Learning Objectives:  To feel and internalise the pulse/beat. To identify the strong beat and demonstrate with an action/clapping.   Starter activity: Warm up and Stomp Cannon, warming up voices, brains and bodies with an interactive chant. Main activity: Reminder of the concept of a pulse/beat. Plenary: Listening and response activity using the chant, ‘Say Boom Chicka Boom’, […]

Year 1, Unit 2: Animal Rhythms – Lesson 1

Key Learning Objectives:  To feel and internalise the pulse/beat. To identify the strong beat and demonstrate with an action/clapping.   Starter activity: Warm up and Stomp Cannon, warming up; voices, brains and bodies with an interactive chant. Main activity: Introduction to the concept of a pulse/beat. Plenary: Listening exercise using the focus song ‘This Train’, identifying a pulse and […]

Year 1, Unit 1: Air – Lesson 6

Key Learning Objective:  To understand Rondo form and create a class composition based on this structure.   Starter activity: Listening exercise based on the track ‘Carl Goes Up’ by Michael Giacchino. Main activity: Listening and response exercise to ‘Over English Country’ by David Poore, focusing on how the composer uses the instruments to create a relaxing, gliding sensation. […]

Year 1, Unit 1: Air – Lesson 5

Key Learning Objective:  To understand Rondo form and to create a class composition based on this structure.   Starter activity: Warm up using the song ‘Little Bird’, explaining that there are two distinct sections. Main activity: Creation of a themed weather piece in groups, exploring timbre using different instruments. Plenary: Introduction and creation of a Rondo Structure, […]

Year 1, Unit 1: Air – Lesson 4

Key Learning Objective:  To listen to a variety of musical excerpts and identify different tempo. Additional Learning Objectives: To internalise and maintain a pulse. To use relevant musical vocabulary to describe the speed of different musical excerpts.   Starter activity: Listening and response exercise using the tambour, introducing the concept of tempo. Main activity: Demonstrate how pulse […]