Outcomes

• MUES1.1
• MUES1.4

Introduction

• Discuss music
  • What is it? What does it mean to you?
  • Student answers could include noise, sound, singing, instruments, dance, audience
• Discuss how music can be
  • loud or soft (dynamics)
  • fast or slow (duration, tempo)
  • low or high (pitch)
• Discuss how music has a beat – start tapping a beat on knees, have students join in
  • Beat can be fast or slow
• Discuss how the beat mostly stays the same through the song or piece of music

Body

• Play a game 'The rhythm in our name'
  • Teach students that our names have a rhythm which is the different sounds in our name
  • The rhythm can fit in time with a steady beat
• Students sit in a circle and go around the circle with each student clapping or saying the rhythm of their name. Everyone has a turn.
• Tell the students they are now going to be an orchestra – a big group of musicians who perform together with different instruments
• Hand out instruments
  • Name each one as it is handed out
  • Show how to play it
• Draw or show a picture on the whiteboard of a tambourine, a maraca and a bell
• Explain that you, the teacher are going to be the conductor
  • Tap a beat on your knees and have the students copy the beat when their instrument is pointed to
  • When pointed to again the students should stop playing
• Explain that
  • we will all play together some of the time
  • at other times we will just be playing with the others who have the same instrument
  • when students see the symbol for stop (show symbol with hands) they must stop
• Play a steady beat so students become familiar with copying a beat at different tempos. Then change to rhythms. Discuss the difference.

Conclusion

• Clap some rhythmic patterns with hands on thighs (patsch) and on chests
  • Explain that this is called body percussion
• Have students experiment with making rhythms using body percussion or drumming on the floor
• Choose some students to drum a rhythm pattern (on body or floor) which the rest of the class then imitates

Normanhurst Public SchoolExternal link as part of the Introduction to music within the Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (staff only) MyPL course.

Outcomes

• MUS1.1
• MUS1.3

Introduction

• Students hold hand on chest, neck or wrist and feel their pulse
  • Is it steady? Is it fast or slow? Does it get faster or slower or does it stay the same?
  • Note that this is their heartbeat. It should be steady while they are sitting down, but it can change to be faster or slower
  • This is the same for the beat in a song
• Sitting in a circle, the teacher starts a simple beat
  • Students follow by clapping
  • Change periodically to incorporate feet, knees, elbows or head
• Some students create their own beat
  • Focus on not getting faster or slower but keeping it steady like a heartbeat

Body

• Using hands or claves (wooden sticks), students make and maintain a steady beat
• Have students keep a beat while you say a rhyme over the top
  • Highlight that the beat is steady and does not get faster or slower to match the words being said
  • Rhymes may include Baa Baa Black Sheep, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Engine, Engine, Number 9, Hickory Dickory Dock
• Read or chant Johnny Works With One Hammer and keep steady beat with right hand
  • Repeat with two hands, two hands and a foot, and both hands and both feet
• Introduce numbers as another way to count beats depending on the beats in the bar
  • Students replicate with clapping, claves or marching
• Show simple symbols to represent basic 4/4 time, for example, hearts
  • Indicate that students will follow the beat by making a noise or movement when one of the symbols is pointed to
  • Use these symbols to demonstrate beat on the board
  • In small groups students replicate with a different body part or percussion instrument
• Clap a rhythm and have students march in time to the beat
  • Change tempo regularly

Conclusion

• Play students a familiar, simple song
• Taking turns in small groups, students keep the beat
  • For example, half of the class sing a familiar simple song and the other half keep beat, then swap

Biddabah Public SchoolExternal link as part of the Introduction to music within the Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (staff only) MyPL course.

Outcomes

• MUS2.1
• MUS2.2

Introduction

This lesson is linked to the text Tuesday by David Wiesner. Underpinning the lesson is the impact of urbanisation on our local environment.

• Explain that students will be
  • creating a night soundscape inspired by the introductory words, 'Tuesday evening, around eight' and the subsequent illustrations
  • using a variety of instruments
• Introduce students to the term 'soundscape'
  • Watch the Catalyst episode on soundscapesExternal link
  • Discuss video and use of recorded soundscape
• Explore understanding of tone, dynamics and duration with students

Body

• Explore illustrations in the text Tuesday and imagine what sounds could be heard
• Group or pair students and hand out instruments
  • Allow students to discover how to use them, exploring and describing sounds produced (timbre)
  • Classify instruments into categories to compare tone colours
• Students use their instruments and voices, experimenting with dynamics, tone colour and pitch, adding and removing sounds, to create a night time creek soundscape

Conclusion

• Discuss the musical concepts involved in creating soundscapes
  • Particularly focus on timbre and structure
• Perform, listen to and discuss with the class
  • Add extra parts if necessary

Tyalla Public SchoolExternal link as part of the Introduction to music within the Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (staff only) MyPL course.

Outcomes

• MUS3.2
• MUS3.4

Introduction

• Inform students that timbre is the describable qualities of a sound
• Play a soundscape that is based on the seaside such as 'Fingal's Cave' by Mendelssohn and ask the students what sounds they can hear
• Discuss what instruments could make these sounds

Body

• Break class up into four groups
• Each group will create their own soundscape with a different theme
• Themes could include, the park, a schoolyard, a theme park or a rainforest
• Give students a range of household items such as newspaper or tinfoil and a selection of available instruments
• Allow students approximately 20 minutes in their groups to create their soundscape

Conclusion

• Students play their piece to the class
• Ask the class what they think the group's theme is
• Ensure all groups have a turn performing to the class

Ashfield Public SchoolExternal link as part of the Introduction to music within the Creative Arts K–6 Syllabus (staff only) MyPL course.