Level 1. Lesson 12. Five-finger staff

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Level 1. Lesson 12. Five-finger staff

Overview

Students will connect beat circles to rhythm, write ta and ti-ti, sing with time names, and visualise the five-line staff.

Learning intention

Students will identify rhythms, write notation in beat circles, sing with time names, and use fingers to demonstrate the staff.

Success criteria

Students can match rhythms to beat circles and write ta and ti-ti correctly. They can explain the five-line staff.

Woodblock

Difficulty:

Prior learning: None

Prepare: so & mi Present: Five-line staff Practice: ta & ti-ti

Students will learn to identify the five lines of a musical staff and understand how they represent high and low sounds.

Questions

Why are more than two lines needed to show high and low sounds?
How many lines could connect to your hand?
How many spaces are there between the five lines?

Some teachers prefer to use the finger staff with the palm facing inward with the thumb at the top.
We have chosen to show the thumb at the bottom, as the thumb is the first digit when learning piano.
However, either way is perfectly correct, so choose whichever finger staff suits your teaching style.

Project or draw the first graphic of the finger staff. The first step is to show the two lines students were introduced to in a previous lesson.
Remind students that sounds can be high or low. A high note sits on the top line, and a low sound sits on the line below.
To illustrate, write the letters 'h' (high) and 'l' (low) on two lines.
Ask the class if they think other sounds could be higher or lower than those shown.
Discuss where those sounds might go and introduce the idea of adding extra lines for these sounds.
Explain that our hands can help us understand these extra lines.
Place your left hand against the two drawn lines on the board, palm facing inwards.
Position your first and second fingers so they touch lines 2 and 3.
Ask students where additional lines could be. Draw lines representing where your thumb and fingers 4 and 5 would connect.
Teach that in music, these five lines are called a staff and are used to show high and low sounds.
Ask students how many lines are connected to your hand. Reinforce the concept of five lines forming the staff.
Ask students to raise their hands to eye level, palms facing outwards.
Guide them to draw imaginary lines from each digit and call the line numbers together: "Line 1, Line 2," etc.
Extension: If the class are secure with the letters 'h' and 'l', project the second graphic, which shows the notehead equivalents. Point to each notehead, and the class should sing 'high' or 'low'.

Success Criteria

I can identify high and low sounds on a staff.
I can explain how five lines make up a musical staff.
I can use my hand to represent the five lines of a staff.

Students will perform body percussion movements in time with the beat, enhancing coordination and rhythm comprehension.

Sing the song together as a class to ensure students are confident with the melody and lyrics.
Change the lyrics as needed (e.g., replace "very fat" with "catch a rat" to promote a positive learning environment).
Explain that the class will add body movements to match the song's beat.
Demonstrate the actions while singing: "Naughty pussy cat": Point at an imaginary cat using your index finger.
"You are very fat" (or "You can catch a rat"): Pat your tummy with your hands.
"You have butter on your whiskers" Pat your head gently.
"Naughty pussy cat": Pat your knees.
Sing the song again, modelling the movements for each phrase.
Encourage students to follow along, maintaining a steady beat as they perform the actions.
Have students perform the song and movements without your demonstration, focusing on coordination and keeping in time with the beat.
Ask students to create their own body percussion actions for each line. Allow the class to vote on or practice these new movements.
Provide encouragement and constructive feedback to ensure accuracy and engagement.

Success Criteria

I can perform body percussion movements to the beat.
I can accurately match actions to the lyrics of the song.
I can maintain a steady beat while singing and moving.

Lyrics

Naughty pussy cat. You are very fat.

You have butter in your whiskas,

Naughty pussy cat!

Questions

What was the cat eating?
How do you know?
Where could the cat have been eating?

Students will develop their listening skills and rhythmic literacy by identifying rhythm patterns and reciting them using time names.

Questions

Ask what helped to identify the rhythm patterns.
Which rhythms were easiest or most challenging?
How does rhythm help us recognise and perform songs?

Explain that the audio player contains rhythm patterns from four well-known classroom songs.
Divide the class into two teams.
Tell students the goal is to identify the most songs based on the rhythm patterns.
Play the first rhythm pattern. Allow teams to discuss and give their answers.
Confirm the correct answer and award points to the team with the correct guess.
Repeat for each track, encouraging active listening and teamwork.
After identifying a song, ask the class to recite its rhythm pattern using time names (e.g., ta, ta, ti-ti, ta).
Once all tracks are played, tally the points and announce the winning team.

Success Criteria

I can actively listen to and identify rhythm patterns from classroom songs.
I can accurately recite rhythm patterns using time names.
I can collaborate with my classmates to name the song.

Students will develop listening and pitch-matching skills by participating in a seated circle singing game.

Lyrics

Doggie, doggie, where's your bone?

Someone stole it from your home.

Who has my bone?

I have your bone!

Questions

What happened to the bone?
Who stole it?
Why did they do this?

Gather students in a circle on the floor and explain that they will play a game called “Doggie, Doggie.”
Teach the song by singing each line and having the class echo after you. Ensure everyone understands the melody and lyrics.
Choose one student to be the "Doggie" and have them kneel in the middle of the circle with their head down and eyes closed.
Encourage clear and tuneful singing by saying, “I’m looking for someone with a beautiful singing voice."
As the class sings, walk around outside the circle with a cardboard dog bone prop (or use the provided cut-out).
Silently place the bone in the hand of one of the students sitting in the circle.
After the song ends, the student in the middle (Doggie) raises their head and sings, "Who has my bone?"
The student holding the bone replies, "I have your bone."
The Doggie must listen carefully to identify the student's voice with the bone.
If the Doggie correctly guesses the student with the bone, that student takes the centre position and becomes the new Doggie.
Continue the game, repeating the song and choosing different students, allowing everyone a turn.
Students must try to use a glissando f[on so-mi] for the word 'bone.'
Praise students for their singing efforts and listening skills.

Success Criteria

I can sing the song clearly in my best voice.
I can listen carefully to identify the student's voice with the bone.
I can take turns in both the middle and circle, participating fully in the game.

Bone

Open the thumbnail of the bone and print and laminate as a prop.

Students will learn to connect rhythm patterns to beat circles, write rhythm notation, and sing using time names.

Lyrics

Bounce high, bounce low,

Bounce the ball to Shiloh.

Questions

What do you imagine the word Shiloh means?
Would it take a short or long time to bounce it there?
What other places could you bounce a ball to?

Ask students to open their books to the page with beat circles [e.g. My First Music Writing Book - p12.]
Sing Bounce High together with the class.
Ask students to point to each beat circle as they sing, ensuring they keep in time with the beat.
Repeat the song and have students clap each beat while pointing to the beat circles.
On the next repetition, ask students to tap the beat circles with their fingers, maintaining the rhythm.
Model how to write these in the beat circles, corresponding to the song's rhythm on the board.
Have students write ta or ti-ti in each circle based on the rhythm of the lyrics.
Once the notation is complete, guide students to sing the song again, using time names (ta, ti-ti) instead of lyrics.
Encourage accurate rhythm and pronunciation while pointing to the beat circles.

Success Criteria

I can follow the beat of the song while pointing to beat circles.
I can correctly write ta and ti-ti in the beat circles.
I can sing the song accurately using time names.

Students continue distinguishing between beat and rhythm while actively participating in a collaborative and creative activity.

Lyrics

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home.

Your house is on fire. Your children are gone!

All except one, and her name is Anne.

And she hid under the frying pan.

Questions

What happened to the Ladybird's house?
Which child was left, and what was her name?
Where did she hide?

Begin by reciting the rhyme to the class and model a clear, steady rhythm as you speak.
Ask the students to repeat each line after you.
Continue line-by-line until students are familiar with the rhyme and can confidently say it.
Seat the students in a circle and divide them into two groups.
Explain that each group will focus on a different musical task, with one group keeping the beat and the other following the rhythm.
Group 1: Instruct the first group to steadily tap their knees (patsch) to maintain the beat.
Group 2: Ask the second group to clap the rhythm, following the pattern of the words in the rhyme.
Allow each group to practice their part separately to ensure accuracy.
Ensure that the beat group maintains a steady tempo and that the rhythm group follows the word patterns correctly.
Once each group is comfortable with their task, have them perform together.
Ensure both groups can hear each other and stay coordinated as they perform their parts simultaneously.
Switch the roles so each group experiences both beat and rhythm.