Level 1. Lesson 17. Lines & spaces
Woodblock
Difficulty: 
Prior learning: None
Prepare: Present: Lines & spaces Practice: so & mi
Students will learn to identify and understand the five lines and four spaces of the music staff, building foundational music-reading skills.
- Project the five-line finger staff graphic or draw one on the board.
- Teach that this staff has five lines and four spaces. This is where music lives!
- Point to the lines from bottom to top, counting out loud with the class. The music staff has five lines.
- Point to the spaces between the lines, counting out loud with the class. The music staff has four spaces.
- Draw a few circles (noteheads) on the lines and spaces.
- Ask: “Is this sound on a line or in a space?”
- Have students approach the board or point from their seats to answer.
- Provide staff paper or a printed worksheet with blank staves.
- Ask students to colour or mark the lines in one colour and the spaces in another.
Success Criteria
- I can count and point to the five lines on the music staff.
- I can count and point to the four spaces on the music staff.
- I can explain that notes go on the lines or in the spaces.
Questions
- How many lines are shown on a music staff? [5]
- How many spaces? [4]
- Does a music staff need a hand at the end? [no]
Students will learn about the relationship between so and mi on Melody Street, understanding that the distance between them is called a skip.
- Project the first graphic showing Melody Street.
- Explain that Melody Street is a magical street where notes live.
- Today, the focus will be on so and mi, two neighbours on this street.
- Point to so and mi on the graphic. Highlight that so lives in the house above mi.
- Sing the notes as you point.
- The gap between their houses is highlighted, indicating they are not beside each other on the street.
- Project the second graphic showing the gap in detail. Use this visual to explain that the space between so and mi is called a skip. This is because you must skip over a space to get from one house to another.
- Introduce the tone ladder block graphic to show the positions of so and mi.
- Point out their locations on the ladder, showing how they sit on different steps with spaces between them.
- Demonstrate the hand signs for so and mi, raising one hand higher for so and lowering the other for mi.
- Guide students to imitate the hand signs, encouraging them to practice moving between so and mi to reinforce the idea of the skip.
- Emphasise that so and mi have a unique relationship as neighbours with a skip between them, which students can show with visuals and hand signs.
Success Criteria
- I can identify so and mi on Melody Street.
- I can explain that so is above mi with a gap between them.
- I can describe the gap between so and mi as a skip.
Questions
- What is shown on Melody Street?
- What is the distance between so and mi called?
- Which is higher - so or mi?
Students will move in time with the beat and respond to cues during a group singing activity.
Lyrics
Sally go round the sun, Sally go round the moon.
Sally go round the chimney pot, every afternoon [Boom!]
- Arrange students in a circle, holding hands, and ensure everyone is spaced evenly.
- Explain that we will move together in time with the song's beat and practice stepping gently to the left first.
- Sing the song as a group, ensuring students are comfortable with the melody and lyrics before adding movement.
- Instruct the group to walk to the left in the circle as they sing. Make sure their steps match the beat of the song.
- Begin singing, guiding the group to walk to the left in time with the beat.
- At the end of the song, explain that when the song ends, jump in place, turn to face the opposite direction, and together and say, ‘Boom!'
- Sing the song again, instructing students to walk to the right as they sing.
- In conclusion, students should jump, turn, and say "Boom!" as before.
Success Criteria
- I can walk in time with the beat while holding hands in a circle.
- I can sing the melody and lyrics of the song with the group.
- I can follow the instructions to jump, turn, and say "Boom!" at the end of the song.
Questions
- Where did Sally go after going round the sun?
- Where did she go next?
- How often did she do these things?
Students will develop coordination and beat awareness through a chant and movement activity.
Lyrics
So, let's put the rhythm on our feet [stomp, stomp]
So, let's put the rhythm on our hands [clap, clap]
So, let's put the rhythm on our head [ding dong]
So, let's put the rhythm on our hips [hot dog]
Put it all together and what have you got?
Questions
- Where else could you put the rhythm?
- Which movement was the easiest for you to do in time with the chant?
- How did combining all the movements in the last line feel?
- Arrange students in a circle and teach them the chant by chanting it together a few times to establish the rhythm and flow.
- Begin the activity by chanting the first line to a steady beat. Students stomp their feet twice in time with the chant.
- Move to the second line, where students clap their hands twice, keeping the beat consistent with the chant.
- For the third line, have students sway their heads back and forth in time with the chant.
- On the fourth line, students wiggle their hips, ensuring their movements match the steady beat.
- On the last line of the chant, students cycle through all the movements—stomping, clapping, swaying, and wiggling—in sequence, maintaining rhythm and coordination.
- Repeat the chant multiple times, encouraging students to stay engaged and keep their actions aligned with the steady beat.
Success Criteria
- I can chant along with the group to a steady beat.
- I can perform the movements (stomping, clapping, swaying, wiggling) in time with the chant.
- I can combine all the movements in the final line while staying in time.
Students will learn to identify and sing the pitches so and mi while using corresponding hand signs.
Lyrics
I can sing high, I can sing low.
I'm not sure where I should go!
My voice goes here!
[repeat]
- Sing "I Can Sing High" to the students, using the hand signs for so and mi as you sing.
- Remind and demonstrate the hand signs for so (hand raised at shoulder level) and mi (hand at chest level). Show the transition between the two as you sing the song again.
- Sing the song one line at a time. Instruct the students to echo-sing each line back to you, using their voices and hand signs to match yours.
- Lead the class in singing the entire song together while using the hand signs for so and mi.
- Ensure everyone moves their hands in sync with the pitches.
- Repeat the song several times, encouraging accuracy in both pitch and hand signs.
- Gradually fade your voice to allow the students to lead while you provide the hand signs as guidance.
Success Criteria
- I can sing so and mi accurately.
- I can echo the song using so and mi with hand signs.
- I can match the teacher’s hand signs while singing.
Questions
- What is the name of the high note? [so]
- What is the name of the low note? [mi]
- How many different notes are in this song? [2]
Using time names, students will learn to echo, vocalise, and notate four-beat rhythms.
- Begin by clapping a four-beat rhythm, pausing for students to echo the rhythm. Repeating this step with another rhythm ensures students are focused and engaged.
- Repeat the same rhythm, adding time names while clapping, and encourage the students to echo the rhythm and the time names.
- After the rhythm is secure, students will open their books and write the rhythm they clapped and vocalised. Monitor and guide as needed.
- Introduce a new four-beat rhythm, repeat the process with students echoing with time names, and write the rhythm in their books.
Success Criteria
- I can echo clap a four-beat rhythm accurately.
- I can say the time names while clapping the rhythm.
- I can write the rhythm correctly in my book.
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
- The student can
- The student can
- The student can
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV