Level 2. Lesson 11. Practise do

+ Add lesson

Browse lesson library

Browse Topic Library

Level 2. Lesson 11. Practise do

Overview

Students explore the relationship between do, mi, and so on the staff.

Learning intention

By engaging visually, aurally, and physically, students deepen their understanding of do’s position, strengthening their ability to read and sing solfa accurately.

Success criteria

Students identify, sing, and place do in relation to so and mi, demonstrating understanding through tracing, singing, and interactive activities.

Woodblock

Difficulty:

Prior learning: None

Prepare: tika-tika Present: Practice: do

Students will recognise, sing, and use solfa hand signs for the note do.

Lyrics

I can sing high. I can sing low.

Now I'm in the middle and I don't know where to go!

My voice goes here!

[Repeat]

Begin with a gentle vocal siren, encouraging students to slide their voices up and down like a rollercoaster.
Follow with an echo-singing exercise using do-mi-so patterns, keeping it short and playful.
Demonstrate the solfa hand signs for do, mi, and so individually.
Sing do [in F] on a long, steady note and have them echo it back.
Sing the song and use hand signs. The class should echo back.
Encourage students to place their hand on their tummy to feel the sound of do.
Use hand signs while singing and have students echo each phrase of the song.
Teach that the first measure contains the note so and the second line contains do.

Questions

What is the pitch of the first note? [so]
What is the pitch of the last note? [do]
What other note is heard? [mi]

Success Criteria

I can find do in the song.
I can sing do accurately.
I can use the do hand sign when singing.

Students will explore the relationships between notes on a tone ladder and identify steps, skips, and relative pitch.

Questions

What does the tone ladder show us about the relationship between notes?
Is do a step or ship from mi? How can you tell?
How do we know if mi is higher or lower in pitch than do?

Display the tone ladder prominently for the class.
Ask students to observe the tone ladder and share what they think it shows.
Guide the discussion to highlight that it represents the relative pitch and position of musical notes.
Point to do on the tone ladder and ask where it sits.
Ask whether it is a skip or step to mi [skip]. Ask if it is higher or lower than mi.
Sing the two pitches and use hand signs. The class should echo back.
Ask if students can see another skip [mi-so]
Sing the three pitches starting from do, pointing to each on the ladder.
The class should echo back.
Ask for volunteers to point to do on the board.

Success Criteria

I can explain what the tone ladder represents.
I can identify if a note is a step or a skip below or above another note.
I can describe whether a note is higher or lower in pitch than another.

Students will recognise, sing, and use solfa hand signs for the note do in relation to mi and so on the staff.

Project the staff with so and mi placed on lines or spaces.
Explain if so and mi are in spaces, do is in the space below mi.
If so and mi are on lines, do is on the line below mi.
Sing do-mi-so while pointing to each note on the staff.
Use solfa hand signs as you sing.
Have the class echo back the pattern while pointing to the notes on the staff.
Give students small whiteboards or printed staff paper.
Provide so and mi and have them draw do in the correct position.
Have students sing their examples back to the class.

Success Criteria

I can identify the position of do when so and mi are given.
I can sing do, mi, and so accurately while pointing to the notes on the staff.
I can echo back do, mi, and so when sung by the teacher.

Students will recognise, sing, and perform the rhythm of Bluebells using body percussion.

Lyrics

Bluebells, cockle shells, eevy ivy over.

Students are seated and clap while singing the rhythm names of Bluebells.
Once secure, they transfer the rhythm onto their bodies.
Ta is placed on the nose, and ti-ti is placed on the shoulders.
Repeat several times, ensuring accuracy and a steady beat.
Observe if students maintain correct placement and keep in time.
Adjust if necessary by slowing down or giving visual cues.

Questions

What would happen if we put ti-ti on our elbows instead of our shoulders? Try it and see how it feels!
Can you think of a silly new place to put ta and ti-ti on your body? Try it and show a friend!
If ta was a sound made by an animal, what would it be? What about ti-ti? Can you make the sounds while keeping in time?

Success Criteria

I can clap and sing the rhythm names of Bluebells.
I can perform the rhythm by placing ta on my nose and ti-ti on my shoulders.
I can keep in time while performing the rhythm.

Students will recognise, perform, and internalise rhythm through movement and interaction while singing.

Lyrics

No one in the house but Dinah, Dinah. No one in the house but me, I know.

No one in the house but Dinah, Dinah, playing on the old banjo.

Students form a circle, facing towards the centre.
One student patrols around the inner part of the circle, facing the rest of the students.
For "No-one in the" students tap out the rhythm on their knees.
For "house but", students perform a rhythmic clap.
For "Dinah, Dinah", the student in the middle and the student they are facing clap their right hands together, then clap their own hands, followed by clapping their left hands together and their own hands (similar to the pat-a-cake hand motion).
The other students continue clapping the rhythm.
Repeat the above actions for each phrase of the song. After each phrase, the student in the middle takes a step to their right, clapping with a different student each time (a total of four different students, one for each phrase).
At the conclusion of the song, the student at the centre of the circle exchanges places with the student whose hands they last clapped.

Questions

If you could replace the name "Dinah" with any other name, what would it be and why?
Imagine the student in the middle is a sneaky cat—how would that change the way they move around the circle?
If we turned this game into a dance-off, what silly moves could we add while keeping the rhythm?

Success Criteria

I can engage in the partner clapping sequence with correct timing.
I can move to the next student in time with the music.
I can take turns being the student in the middle and follow the movement pattern correctly.

Students trace round notes and identify do.

Questions

Where should do be placed if so and mi are in spaces?
Where should do be placed if so and mi are on lines?
How can you use tracing to help remember the position of do?

Print or project staff examples with so and mi already placed on a screen or as printed worksheets. Include different placements of so and mi (both on lines and in spaces).
Give students a printed copy of the staff examples or have them trace directly on a projected version using a tablet or whiteboard. Have them trace around the circles representing so and mi to reinforce visual recognition.
Students determine where do should go based on the position of so and mi.
If so and mi are in spaces, do is in the space below mi.
If so and mi are on lines, do is on the line below mi.
Students fill in do on their worksheets or projected images.
Sing so-mi-do while pointing to the notes on the staff. Have students echo back while pointing to their own examples. Use solfa hand signs to reinforce pitch relationships.
As a group, check some student examples. Ask, "How do we know where do belongs?" Reinforce the visual and aural connection between do, mi, and so.