Level 2. Lesson 5. Form
Woodblock
Difficulty: 
Prior learning: None
Prepare: Present: Form Practice:
Students will learn to identify and demonstrate the ABA structure of a song through singing and physical movement.
Questions
- How many sections in the song are called A?
- How many sections in the song are called B?
- What is the order of A and B in this song?
- Begin by leading the class in singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star together. Use a clear, steady pace and encourage everyone to join in.
- Project the graphic to the left as a visual aid. Point out the phrases as you teach the sections.
- Explain that the first part of the song, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are," is called 'A'.
- The second part, "Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky," is called 'B'.
- The last part repeats the first and is again called 'A'.
- Teach that this creates an ABA form with the same first and last parts and a different middle part.
- Sing the song again, dividing the class.
- Boys will raise their hands during the 'A' parts. Remind them of the words for this section and ensure they put their hands down at the end of each 'A' part.
- Girls will raise their hands during the 'B' part. Remind them of the words for this section and to lower their hands when the section ends.
- After singing, review as a class and ask: "What was the same about the first and last parts?" and "What made the middle part different?"
- Repeat the song, swapping roles for 'A' and 'B'.
Success Criteria
- I can sing the song while recognising its different parts.
- I can identify the song's 'A' and 'B' sections.
- I can raise my hand at the correct part of the song to show an understanding of its structure.
Students will understand that songs can have different structures, including repeating and contrasting parts.
Questions
- How is the structure of Muffin Man different from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?
- Why does the second cookie have part A at the beginning and the end?
- Can you think of another song that has a repeating part like Twinkle Twinkle?
- Draw or project the images of two cookies.
- Explain that music can have different parts, and sometimes these parts repeat.
- Show the first cookie and explain that it represents a song with two distinct parts: A and B.
- Take Muffin Man as an example. Sing the song with the class, pointing out the A and B sections and relating them to the cookie image.
- Next, introduce the second cookie. Explain that it represents a song with parts A at the beginning and end and part B in the middle. Use "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" as an example.
- Sing the song with the class, identifying the A and B sections and how part A repeats. Point to the second cookie image to help them visualise the structure.
- Ask the class how the two cookies are different and if they can think of other songs with repeating parts, like "Twinkle, Twinkle."
- Conclude by reinforcing that music can have patterns and structures, which we can visualise to understand better how the parts work together.
Success Criteria
- I can identify songs with two parts, A and B.
- I can recognise when part A repeats at the beginning and end of a song.
- I can connect a song’s structure to a visual representation like a cookie diagram.
Students will determine the colour of Ida's dress and identify rhyming words that match the colour.
Lyrics
A section:
Down the road and across the creek, can’t get a letter but once a week.
B section
Ida Red, Ida Blue, I got stuck on Ida too.
A section:
Down the road and across the creek, can’t get a letter but once a week.
B section:
Ida Red, Ida Green, prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.
- Begin by seating the class and introducing the song. Students may have heard this song in Prep.
- Explain that the goal is to discover the colour of Ida's dress and find a rhyming word for it.
- Sing the song to the class, using the visual props of a girl in different-coloured dresses. Hold up the corresponding picture as you sing the verse.
- After completing the song, point to the visual prop and ask the class to identify the dress colour.
- When they give the correct answer, prompt them to provide a rhyming word that matches the colour.
- Encourage creativity while guiding them if necessary. For example, if the dress is red, they might say "bed."
- Repeat the activity with different dress colours and visual props, engaging the class with each turn.
- Finally, ask what was the form of the song? Did it have repeating sections?
Questions
- How many times did the postman deliver a letter?
- Where did the postman have to go?
- How many rhyming words can you give for 'blue'?
Success Criteria
- I can identify the colour of Ida's dress when prompted.
- I can provide a rhyming word that matches the colour of the dress.
- I can sing in tune.
Students will explore the ABA form by performing, identifying, and improvising rhythms within the structure of a known song.
Questions
- What are the letters used for the form of Naughty Pussy Cat?
- What was your new rhythm for the B section?
- Did you like your new rhythm in the B section?
- Explain that many songs have a structure or "form" to organise their musical ideas. In AABA form, the A section is repeated twice [AA], then a B section followed by the A section.
- Write AABA on the board as the structure and present the song Naughty Pussy Cat.
- Sing with the class while clapping the rhythm. Have students focus on identifying the A and B sections.
- Guide students to clap the rhythm of the A phrases together.
- Then, clap the B phrase.
- Repeat the A section.
- Once students are secure with the rhythm, erase the B phrase on the board.
- Encourage students to improvise a new rhythm for the B section while keeping the A phrases the same.
- Students will clap or tap a different rhythm pattern during the B section. Examples include replacing the quavers [ti-ti] with crotchets [ta].
- Students perform the new AABA form with improvisation
- Repeat this several times, allowing different students to lead the improvised B section.
Success Criteria
- I can identify and describe the AB form in a song.
- I can perform the A and B phrases accurately.
- I can improvise a rhythm for the B phrase while maintaining the AB form.
Students will understand the concept of ABA form by exploring "Incy Wincy Spider."
Lyrics
Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
And the Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again!
Sing Incy Wincy Spider. Ask students to notice which parts of the song are similar and which are different.
- Introduce the concept of ABA form as having three parts: the first part (A) is repeated after a contrasting middle section (B). Compare it to storytelling: beginning, something different happens, then returning to the start.
- Break down the structure and identify and label each section.
- A Section: "Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the water spout...
- B Section: "Out came the sun and dried up all the rain."
- A Section: "And the Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again."
- Write this on the board or show it visually with a simple chart.
- Create actions to represent each section.
- A Section: Finger movements for the spider climbing and rain washing it away.
- B Section: Stretch arms for the sun and wiggle fingers for the drying rain.
- A Section: Repeat the climbing finger movement.
- Perform the song with the movements, reinforcing the structure through actions.
- Divide the class into three groups. Group 1 performs the first A Section. Group 2 performs the B Section. Group 3 performs the final A Section.
- Rotate the groups so everyone experiences each part.
- Ask students what they noticed about the A and B sections. Discuss how the repetition of A makes the song feel familiar and complete.
Questions
Success Criteria
- I can identify the A and B sections of the song.
- I can sing or play the song while recognising the ABA structure.
- I can demonstrate the differences between the A and B sections through movement or actions.
Students will recall and write the rhythm of Lucy Locket from memory and label the form using letters.
- Start by singing Lucy Locket with the class to refresh their memory of the song.
- Sing it twice and have students clap along with the rhythm to help solidify it in their minds.
- They will now write the song's rhythm in their books [p.15] or on the worksheet, relying on their memory.
- Emphasise the importance of paying attention to the beat and rests while they write.
- After writing the rhythm, ask them to identify the song's form by listening to the phrases they wrote.
- Then, guide them to label each section with letters (e.g., A, B, etc.) and demonstrate how to group repeated and contrasting phrases.
- Conclude by singing the song again together and reviewing the correct rhythm and form on the board as a class.
- Praise their efforts in recalling and identifying the structure of the song.
Questions
- What is the form of Lucy Locket?
- How many parts does it have?
- What are the two types of rhythm syllables you used?
Success Criteria
- I can accurately write the rhythm of Lucy Locket from memory.
- I can identify the form of the song using letters (e.g., A, B).
- I can correctly label the repeated and contrasting sections of the song to show its form.
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
- The student can
- The student can
- The student can
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV