Prep. Lesson 5. Developing beat
-
-
- Bee puppet Difficulty:
Prior learning: None
- Bee puppet Difficulty:
-
Students improve their counting and number recognition skills by reciting a backwards-counting rhyme.
Featuring Miss Molly
Lyrics
Ten Fat Sausages, sizzling in the pan, [hold up ten fingers]
One went pop, [make a pop sound by pulling your finger out of your mouth]
and the other went ‘bang’! [make a loud clap and pause...]
Eight fat sausages...etc. [hold up eight fingers]
Six fat sausages...etc. [hold up six fingers]
Four fat sausages...etc. [hold up four fingers]
Two fat sausages...etc. [hold up two fingers]
No more sausages,
Sizzling in the pan,
They all went went ‘bang’,
‘bang’, ‘bang’ ‘bang!'
- Start by teaching the rhyme to the class while seated on the floor. Speak in a measured cadence to maintain a steady beat, ensuring students follow along easily.
- This rhyme is excellent for cross-curricular teaching. It integrates counting backwards while also engaging students in physical and verbal interaction.
- As you reach the line, "...the other went bang!" pause and ask the class how many sausages should be left in the pan. This prompts them to think critically about the counting process.
- Invite a student to come forward and recite the next verse, holding up your fingers to show the correct number of sausages remaining as they recite.
Success Criteria
- I can recite the rhyme with a steady beat, maintaining it as I speak.
- I can count backwards accurately and identify how many sausages are left after each verse.
- I can participate by reciting the rhyme and demonstrating the correct number of sausages with my fingers.
- I can engage with the activity by combining counting, movement, and verbal interaction, reinforcing my understanding of numbers and coordination.
Students develop their ability to maintain a steady beat while performing various movements and actions, improving coordination and listening skills.
Success Criteria
- I can march, hop, skip, or tiptoe in time with the beat.
- I can respond immediately to "stop" with the correct action or pose.
- I can work as a team to freeze at the same time.
- I can show creativity in my poses or actions when the beat stops.
- Once students are comfortable marching and freezing on "stop," add more actions to the song. For example, on "stop," students jump in place or clap their hands instead of marching. Incorporate different movements (like hopping, skipping, or tiptoeing) to match the beat, giving students more variety while reinforcing the beat and coordination.
- Turn the activity into a team-based challenge. Divide the class into two or three groups, each marching to the beat. When "stop" is called, all groups must freeze. If any students move, their team gets a point, and the group with the fewest points at the end wins. This adds an element of teamwork and competition, encouraging students to work together.
- Add a fun twist by having students strike a pose when they hear "stop." The pose could be related to something in the song (e.g., a running or jumping pose). Students who don’t freeze immediately or hold a pose for too long are out, making the game more dynamic and engaging.
- Introduce a "musical statues" variation. Instead of just marching and freezing, students can make creative shapes with their bodies (like a tree or a star) when the word "stop" is used.
Students develop their sense of beat and coordination while singing, moving in unison, and practising leadership and timing.
Dr James Cuskelly and students of St Joseph's School, Stanthorpe.
- Start by teaching the song and explaining the accompanying movements to the class.
- Instruct the students to stand and form a line. Then, have them turn to the right and place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them, creating a "train."
- One student is selected as the train leader. As the students sing the song, they stamp their feet to the beat, mimicking the movement of a train.
- The train leader is responsible for sounding the "train horn" (by making a "choo-choo" sound) and leading the group around the circle as they move in time with the music.
- At the end of the song, the train stops, and a new student takes the front of the line, becoming the next leader. The song is repeated with the new leader, and the activity continues until time permits.
Lyrics
Big black train, big black train,
Going up the mountain.
Big black train, big black train,
Going down again.
Success Criteria
- I can sing the song while stamping my feet to the beat.
- I can follow the train leader's movements and stay in time with the beat of the song.
- I can lead the train, control the pace, and sound the "train horn" while listening to the music.
- I can adjust my movements and singing based on changes in tempo or activities at different "train stations."
- I can actively participate and take turns being the leader.
Students sing with hand motions and explore creative storytelling by imagining new adventures for Incy.
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.
- Gather students in a circle or comfortable seating arrangement.
- Teach them the lyrics to "Incy Wincy Spider" by singing each line and having them echo it back:
- Show students how to use their thumb and pointer fingers to mimic the spider’s movements:
- "Climbed up the water spout": Make a climbing motion by moving your first and second fingers in an alternating motion.
- "Down came the rain": Spread hands and wiggle fingers downward to represent rain falling.
- "Washed the spider out": Move hands outward in a sweeping motion.
- "Out came the sun": Use hands to make a large circle above the head, symbolising the sun.
- "Dried up all the rain": Wiggle fingers in an upward motion, like the sun drying everything.
- "Climbed up the spout again": Repeat the climbing motion to show Incy Wincy’s perseverance.
- Practice these motions together, with students following along until they feel comfortable.
- Sing the full "Incy Wincy Spider" song with the students, encouraging them to use the hand motions while they chant.
- Repeat the song a few times to help them practice keeping in time with the beat and coordinating their movements with the lyrics.
- After the students are familiar with the song and motions, ask them to imagine new adventures for Incy Wincy.
- Prompt them with ideas, such as Incy Wincy meeting new friends like a butterfly or ladybug, facing other weather challenges like wind or snow, or exploring new places like a garden or forest.
- Encourage them to think of additional hand movements for each new adventure.
Success Criteria
- I can sing "Incy Wincy Spider" with the correct lyrics.
- I can perform hand motions to show the spider climbing, rain falling, and climbing again.
- I can use my imagination to think of new adventures for Incy Wincy.
Students will learn to maintain a steady beat while marching in a circle and chanting the rhyme, improving beat skills and listening awareness.
Lyrics
Bee Bee, BumbleBee, Stung a man upon his knee,
Stung a pig upon his snout, I declare that you are out!
Success Criteria
- I can march in time with the beat while chanting the rhyme.
- I can follow the leader and keep a steady beat while rotating in the circle.
- I can respond quickly when tapped on the word "out."
- I can participate actively and stay engaged throughout the game.
- Remind students of the rhyme by saying it line by line and having the students repeat each line after you.
- Explain that in this game, the students march around in a circle while chanting the rhyme as you stand in the centre.
- Begin chanting the rhyme with the class while they march around the circle, marching in time with the beat.
- On the last word, "out," tap one student's head. That student leaves the circle temporarily. Encourage the student who was tapped to rejoin the circle after the game is finished or when a new round begins.
- Continue the game until only one student remains.
- When only one student is left, that student can become the new "bee" and take the teacher's place in the centre to lead the next round.
Students discover more about beat with Zak and Zoe in the magic garden.
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV