Y1. Lesson 7. High & low sounds
Prior learning: None
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials:
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
ta & ti-ti
Present
High & low sounds
Practise
Loud & soft, beat
Melodic development
Students use arm movements to demonstrate melodic contour as they sing notes an octave apart.
Questions
- How can you show a high note?
- How can you show a low note?
- What about a note that is neither high or low?
- Teach that some sounds are high, others are low, and some are in the middle.
- Students should be seated on the floor and copy your actions with their hands to match your singing.
- Sing the song to the class line-by-line in a gentle voice.
- Students will sing two notes, an octave apart, followed by a fifth.
- Raise your arm high when the melody is high, low when the melody is low, and in the middle when you sing, "Now I'm in the middle, and I don't know where to go."
- When students are familiar with the song, they should sing and use hand movements to follow the melodic contour.
- Individual students are selected to come to the front and follow your hand movements as they sing.
Rhythmic development
In this seated circle game, students keep a steady beat by patting their knees and reciting a rhyme.
My father was a butcher,
My mother cut the meat.
But I’m a little hot dog,
And I run down the street!
- Ask the class to form a circle.
- Teach the rhyme line-by-line using a slow measured cadence and keeping a steady beat.
- Students should repeat each line after you.
- When secure, a student is chosen to walk around the circle to the rhyme.
- At the end of the rhyme, they tap a classmate on the head, and that student gets up and walks quickly around the outer of the circle, trying to catch up to the classmate that tagged them.
- All other seated students pat their knees to the beat.
- The object of the game is to have the child who tagged their fellow student to be “it” catch their classmate before they return to the gap within the circle where they were previously sitting.
Creative movement
Students discover they can use different words in a song.
- Students are seated and attentive. Sing the melody using a neutral syllable and ask the class to repeat after you.
- When secure, teach the lyrics line-by-line in a measured cadence and ask the class to repeat after you.
- Ensure that students keep the beat.
- Ask the class to find a new word to replace 'clapping'. Answers may include dancing, hopping, moving, jumping, etc.
- Repeat the song with the new word.
Questions
- How many different sounds did you use in the song? [Two]
- Did the song start on a low or high sound?
- How can we show a high or low sound?
Listening
Students listen to a selection of sounds and determine whether they are high or low.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Explain to students that they must listen and discover if the sound they hear is high or low.
- Note: Each audio file comprises high sounds and low sounds.
- Students should touch their heads for a high sound and their shoulders for a low sound.
- Ask students what instrument is playing the sound.
Visual learning
Students use visual icons to keep the beat as they sing and point.
- Project the beat icons.
- Students are seated and attentive
- Sing the song with the class, pointing to each icon on the beat.
- Students should keep the beat on their knees, shoulders or heads.
- When secure, ask a volunteer to point as the class sings.
- Repeat as time permits.
- This exercise reinforces students' development of beat by using visual cues.
Instruments
Students begin to unconsciously differentiate between beat and rhythm.
- Arrange woodblocks, claves (or any suitable untuned percussion instruments), and beaters.
- Instruct the class that they will chant Engine Engine with you.
- Ask for a volunteer and instruct them how to hold the beater and woodblock correctly.
- Begin singing, and the student keeps the beat with a woodblock.
- The class should sing again, with another volunteer keeping the beat on the block.
- Assess their performance for accuracy and time-keeping and offer guidance as necessary.
- Ask for another volunteer and repeat as time permits.
- Tell the class you will play how the words go on the clave.
- The class should sing again as you play the rhythm on the clave.
- Choose a student to join you in keeping the rhythm.
Part work
Students experiment with high and low sounds using their voices.
Dr James Cuskelly and students of St Joseph's School, Stanthorpe.
- Teach that high sounds are shown with arms up high and low sounds with arms down low.
- The class is seated. Explain that students will put their voices in an elevator, making the sound higher or lower.
- Lead the class in singing 'ooh', ' ahh', or other neutral syllables.
- As you do so, raise your arms up and down according to the pitch.
- Students must follow your actions as they copy your voice moving up and down.
- This is an excellent warm-up exercise for students to start the singing component of the lessons.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV