Y1. Lesson 17. High & low [one-line staff]
Prior learning: High & low sounds.
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials:
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Present
High & low sounds [single line]
Practise
ta & ti-ti, hand signs
Melodic development
Students discover that the high and low sounds can be represented on a single line staff.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Invite students to sing Goodnight with beautiful singing voices."
- Ask if the song has high and low sounds.
- Invite students to sing and show the hand signs for high and low sounds.
- Explain that the class will sing Goodnight, as they have done many times before, but instead of singing the usual words, they will sing using only the words high & low
- When secure, project (or draw) the graphic and ask the class if they recognise what it shows.
- Explain that the high sound of the song sits above the line and the low sound below the line.
- Teach that this line is called a staff, and a staff can have more than one line.
- Ask a volunteer to come forward and point to each symbol in turn as the class sing the song. Repeat with another volunteer.
- Choose a student and ask them to sing the song using only high and low. Repeat as time permits.
Rhythmic development
Students practise rhythmic syllables ta and titi through chanting and recognising symbols.
Miss White had a fright.
In the middle of the night.
Saw a ghost eating toast.
Halfway up a lamp post!
- Project the rhythm icons of Miss White on the board.
- Teach the rhyme to the class using a measured cadence and point to each rhythmic syllable in turn.
- When secure, ask a volunteer to point to each syllable as the class repeats the rhyme. Repeat as time permits.
- Now speak the rhyme using the rhythmic syllables as shown and invite the class to repeat them after you
- When secure, choose a student to come to the front and repeat the syllables with you.
- Ask the class if they have ever seen a ghost eating toast!
- For extra ghosty fun, project or print the two ghost patterns and ask students to spell them using the syllable ta and titi.
Creative movement
Students use the words high and low in this circle game.
- Students form a circle.
- Lead the class in singing the song.
- Have a bear puppet in your hand, and as the class sing, pretend that the bear eats honey from the student's hands as you patrol around the perimeter of the circle.
- Ask the class to substitute high and low for the lyrics once secure.
- If hand signs are used in your teaching method, the class should sit and demonstrate high and low sounds.
Questions
- What does the bear like to eat?
- If the bear eats too much, what will happen?
Listening
Students
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Play the beginning of the track on the audio player and ask students if they recognise the music.
- Explain that students will chant and clap ta & ti-ti to the rhythm of the music.
- Lead the class in chanting and clapping ta & ti-ti.
Visual learning
Students will clap and speak the rhythmic syllables on the worksheets.
- Project or print the worksheets below.
- Tell the class that they will read the rhythm pattern on the first line and clap and speak the syllables using ta and titi.
- When secure, repeat with the second line. Assess students' accuracy.
- Ask a volunteer to come forward and clap and speak the third rhythmic pattern, offering gentle guidance if required.
- Ask another volunteer to come forward and clap and speak the fourth pattern.
- Extension: Ask a volunteer to come forward and compose a series of four rhythmic syllables and write them on the board.
- Ask the class to repeat back.
Part work
Students sing with a chosen student enacting the movements indicated by the lyrics.
- The class is seated in a circle, and a student is chosen to become 'Sally' and remains in the circle's centre.
- The class begins to sing as 'Sally' mimes the movements indicated by the lyrics.
- At the song's end, 'Sally' points to a student who will become the new 'Sally.'
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV