Y3. Lesson 20. Practise ti-tika
Prior learning: None
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Woodblocks or claves
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Present
Practise
ti-tika
Melodic development
Students add a new song to their repertoire.
- Teach the song line-by-line. When secure, ask the class to sing and clap the rhythm.
- Alternative and amusing lyrics can be substituted. Ask the class to improvise their own lyrics.
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
If you see a crocodile,
Don't forget to scream.
Row, row, row your boat
Underneath the stream.
Ha-ha, fooled you!
I'm a submarine.
Row, row, row your boat
Gently to the shore.
If you see a lion,
Don’t forget to roar.
Row, row, row your boat
Gently around the bath.
If you see a large giraffe,
Don’t forget to laugh.
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the river.
If you see a polar bear,
Don’t forget to shiver.
Rhythmic development
Students discover where ti-tika can be found in a classic nursery rhyme.
- Lead the class in singing the song.
- The target phrase is the third measure with the words 'went to bed with his...'
- When secure, ask the class to sing and clap the rhythm to this measure. Repeat several times.
- Projecting the score or writing the third measure on the board may be helpful.
- Ask for the time name of the three joined notes in the third measure [ti-tika].
- Explain that ti-ti-ka is an eighth note joined to two sixteenth notes or a quaver joined to two semiquavers.
Creative movement
Students discover how to play staccato in this well-known song.
- Students form a circle with their hands held behind their backs.
- During the first two verses, a chosen student carries a key while circling outside the group.
- As the class sing, the chosen student discreetly places the key into another student's hands before blending back into the circle.
- The student who receives the key assumes the role and becomes the chosen student.
Variation 1: A student stands at the circle's centre while the teacher or a selected student discreetly passes the key to someone within the ring. The central student has three attempts to identify the keyholder.
Variation 2: The student in the centre covers their eyes. The teacher covertly gives the key to one of the circle's members. The recipient then sings, "I have found the closet key..." Based on the singing voice, the student, with their eyes covered, tries to pinpoint the singer's identity [audiation].
Listening
Students investigate which instruments play the melody from known songs.
- Play the first track on the player.
- Ask the class which musical instrument is being played.
- Ask which orchestral family the instrument belongs to.
- Repeat for the following tracks.
- Note: The clarinet and oboe are similar!
Visual learning
Students revise time names.
- Project the worksheet on the board.
- Point to the top measure with two bars and ask students to clap the rhythm.
- Ask students to say the time names in each measure [i.e., tika-tika, ta].
- Repeat for the following measures.
Instruments
Students discover how to play staccato on the recorder.
- This song is used to demonstrate staccato, which means notes sound separated.
- A dot placed below or above a note tells the student to play the note staccato. Staccato means to play the note short and separate from other notes.
- Teach that you should make a "t" sound with your tongue instead of the "too" sound.
- Remember, not all notes are shown as staccato; they are just in measures 1, 2, and 4.
Part work
Students sing a classic classroom song in canon.
- The audio and score are at the top of the page.
- At a minimum, divide the class into two groups.
- The first group should sing the song.
- The second group will start singing from the second measure on your command.
- For a greater challenge, divide into three groups.
- Group one begins, with groups two after one measure and group three after two measures.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV