Complete 2-8

Term
®
Complete lesson plan
Week
2 8
Suggested Objectives
The following objectives are suggestions that should be achievable to enable steady progression
across the term, however they should be reviewed before each lesson and modified according to the
ability of the class.
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To sing with increasing awareness of sound and maintain own part
To continue improving playing technique of instrument
To identify the different styles demonstrated by ‘In the Groove’
To appraise own work and the ensemble, identifying areas for improvement
Overview:
Part 1: arriving
Activity 1: coming in to the lesson
Part 2: playing games
Activity 2: pulse/rhythm/pitch games
Part 3: singing and playing
Activity 3: playing instruments
Activity 4: song/composition – Stop!
Activity 5: song – In the groove
Part 4: at the end
Activity 6: summarise what the children have learnt
Activity 7: put the instruments away
General
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The concert is approaching: invite the class teacher to be involved as much as possible, and to
rehearse the material during the week while you are not there.
Next week will be jam-packed with concert material so there will not be time to listen to any music
brought from home.
In Activity 4 this week the children will again play one of three differentiated parts.
Copyright © 2009 Charanga Ltd.
Part 1: arriving
Activity 1: coming in to the lesson
ON
Switch on track “Mas que nada” – performed by Sergio Mendes and the Black Eyed
Peas.
1.1
The children arrive, assemble their instrument (if appropriate) and join the circle, without
talking. They pick up the pulse and the lesson begins.
1.2
Play with the pulse.
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Find the pulse with your feet.
Clap hands – on the beat or on the off-beat.
Ask children for some new body percussion ideas; everyone else copies.
“Statues!” to end each idea.
1.3
Ask the children to sit down.
1.4
Listen carefully for a moment to the music. Does anyone recognise it? Here’s some
information about the composer and the music:
• Mas Que Nada was written by Sergio Mendes;
• Sergio Mendes is a Brazilian musician (b. 1941); he has released more than 35
albums; his wife often sings vocals on his recordings;
• the style of his music is Bossa Nova heavily crossed with Jazz and Funk;
• Mas Que Nada was first performed in 1966; this version is the most recent (2006), and
features the group The Black Eyed Peas;
• listen for the percussion instruments throughout the track – percussion is very
important in Brazilian music.
1.5
“Let’s talk about the music.”
• “Do you like it?” “Why?” “Why not?”
• Invite the children to ask questions of you and of each other.
• Select questions from: “How would you describe the…
– dynamics (volume)?
– instrumentation (instruments/voices)?
 pitch (high/low; female/male)?
 rhythm (smooth/jazzy/complicated/simple etc) ?
 style (jazz/rock/pop/classical etc)?
 tempo (speed)?
 texture (thick or thin; many instruments or just a few)?
 timbre (quality of the sound – is it three flutes or a rock band)?
• “What sort of movements would go with the music?”
• “Can you see pictures/colours/shapes when you listen to the music?”
• “Does it remind you of anything?”
• Here are two questions specific to this piece of music:
– What language is the singing in? (Brazilian Portuguese)
– Some of the words are sung; how else are words performed? (they are rapped
by The Black Eyed Peas)
Copyright © 2009 Charanga Ltd.
OFF Switch off “Mas que mada”
1.7
Revise the children’s musical vocabulary.
“Which musical words can you remember?”
1.8
Praise the children for something they have done well.
1.9
The children stand up.
Part 2: playing games
Activity 2: pulse/rhythm/pitch games
Use track “In the groove games track”
“Have you heard this piece of music before?” (Yes: it’s based on In the groove.)
2.1
Pulse games
• “Let’s find the pulse.”
• Revise the meaning of pulse.
• “Let’s find the pulse with our feet.”
• “Copy me!” Hand/knee crossovers (diagonal hand to knee)
• Play ‘Turn off, turn on’ to develop the children’s innate pulse. Set up a body percussion
pattern eg clap hands x 2, tap shoulders x 2, then turn the volume of the music down to
silent for a few moments while keeping the pattern going; is everyone still in time when
the music comes back in? Invite individuals/small groups to try. Alter/increase the body
percussion pattern; alter/increase the length of silence. Give plenty of praise!
2.2
Rhythm games
• “Let’s find the pulse again with our feet.” Always keep the pulse going.
• Revise the meaning of rhythm.
• Play ‘Pass the name’ (see week 7).
• To end, play “Now be a statue.”
2.3
Pitch games
• “Let’s find the pulse again with our feet.” Always keep the pulse going.
• Revise the meaning of pitch.
• Warm up voices (elastic bands; daa/dee/dii/dow/duu etc);
• Play ‘Match my pitch’ (see week 7).
• Sing: “Now be a statue!”
OFF “In the groove games track”
Copyright © 2009 Charanga Ltd.
Part 3: singing and playing
Activity 3: playing instruments
3.1 Switch on track “Stop – concert version”
Press the ‘loop’ button to play the track continuously. Don’t announce it, just start the track.
“Which song is this?”
3.2 “Walk in time to the music to collect your instruments and come back to the circle. Stand in
the Rest Position. Absolutely no sounds!” “Who’s the best statue?” Correct any technical
problems in the Rest Position.
3.3 Revise technical elements involved in playing the instruments.
3.4 Perform your warm-up routine over the track, including the notes the children will play in the
next song.
3.5 Hold the instruments in Rest Position.
Activity 4: song/composition – Stop!
4.1
Revise “Stop!”
“What can you remember about this song?”
“What is the shape/form/structure?”
Intro
A – sung chorus
B – spoken chorus
C – instrumental section
D1 – group 1 rapped composition
A – sung chorus
B – spoken chorus
C – instrumental section
D2 – group 2 rapped composition
A – sung chorus
B – spoken chorus
C – instrumental section and/or optional dance lasting until end of next section D
D3 – group 3 rapped composition
A + B – sung chorus and spoken chorus together
Ending
Copyright © 2009 Charanga Ltd.
4.2
Use track “Stop! instrumental section”.
Revise the differentiated instrumental parts
Remind the children that they will play one of parts 1, 2, or 3. Move them to stand with
their group. As before, ensure that everyone is kept occupied by rehearsing group 1 first
etc.
4.3
Hold the instruments in Rest Position, or rest the instruments on cases.
4.4
Revise the sung and rapped choruses.
Listen once to track “Stop! sung chorus – sung by Kim and Ben”, then join in.
Listen once to track “Stop! rapped chorus – rapped by Tony”, then join in.
Listen once to track “Stop! sung and rapped choruses performed by Kim, Ben and
Tony”.
Divide the class into two groups and sing/rap both choruses at the same time. Swap parts
and do it again. Finally, use track “Stop! chorus parts 1 and 2 – for you to sing-rap”.
4.5
Use track “Stop! sections D1, D2 and D3”.
Revise sections D1, D2 and D3.
Use the same soloists/small groups as last week, or choose new ones, or divide the class
into three larger groups, one to rap each section. Vary the texture to keep the interest
high. The words are important: ensure that a fresh audience will be able to understand
them.
4.6
Use track “Stop! dance section”.
Rehearse the optional dance section (if you are including it)
Rehearse the dance section with/instead of the third instrumental section.
4.7
Revise the ending
Rehearse the ending you chose last week.
4.8
Choose two children to stand in front of the class and help you lead
Next week you will be making a recording of this so the children can evaluate their
performance. While you/the class teacher operate/s the recording equipment, the children
will help you lead the piece.
4.9
Use track “Stop! concert version”.
Put the whole piece together.
The children stand up and collect their instruments if necessary. Make sure everyone
knows:
– who will sing/rap the choruses when they are performed at the same time
– who will deliver sections D1, D2 and D3
– who will perform the dance section if you are including it
Practise concert behaviour throughout.
4.10 Hold the instruments in Rest Position.
Copyright © 2009 Charanga Ltd.
Activity 5: song – In the groove
5.1 Use track “In the groove – 1 verse – for you to sing”.
Play “Name that tune!”
Start the track but let the children hear only the first note. Can anyone ‘Name that tune in
one’? Start it again and let the children hear the first and second notes. Can anyone ‘Name
that tune in two’? Continue until they recognise the song.
5.2 Use track “In the groove – 1 verse – for you to sing”.
Sing the song. Choose whether to sing “I am in the groove” x 6, or one child’s name x 6, or 6
different names.
5.3 Sing in different styles.
Remind the children that this is a blues, but that we have created versions of the song in
other styles too. Which other styles can they remember (baroque, bhangra, funk, Highland
dance, Latin)? Encourage the children to sing in the style of their choice. Use a track from
the list in ‘5. in the groove (for you to sing and play)’.
5.4 Make an arrangement of the song that you will use in the concert.
All together, decide on an arrangement that includes singing and improvising on instruments
(either 3 lots of soloists/a few children for 4 bars; or more children for 12 bars). Choose any
one style and keep to it for the whole arrangement.
5.5 Use one of the “In the groove (your arrangement)” tracks from the list in “5: in the
groove (for you to sing and play)”
Rehearse and perform the arrangement. Practise concert behaviour.
Part 4: at the end
Activity 6: summarise what the children have learnt
6.1 “Put up your hand if you’d like to tell me about something you have enjoyed or learnt in the
lesson today.”
6.2 “Has anyone brought a CD from home?”
If yes: all listen to it; positively encourage respect from other children. “Why did you choose
this piece of music?” Extend the questions/discussion as much as you wish. Invite children
to bring music from home whenever they like. Put the instruments away while the child’s
music is playing instead of See you next time.
If no: continue as usual.
Activity 7: put the instruments away
ON “See you next time”
7.1 Encourage the children to join in with the singing while they put their instruments away.
After you have seen that each instrument has been put away properly, ask the children to
line up at the door.
7.2
End the lesson with praise for something the children have done well.
Copyright © 2009 Charanga Ltd.