Grade 4 Back to School – Lesson 5
Teaching Procedures
Review “Music Room Rules”
Read and clap all the music room rhythms.
Choose 4 of the rhythms and create body percussion to go with them.
Use the 5th rhythm as either an ostinato or an ending.
Can you create some new rhythms with ideas for how to make music class the best ever?
Review “Austrian Went Yodeling”
Reinforce 3/4 meter. Song 62. "An Austrian Went Yodeling" is a student favorite. Teach the song by rote and add actions as indicated by the words of the song. In the second section, add the following ostinato: pat, clap, snap. This really reinforces that there are three beats in each group in this song. When you teach this section, stop and ask them how the music is moving. (in twos, threes or fours) Invite the students to create new three beat ostinatos to accompany the B section.
Review “Stella Ella Olla”
Stella Ella Olla is singing game that is still evolving. The author learned this game from her students, and this is the variant that is recorded in Musicplay. But there are many other variants of the song. For example, "teega teega shark attack." "Singing es teega teega, cheese and macaroni." or "valo, valo, forgot to blow your nose." The author has observed children waiting backstage at dance recitals playing the game with no adult supervision. It's exciting to see children playing singing games on their own. This game is a good game for observing if students can keep a steady beat, and it's a good game to step out of and observe participation skills. To simplify recording grades, have your students form the circle in class list order.
Review the game for “Stella Ella Olla”
The students are seated cross-legged on the floor in a circle. Each student extends their hands, palms facing up. Each player puts the right hand over the hand of the person on the right and the left hand under the hand of the person on the left. The clapping moves clockwise around the circle. The player who begins claps the right hand of the person on
their left with their right hand. On the last word of the song, “five,” the player who is about to be hit must pull their hand away before being clapped. If they pull away in time, the clapper is out. If they get clapped, they are out.
Option 2: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Stella Ella Olla”
Students may be able to read the rhythm and melody of the song. Printable worksheets for solfa and note names are available on MusicplayOnline.
Create ostinati using C pentatonic notes on barred instruments or Boomwhackers. Add hand drums on the spoken numbers.