Grade 3 Back to School – Lesson 5
Teaching Procedures
Review “Hill, Hill”
Depending on the reading abilities of your students, teach the song by rote or have the students read the solfa and the rhythms. The song also uses a half note and can be used to introduce/review the half note.
Review the game for “Hill, Hill”
Have the students form a long line. The leader faces the line. All sing the song. The students try to run to the opposite side of the room or the field, while the leader tags players. If a player is tagged, they join the leader in facing the line and tagging more players. You can play this game between two soccer goalposts.
They sing again, and all of the chasers try to tag the students who are running from one side of the field to the other. The game continues until all (or most) of the students are tagged.
In small rooms, substitute a movement (such as hopping) for the students to get to the opposite side. If students are trying to be tagged, red flag them so they don’t get to join the leader. If too many students are caught each time, restrict the leader to catching one or two students each round. The game continues until all players are tagged.
Review “Here Comes a Bluebird”
Have the students read the rhythm of the song from the projectable slides. Phrase form is aabc. You could read the melody from projectable slides or you could show the contour of the melody with arm motions.
Review the game for “Here Comes a Bluebird”
Form a single circle. Join hands and raise arms to form windows. Choose one student to be the bluebird. The bluebird weaves in and out the windows. On the words, “Takes him a partner, ” the bluebird takes a partner and hops up and down in the circle. Now both students are bluebirds and the game continues until the entire class has been involved. The last student chosen becomes the first bluebird when the game repeats.
Option 2: Complete the note name challenge for “Here Comes a Bluebird”
Option 2: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Here Comes a Bluebird”
Teach the Orff arrangement for this song. Set the barred instruments up using the notes FGA CD. Brainstorm for a list of birds. For example: blackbird, swallow, sea gull, crow
Use the rhythm of your bird words to create melodies that they play between repetitions of the song. You could have each instrument take a turn for 16 beats. If you don't have Orff instruments create rhythmic or melodic ostinatos to accompany this song.
