Grade 4 Lesson 4
StartBeat, Dynamics, Melodic Direction (high-middle-low), Echo SongThemes(s):
Animal Songs, Eras in Music, Classical
Extra Details:
Rhythm
Tone Set
Grades
Chords
Learning Module Category
Introduction
In this lesson, you will:
- Play “Poison Rhythm”
- Teach “Bill Grogan’s Goat”
- Review a tie (projectable)
- Teach “Old Joe Clark”
- Learn the dance with “Old Joe Clark”
- Dance and sing “Old Joe Clark”
- Play the game “Which Rhythm Do You Hear?”
- Teach “Black Snake”
- Review dynamics terms
- Learn the game with “Black Snake”
- Play the game and sing “Black Snake”
- Option 1: Complete the solfa challenge for “Black Snake”
- Option 2: Complete the note name challenge for “Black Snake”
- Option 1: Play “Black Snake” on Ukuleles or Guitars
- Option 3: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Black Snake”
- Sort the dynamics
- Play along with “Contradance No. 3 in D Major” using appropriate dynamics
- Play the Dynamics Game
Extensions:
Objectives
- I can echo a song with ties.
- I can define and use dynamics in music.
- I can sing in two parts.
Teaching Procedures
Play "Poison Rhythm"
Copy LinkTeach “Bill Grogan’s Goat”
Copy LinkThis song provides an introduction to part-singing through the use of echo harmony. Teach the song by leading and having the class echo. Divide the class into two groups. Have one group be the leaders and the other group sing the echoes. Make sure the leaders hold the last note of the phrase while the other half echoes.
Review a tie
Copy LinkTeach “Old Joe Clark”
Copy LinkThis is an easy two part arrangement of an old mountain song for choral singing. Joe Clark was a real person born in 1839. He was a rough mountaineer of that time and he was murdered in 1885. There are many verses written for this song. For this version, just a few verses were chosen. Teach the song by rote.
Learn the dance with “Old Joe Clark”
Copy LinkForm a double circle, with pairs joining hands skater style.
Chorus: The pairs step clockwise around the circle.
Verse: The outside circle stands still while the inside circle weaves in and out in a clockwise direction.
Continue with a new partner. If the students are able to, have them create their own dance to the song.
Dance and sing “Old Joe Clark”
Copy LinkOptional: Play the game "Which Rhythm Do You Hear?"
Copy LinkTeach “Black Snake”
Copy LinkReview dynamics terms
Copy LinkRead about dynamics in the concept slides. Dynamics tell us if the music should be loud or soft.
mezzo piano mp means medium soft fortissimo ff means very loud
piano p means soft forte f means loud
pianissimo pp means very soft mezzo forte mf means medium loud
crescendo means to get gradually louder
decrescendo or diminuendo mean to get gradually softer
Learn the game with “Black Snake”
Copy LinkUse different dynamics to help your classmate find the snake. Buy a rubber snake at a dollar store. Choose one student to hide the snake somewhere in the classroom in plain sight - not under or inside something. A second student is chosen to hunt for the snake. The class guides the “finder” to the snake by singing softly when they are far away from the snake and louder when they are closer. Remind the students to sing with a beautiful tone at all dynamic levels.
Play the game and sing “Black Snake”
Copy LinkOption 1: Complete the solfa challenge for “Black Snake”
Copy LinkOption 2: Complete the note name challenge for “Black Snake”
Copy LinkOption 1: Play “Black Snake” on Ukuleles or Guitars
Copy LinkOption 2: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Black Snake”
Copy LinkCreate a rhythm pattern using the names of snakes. For example: Cobra Moccasin Rattlesnake Viper.
Choose non-pitched instruments and play the pattern on instruments. Use the pattern as an ostinato while the song is sung or as an interlude between repetitions of the song.