This is a reading song. Read the rhythms for “Ickle Ockle.” When they know the rhythm, sing the note names using letter names or solfa. When the melody is learned, have them sing the song with words.

Students form a circle with hands joined and raised - they are the "net." Choose one student to be the fisher and one student to be the fish. The fisher goes into the middle of the circle and the fish goes outside of the circle. Sing the song. At the end of the song, the students raise their hands. The fisher leaves the net (the circle) and tries to tag the fish before the fish can get into the net (the circle). Read about rests below. Then, read the notes and rhythms for the song.

Denise Tip: To make this game work, I choose the student to my immediate right to be the fisher, and the student to the
right of them to be the fish. After they have had their turns, they rejoin the circle on my left side.

Teach the arrangement to your students, or have your students improvise and create their own. As students go “out” in the game, they could go to the instruments to play instead of rejoining the circle or sitting out.

Read the lyrics of the song, "When I Believe in Me"

What do you think the song is about?

This is an easy two-part choral arrangement with a very positive message. Have students listen to the song and write down their first impressions. Teachers can ask the students guiding questions if the initial responses are limited.

• What is your first impression of this song?
• What does this song make you think of?
• Is there anything in the song that you can relate to?

Have the students brainstorm a list of the musical elements they heard when they listened to the song (pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, form). Questions to ask if the students need prompting could include:

• What was the form of the song? Was it verse-chorus?
• What instruments did you hear? (piano, voice)
• What voices did you hear? (several treble voices)

Discuss how the composer of the song used the elements of music in this work.

• Were harmonies used in the song? (yes) If so, how many vocal parts were there?
• What do you think the composer was trying to convey in this song? Where do you think it might be performed?
• How did the composer use dynamics to help convey meaning in the song?
• What do you think is the message of the song?
• Ask the students if they can think of an athlete or a person who believed in themselves enough to follow their
dream. Terry Fox, Albert Einstein, and Mother Theresa are possible examples.

To teach the students the song listen to the audio again, pausing after each phrase, and have the students echo. If teaching this song by rote, teach the chorus first. Students can easily learn the chorus. They will need to listen to the verses a few times to learn them. Divide the class into two groups. Have one group do the echo, while the first group holds the sustained notes. Discuss with the students which part is melody and which part is harmony.

This is a performance by an elementary school in Australia.

Sing part one of "When I Believe." If time permits, teach both parts of the song.