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Looking to use Middle School Back to School – Lesson 3 in your Middle School classroom?

While teaching this learning module you will cover multiple concepts including: Melodic Direction (high-middle-low), Beat, The Staff, Time Signature

You'll also cover the themes of: Farm, USA Patriotic Songs, Animal Songs

Middle School Back to School – Lesson 3

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Introduction

In this lesson you will:

  1. Play “This or That”
  2. Discuss How to and What If?
  3. Review Music Room Rules
  4. Play Four Corners
  5. Review “Our Old Sow”
  6. Review the game with “Our Old Sow”
  7. Play the game and sing “Our Old Sow”
  8. Option 1: Complete the solfa challenge for “Our Old Sow”
  9. Option 2: Complete the note name challenge for “Our Old Sow”
  10. Option 1: Play “Our Old Sow” on Guitars or Ukuleles
  11. Option 2: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Our Old Sow”
  12. Teach “The Capitals of Canada”
  13. Teach “The Capitals of America”
  14. Optional: Complete and note and rest values worksheet
  15. Review “Ickle Ockle”
  16. Review the game for “Ickle Ockle”
  17. Play the game and sing “Ickle Ockle”

Extensions:

About the ‘Back to School’ Lessons

Different school districts have different start dates, ranging from the end of July to after Labor Day. The Musicplay song sequence is designed to begin in the first week of September. For teachers whose schools start earlier than September, there are five ‘Back to School’ lessons provided. If your school year begins in August, start with ‘Back to School’ lesson 1. Once September begins, regardless of your start date, use the ‘September Week 1’ lesson.

Objectives

  • I can sing about the capitals.
  • I can identify note names and durations on the staff.
  • I can recognize do, re, mi and so in solfege.

Play “This or That”

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Activity Used: This or That?

Discuss How to and What If?

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Review Music Room Rules

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Unit Used: Back to School

If this is review, consider substituting instruments for the body percussion.

Play Four Corners

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Practice Item Used: 17 q qr Q h. q. e

Teach “Our Old Sow”

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Song Used: Our Old Sow

This is an excellent reading song and chase game that is a lot of fun to play. Have the students read the rhythms using rhythm names, and sing the note names in solfa or using letter names. When they have learned to sing the song, add a clap at the end of each phrase.

Play the game with “Our Old Sow”

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Song Used: Our Old Sow

Choose one student to be the "farmer" and one student to be the "sow". All the other students form "walls". If you have 20 students, form four rows of students with five in each row. The rows of students must line up facing the front. If you have 24 students, you could form four rows with six in each row.

The students stand in this formation and sing phrase one. At the end of the phrase, they let go of hands, clap and turn to the left, and join hands with the person from the row behind them.

At the end of the second phrase, they let go of hands, clap and turn to the right, and join hands with the person they started with. At the end of the last phrase, they let go of hands, clap and turn to the left, and join hands with the person from the row behind them. The "farmer" chases the "sow" through the aisles. The "farmer" and "sow" are not allowed to break through the "walls". The game can continue until the song is finished, until the "farmer" catches the "sow", or until they are too tired to continue. If you want to increase the excitement (as if you need any more!), increase the tempo.

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Play the game and sing “Our Old Sow”

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Song Used: Our Old Sow

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Option 1: Complete the solfa challenge for “Our Old Sow”

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Option 2: Complete the note name challenge for “Our Old Sow”

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Option 1: Play “Our Old Sow” on Guitars or Ukuleles

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Option 2: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Our Old Sow”

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Song Used: Our Old Sow

Create an Orff accompaniment for this song.

Teach “The Capitals of Canada”

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Song Used: The Capitals of Canada

Teach the song by rote. This will be learned most effectively if students can read it from their own books.

“The Capitals of Canada” can be performed in a school assembly or as part of an “All About Canada” program. Have your students make signs naming each province, territory, and capital city. There are 26 in total, which will be close to the number of students that you have in one class. Some signs may be large enough for two or more students to hold. When you sing the name of the province, have the student with that sign hold it up in the air. When you sing the name of the capital, have the student with that sign hold it up. Because the song goes quite quickly, it will take a little practice to perfect the raising of the sign at the correct spot in the song, but it ends up being a very entertaining performance.

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Teach “The Capitals of America”

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Song Used: The Capitals of America

Teach the song by rote. This will be learned most effectively if students can read it from their own books.

“The Capitals of America” can be performed in a school assembly or as part of an “All About America” program. You could have the students create a PowerPoint presentation with illustrations of each state and capital, then show the PowerPoints as the students sing.

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Optional: Complete and note and rest values worksheet

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Review “Ickle Ockle”

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Song Used: Ickle Ockle

This is a reading song. Read the rhythms for “Ickle Ockle.” Write the rhythm on the board.

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.

A silent beat is a rest. Circle the rests in "Ickle Ockle." La is the solfa note just above so. If so is in a space, la is found on the line just above. If so is on a line, la is in the space just above.

Review the game for “Ickle Ockle”

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Song Used: Ickle Ockle

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 lower 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.

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Play the game and sing “Ickle Ockle”

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Song Used: Ickle Ockle

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