When we sit down to write a lesson or a lesson segment, we need two things: a song (or another musical work) and a learning activity.
There are times when a song serves a clear purpose in our classrooms. Perhaps we have confidence about how to use the song because we saw it modeled in a training or explained in a textbook. There are other times we enjoy using a song, but the musical purpose is unclear.
Today we’ll look at one rhyme and how we might use it to accomplish three different musical goals.
The way we found a song in a resource (video, workshop, textbook, article, etc.) may not necessarily be the way that song needs to live in our classrooms. We can use our creativity and pedagogy skills to imagine new possibilities.
The Rhyme
There are many ways we could experience this rhyme! It could be a finger-play, a dance, a jump rope game, or a hand clapping game, among many other possibilities. The text can be found at Holy Names University.
Two, four, six, eight,
Meet me at the garden gate.
If I’m late, don’t wait.
Two, four, six, eight.
Variations of this rhyme also use Golden Gate instead of garden gate.
For our purposes, we’ll play it as a hand clapping game with a partner.
Two students face each other and clap partner hands together, then pat their own knees to a steady beat.
1st Grade
In 1st grade, we’ll use this rhyme for rhythm vs beat, ABA form, and melodic dictation with sol and mi.
Each of these lessons is designed to take up between 10 and 15 minutes of a full lesson.
Rhythm: Rhythm vs Beat
Play the game with a partner while speaking the rhyme
Point to icons for steady beat
Students choose if they’ll clap the rhythm of the words or point to icons for the rhythm of the words
“When we play the game, does our game use the rhythm or the beat?” (beat)
“Let’s try playing our game with the rhythm of the words instead of the steady beat. We’ll use the same motions, but make them match the rhythm of the words instead of one sound for every beat.” Lead the class in playing the rhythm
“Take some time to practice with your partner. You might also find a new way to play the rhythm of the words” With their partner, students clap and pat one or two sounds on a beat to show the rhythm of the words in the game
Extensions:
Pairs of students choose if they’ll clap the rhythm of the words or play the beat game.
One partner does one, the other does the opposite
Switch partners!
Form: ABA
Students play the beat game with a partner (Two students face each other and clap partner hands together, then pat their own knees to a steady beat.)
With their partner, students arrange rhythmic building blocks in any order they want to create a B section
Perform the rhyme in A B A
A - speak the rhyme
B - All student groups play their B section four times
A - speak the rhyme
Melody: Melodic Dictation
Students play the game with a partner
“When we play this game, do our hands start high or low?” (high)
“What if we sing our game so the words match the motions?!” Transfer the rhyme to a sol and mi melody
The teacher improvises a four-beat sol and mi melody on a neutral syllable. In partners, students pat and clap the teacher’s melody while singing it on sol and mi
Student groups create their own melodic pattern using sol and mi by singing and clapping or patting a combination of sol and mi.
These 1st grade lesson segments have explored rhythm vs beat, ABA form, and dictation with sol and mi.
Let’s re-imagine the same rhyme with more musical concepts, this time more appropriate for 3rd grade musicians.
3rd Grade
We can add other ideas and musical processes to the same rhyme to make it pedagogically and artistically appropriate for 3rd grade.
These lesson segments explore rhythmic partwork with ta-dimi, performing in a round, and playing low sol on barred instruments. They’re designed to take up between 10 and 20 minutes of a full lesson.
Rhythm: Partwork
Students walk in open space with a steady beat, clapping the rhythm of the words
Add a rhythmic prompt: Speak “Oh no, I’m running late - I couldn’t find the garden gate!” two times.
What would you do if your friend were late to the garden? Would you keep waiting even though they said not to? Or would you start planting seeds without them?
Students choose their response and speak it four times in a row.
In groups of 2 - 4, students choose which response they’ll give and create motions to go along with the text
One side of the room is “no problem,” the other half of the room is “Looks like they’re late. I’ll start without them”
Students scatter in open space. Walk with a steady beat, clapping the rhythm of the words of 2 4 6 8 while moving to the side they chose. When they get there, speak “oh no I’m running late” two times, then their chosen response four times. Clap 2 4 6 8 in place.
In spots, speak the rhythm of each ostinato on rhythm syllables instead of text
Form: Round
Students clap the rhythm of the text while walking in open space
Students choose if they’d like to come in first or second in the round by holding up one or two fingers.
Students form two circles. One starters walking first clapping the rhythm of the words. The other circle comes in four beats later.
Students choose if they’d like to stay in their circle or if they’re ready to move in open space while clapping their part in the round. Tell students they’ll have two tries either way.
Practice moving in open space while clapping the words in a round two times.
Melody: Barred instruments and dictation
Perform the rhythm on body percussion (teach by rote with visual)
Transfer body percussion to a melody on solfege:
Review absolute pitch names on barred instruments if do is F.
In partners, students collaborate to figure out the melody on barred instruments
Students choose if they’ll sing on solfege or letter names as they play the new melody
With their partner, students notate the melody in standard notation
There are other processes we could walk through, depending on our musical goals and classroom climate.
Concepts: Today we looked at ways to explore rhythm, form, and melody. However, we could also use the same rhyme to explore texture or expression.
Skills: These activities used a variety of skills, but we could repeat the process with more emphasis on skills like composition, improvisation, or listening.
There are many possibilities with one simple musical prompt!