Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Music, singing, and rhythm are all around us in South Africa! From the vibrant sounds of gqom music in our townships to the rhythmic clapping during storytelling sessions, these elements are woven into the fabric of our daily lives and cultural traditions. This week, we're going to explore the wonderful world of music and rhythm, learning how to express ourselves through singing and creating our own beats. Understanding music and rhythm not only helps us develop our creativity but also improves our listening skills, coordination, and ability to work together as a team. Singing and moving to music are also fantastic ways to release energy and have fun!
• Learning Objectives:
• By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
• Identify different sounds and rhythms in their environment and categorize them (e.g., animal sounds, traffic sounds, musical instruments).
• Sing simple songs from the South African context, such as nursery rhymes or traditional children's songs, in tune and in rhythm.

Lesson summary

Music, singing, and rhythm are all around us in South Africa! From the vibrant sounds of gqom music in our townships to the rhythmic clapping during storytelling sessions, these elements are woven into the fabric of our daily lives and cultural traditions. This week, we're going to explore the wonderful world of music and rhythm, learning how to express ourselves through singing and creating our own beats. Understanding music and rhythm not only helps us develop our creativity but also improves our listening skills, coordination, and ability to work together as a team. Singing and moving to music are also fantastic ways to release energy and have fun!

Lesson notes

What is Music? Music is a collection of sounds organized in a meaningful way. It can make us feel happy, sad, excited, or calm. Music uses different elements, including: Sound: Music is made up of sounds, which can be high or low, loud or soft. We hear sounds all around us every day, and musicians use those sounds to create music.

Rhythm: Rhythm is the pattern of sounds and silences in music. It's like the heartbeat of the music, and it makes us want to tap our feet or clap our hands.

Think of the rhythm of a drumbeat: boom, boom, boom.

Melody: Melody is the tune of a song. It's the part we usually sing along to. It's a series of musical notes arranged in a pleasing way.

Tempo: Tempo is how fast or slow the music is. A fast tempo might make you want to dance quickly, while a slow tempo might make you want to sway gently. What is Singing? Singing is using your voice to make music. It's a wonderful way to express yourself and share stories. Singing can be done alone or with others. In South Africa, singing is often a community activity, with people coming together to sing songs of joy, hope, and celebration. What is Rhythm? Rhythm is the arrangement of sounds and silences in time. It's the beat that makes you want to move! We can create rhythms using our bodies (body percussion) or with musical instruments.

Body Percussion: Using our bodies to make sounds is called body percussion.

Some common examples are: Clapping: Bringing your hands together to make a sound.

Stomping: Hitting your feet on the ground.

Clicking Fingers: Snapping your fingers to create a sharp, clicking sound.

Patting: Gently hitting your thighs or chest.

Worked example

Identifying Rhythms: Imagine you are walking down the street in Johannesburg. You hear the sound of a taxi hooting beep, beep. That's a rhythm! You also hear someone playing music on their phone dum-da-da-dum. That's another rhythm! Can you clap along to the taxi hooting and the music on the phone? The taxi hoot might be two quick claps, and the music on the phone might be a slow, steady clap.

Singing a South African Nursery Rhyme: Let’s sing "Siyahamba." This song is often sung when people are traveling or walking together. It has a simple melody and rhythm that makes it easy to sing along to. (Teacher demonstrates singing "Siyahamba").

Creating Rhythmic Patterns with Body Percussion: Let's create a simple rhythm using clapping and stomping. We'll clap twice, then stomp once. So, it goes: clap, clap, stomp. Repeat that several times. Now, let's try a different rhythm: clap, stomp, clap, stomp. Practice these rhythms until you can do them without thinking.

Understanding Tempo: Listen to two different songs. One song is a fast-paced gqom song. The other is a slow, calming mbaqanga song. Ask the learners which song is faster and which is slower. Explain that the gqom song has a fast tempo, and the mbaqanga song has a slow tempo.

Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: What sound does a dog make? Can you clap the rhythm of that sound?

Solution: A dog makes a "woof woof" sound. Clap twice, short and quick, to represent "woof woof". (Teacher demonstrates). The rhythm is two short, accented claps.

Question 2: Let's sing "Thula Baba." Is the tempo of this song fast or slow?