Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 2

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify high, medium, and low levels in movement.
• Understand fast and slow tempos in music.
• Create rhythm patterns using body percussion.
• Use mime and facial expressions to show emotion.
• Work together to act out a simple story.

Lesson summary

This week, we dive into the exciting world of Creative Arts, focusing on music, movement, and drama. This topic is about expressing ourselves using our bodies, voices, and imaginations. In South Africa, we are surrounded by creative arts every day. We see it in the vibrant Zulu dancing at a cultural festival, hear it in the beautiful harmony of a gospel choir, and feel it in the powerful rhythm of gumboot dancing. Learning about music, movement, and drama helps us understand our own culture and the cultures of others. It also helps us share our feelings and stories, even without using words. This lesson will help learners build confidence, improve coordination, and work together creatively.

Lesson notes

Music Music is the art of sound. It has a few important parts that we will learn about.

Tempo: This is a fancy word for the speed of the music. Is it fast or slow?

Fast Tempo: This music makes you want to move quickly, like running or jumping. Think about the fast beat in Kwaito or Gqom music that you might hear at a party. A cheetah running is fast!

Slow Tempo: This music is calm and makes you want to move slowly. Think of a lullaby, like 'Thula Thula', that a mother sings to her baby. A tortoise walking is slow!

Rhythm: This is the beat or pattern in the music. It's like the music's heartbeat. We can make rhythms with our bodies. This is called body percussion.

Example 1: Clapping your Name Let's clap the syllables in our names.

The name 'Thabo' has two sounds: Tha-bo. So the rhythm is CLAP-CLA

P. The name 'Naledi' has three sounds: Na-le-di. So the rhythm is CLAP-CLAP-CLA

P. Example 2: Making a Pattern We can mix different body sounds.

Let's try this pattern: STOMP - CLAP - STOMP - CLAP. This is a steady, simple rhythm. Movement Movement, or dance, is how we use our bodies to travel through space and show ideas.

Levels: This describes how high or low our body is.

High Level: Your body is stretching up towards the sky. You are tall!

Examples: Reaching up to pick a mango from a tall tree, jumping up high, standing on your tiptoes like a giraffe.

Medium Level: This is your normal standing or walking height. Your body is not stretching up or crouching down.

Examples: Walking to the spaza shop, sitting on a chair, dancing with bent knees.

Low Level: Your body is close to the ground.

Examples: Crawling like a baby, crouching down to look at an ant, rolling on the floor like a log, slithering like a snake. Drama Drama is about telling stories and pretending to be someone or something else (a character).

Mime and Facial Expressions: This is acting without words. You use only your face and your body to show feelings and actions.

Example 1: Showing Feelings How does your face look when you are happy? You smile! How does your body look? Maybe you jump for joy! How does your face look when you are sad? Your mouth turns down, and maybe you pretend to wipe away a tear.

Example 2: Showing Actions Pretend you are eating a very sour lemon. Squeeze your eyes shut, wrinkle your nose, and pucker your lips! Everyone knows what you are doing without you saying a word.

Character: This is when you become someone or something else.

Example: Animal Characters How does a lion move? It walks slowly, with pride, and has a big roar (even a silent one!). How does a mouse move? It moves quickly, with small, quiet steps, close to the ground (low level). Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: The Level Machine Task: I will be the 'Level Machine' operator. When I shout 'HIGH', everyone must show a high-level shape with their body. When I shout 'LOW', show a low-level shape. When I shout 'MEDIUM', show a medium-level shape.

Worked Solution: Teacher shouts: "HIGH!" Learners respond by stretching their arms up, jumping, or standing on their tiptoes.

Commentary: "Fantastic! I see many tall giraffes and birds flying in the sky. You are all using the space above your heads. That is a perfect high level." Teacher shouts: "LOW!" Learners respond by crouching, sitting, or lying on the floor.

Commentary: "Excellent! You are all close to the ground, like tiny meerkats or crocodiles. This is a great low level." Question 2: Body Beat Fun Task: Let's create a rhythm pattern together. I will do one part, and you will copy me. Then we will add another part. Our pattern is 'Stomp, Stomp, Clap'. Let's do it together five times.

Worked Solution: The teacher demonstrates: STOMP (with right foot), STOMP (with left foot), CLAP (with hands). The teacher says, "My turn, then your turn." The teacher performs the pattern.

The learners copy the pattern: Stomp, Stomp, Clap. The class repeats this together five times, keeping a steady tempo.

Commentary: "Wonderful! You are all keeping the beat together. You can feel the rhythm. This is how we make music with just our bodies!" Question 3: The Invisible Ball Task: We are going to play with an invisible ball. I will start. I will mime that the ball is very, very heavy. Then I will pass the heavy invisible ball to the person next to me.

Worked Solution: The teacher pretends to lift a very heavy ball. They bend their knees, strain their face, and use their whole body to show the effort. They grunt and move slowly. The teacher 'passes' the ball to a learner. The learner catches it, showing with their body that it is heavy. The learner then passes it to the next person.

Commentary: "I can really believe that ball is heavy! Look at how you are using your arms and your face to tell the story. You are not using any words, but I know exactly what is happening. This is excellent mime!" Independent Practice (Questions Only) Create a short 'animal dance'.