Rhythm and Pulse Year 3 Notations - The Austrian

In a rhythmic and engaging music lesson for Year 3 students, "The Austrian" is an accumulative action singing game designed to teach rhythm and pulse through notation and physical movement. The song begins with the tale of a young Austrian yodelling on a mountain, only to be interrupted by an avalanche. As the children sing the lyrics, they are introduced to a series of actions that accompany specific words in the song. The actions are designed to enhance the students' understanding of the rhythm and to bring the story to life through interactive learning.

The game starts with the students tapping their hands quickly on their knees at the phrase "and he went," building anticipation. As they sing the catchy "yodel-o-o-hey" chorus, they tap their knees, clap their hands, and click their fingers in a continuous pattern, pausing only to perform the actions. Each verse introduces a new element to the story, such as a St. Bernard dog, a grizzly bear, or the yodeller's true love, with corresponding actions like panting like a dog or making a 'Moo' noise for a Jersey cow. The students perform these actions in an accumulative sequence, always starting with the avalanche motion and adding the new action with each verse, reinforcing the narrative and rhythm of the song through fun and memorable movements.