Pitch Lesson Plan - Year 4 Lesson 4

In the fourth lesson of a Year 4 pitch series, students are introduced to the solfa name and hand sign for the note 'Re', while also reinforcing their understanding of the intervals between the solfa notes Do, Re, Mi, So, and La. The lesson aims to enable students to recognise and sing these intervals and to perform notated rhythm and pitch patterns using the full pentatonic notation, which includes the notes Bb, A, G, and the solfa notes Do, Re, Mi, So, La. The key vocabulary for this lesson includes the solfa names themselves. Resources required for the lesson include a whiteboard and pens, which are essential for noting down rhythms and pitch patterns for the students to follow.

Main activities of the lesson involve a variety of singing and rhythm exercises, starting with Do Mi So La patterns and moving on to silent singing patterns. Students then learn to chant rhythm and sing using solfa names with the corresponding hand signs, with opportunities for solo performances. The well-known song 'Hot Cross Buns' is used as a practical application of the new note 'Re', and the lesson also introduces 'Raymond' or 'Re' through a visual hand sign and encourages the children to sing patterns using this new note. The lesson progresses to more complex rhythm and pitch notations and culminates in performance and composition activities, where students create and sing their own patterns. The plenary involves a discussion on the benefits of learning music with hand signs and how these skills can be transferred to playing instruments, setting the scene for future lessons that will involve instrument play.