Pitch Lesson Plan - Year 4 Lesson 5

In the fifth lesson of the Year 4 Pitch series, students are set to deepen their understanding of musical concepts such as pulse, rhythm, and pitch intervals through interactive activities. The lesson's aim is to reinforce these concepts using a pentatonic song while also introducing the use of tuned instruments to play the pulse and rhythm, as well as to pick out melodies. The students will experiment with creating ostinatos—a repeated musical phrase—and begin to layer sounds, culminating in a performance that involves singing in two parts. Key vocabulary for this lesson includes terms such as pulse, rhythm, and the solfa syllables La, So, Mi, Re, and Do.

The main activities of the lesson are diverse and engaging. Students will play a game called 'WE WILL COPY YOU', where they sit in a circle, sing, and mimic actions to the pulse of a ball being passed around. They will notate the song on the board with solfa syllables, sing and tap the pulse, clap the rhythm, and perform body actions corresponding to different pitch syllables. The lesson progresses with singing to rhythm names with actions, using hand signs for solfa syllables, and playing the pulse and rhythm on tuned instruments. Students will also try to pick out the melody on chime bars and engage in various activities that help them switch between different musical elements. The lesson ends with a plenary game called 'THINK THE MELODY', designed to enhance listening skills and interval recognition. This lesson aligns with the National Curriculum, aiming to improve students' understanding of musical notation, ensemble performance, and aural memory.