The Arts Unit Creative Teachers
3 to 6 – lesson 1
Performance, listening and movement activities for 3 to 6
Student music resource developed by The Arts Unit in consultation with Kay Taylor
Years 3 to 6 music
Overview
Lesson 1 focuses on developing an understanding of beat.
Students use this understanding to play and move to the beat.
Learning intentions
Through this lesson:
all students will recognise that music has a beat
most students will maintain a beat
some students will need further learning opportunities to maintain the beat.
Assessment opportunities
Student progress can be monitored through a range of assessment strategies and differentiated according to individual student needs. These opportunities could include observation of student ability to:
move to the beat and maintain the beat
perform a simple movement routine by following actions and instructions.
Activity 1
Required resources
Audio recordings of The High Road (full piece and sections 1 and 2 available to stream directly from this activity or to download from the downloads page)
A4 paper and pencils
Key vocabulary
Beat
Dynamics
Differentiation
Teacher adaptions as required
Instructions
Listen to the music of The High Road.
Discuss with the students what they noticed about the music. Listen again, identifying repetition.
Listen to the beat and structure of the music.
Play to the music (as demonstrated in the following paper percussion videos).
Each student has an A4 piece of paper on the floor in front of them and 2 pencils (or they can use their hands instead of pencils).
Students copy the teacher performing the beat as the music is played (see paper percussion videos 1 and 2). The rhythmic pattern copied may be varied.
Students play a repeated rhythmic pattern instead of the beat (see paper percussion videos 3 and 4).
The High Road – full piece
Duration 4:35
The High Road (Full Piece).mp3Paper percussion
Paper percussion – example 1
Duration: 01:18
Students keep the beat using paper percussion (audio section 1).
The High Road – section 1
Duration 1:29
The High Road (Section 1).mp3Paper percussion – example 2
Duration: 01:06
Students keep the beat using paper percussion (audio section 2).
The High Road – section 2
Duration 1:31
The High Road (Section 2).mp3Paper percussion – example 3
Duration: 01:06
Students play a repeated pattern using paper percussion (audio section 2).
The High Road – section 2
Duration 1:31
The High Road (Section 2).mp3Paper percussion – example 4
Duration: 01:06
Extension: students play a repeated quaver pattern using paper percussion (audio section 2).
The High Road – section 2
Duration 1:31
The High Road (Section 2).mp3Activity 2
Required resources
Audio recording of The High Road (full piece available to stream directly from this activity or to download from the downloads page)
Coloured fabrics or ribbons
Key vocabulary
Beat
Dynamics
Differentiation
Teacher adaptions as required
Instructions
Move to the beat of the music in any direction using fabrics or ribbons.
Move to the music working with a partner using fabrics or ribbons. Each student has a turn at leading whilst the partner copies the leader’s movements to the beat of the music.
Standing or sitting in a circle, students as a class group use their fabrics or ribbons to feel the pulse of the music.
The High Road – full piece
Duration 4:35
The High Road (Full Piece).mp3Activity 3
Required resources
Audio recordings of The High Road (full piece and separate sections available to stream directly from this activity or to download from the downloads page)
Coloured fabrics or ribbons
Folk dance demonstration videos
Key vocabulary
Beat
Create
Imitate
Respond to stimuli
Differentiation
Some students may need support with the movement lesson. Movements can be varied to suit as required.
Instructions
Students create their own dance movements inspired by the music in sections 1 and 2 of The High Road.
Students work with a partner or small group to create their own dance to the music. Use fabrics or ribbons as part of the movement.
Students perform a set folk dance (as demonstrated in the following videos, with movement instructions for each section).
Class stands in a circle and learns movement sequences as demonstrated by the teacher, section by section.
Students hold their fabric or ribbon to perform.
Students perform a folk dance to the music of The High Road.
The High Road – section 1
Duration 1:29
The High Road (Section 1).mp3The High Road – section 2
Duration 1:31
The High Road (Section 2).mp3Folk dance – K to 2
Folk dance – full (3 to 6)
Duration: 04:57
Watch this video of the full folk dance and then review the demonstration videos and movement instructions for each section.
The High Road – full piece
Duration 4:35
The High Road (Full Piece).mp3Folk dance – section 1
Folk dance – section 1
Duration: 01:50
The High Road – section 1
Duration 1:29
The High Road (Section 1).mp3Folk dance – section 1 movement instructions
Start the first movement when the recorder music plays at the end of the drumming section.
Walk to the beat anticlockwise around the circle – 16 steps to the right, counting in groups of 8:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, stop.Walk to the beat clockwise around the circle – 16 steps to the left, counting in groups of 8:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, stop.Stand in the circle on your own spot. Stamp/step, then clap to the beat while holding fabric or ribbon (L indicates left foot, R indicates right foot):
L, R, L, clap.
Perform this pattern 8 times.Repeat movements 1 to 3.
Folk dance – section 2
Folk dance – section 2
Duration 01:54
The High Road – section 2
Duration 1:31
The High Road (Section 2).mp3Folk dance – section 2 movement instructions
Start the first movement when the recorder music plays at the end of the drumming section.
Stand in the circle on your own spot. Stamp/step/turn using fabric or ribbon (L indicates left foot, R indicates right foot):
L, R, L, wave fabric or ribbon up high.
L, R, L, wave fabric or ribbon up high.
L, R, L, wave fabric or ribbon up high.
Turn around in a circle on the spot, waving fabric or ribbon up high.
Perform this pattern 4 times.
Move forwards and backwards in the circle from your own spot using fabric or ribbon.
Move forwards towards the centre of the circle using 3 small steps, then wave fabric or ribbon up high – 1, 2, 3, wave.
Remain in the centre of the circle while waving fabric or ribbon up high – wave, wave, wave, wave.
Move backwards to your own spot in the circle while using fabric or ribbon – 1, 2, 3, wave fabric or ribbon.
Remain standing in the circle on your own spot while waving fabric or ribbon up high – wave, wave, wave, wave.
Perform this pattern 4 times.
Folk dance – section 3
Folk dance – section 3 (3 to 6)
Duration
The High Road – section 3
Duration 0:34
The High Road (Section 3).mp3Folk dance – section 3 movement instructions
Set dance:
Stand in a circle facing a partner (L indicates left foot, R indicates right foot).
Walk towards your partner – L, R, L – and clap your partner’s hands.
Walk backwards to your own spot – L R L – and clap your own hands.
Walk towards your partner, linking your right arms, skip around with your partner once and come back to your own spot.
Perform this pattern 4 times.
Alternatively:
In your own space in the middle of the circle, move freely in any direction to the beat of the music using fabric or ribbon.
By the end of the music, move back to your own spot in the circle.
Folk dance – section 4
Folk dance – section 4
Duration: 01:11
The High Road – section 4
Duration 0:49
The High Road (Section 4).mp3Folk dance – section 4 movement instructions
Start the first movement after the drumming section.
Walk to the beat anticlockwise around the circle – 16 steps to the right, counting in groups of 8:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, stop.Walk to the beat clockwise around the circle – 16 steps to the left, counting in groups of 8:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, stop.Stand in the circle on your own spot. Stamp/step, then clap to the beat while holding fabric or ribbon (L indicates left foot, R indicates right foot):
L, R, L, clap.
Perform this pattern 8 times.Repeat movements 1 and 2.
Folk dance – section 5
Folk dance – section 5
Duration: 00:36
The High Road – section 5
Duration 0:16
The High Road (Section 5).mp3Folk dance – section 5 movement instructions
Walk on the spot to the beat. Start after the drumming (L indicates left foot, R indicates right foot):
L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R.
L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R.
L, R, L, R, L, R, L, raise arms with fabric or ribbon and freeze.
Alternatively, this section could be performed moving in 2 circles with students standing opposite a partner (as per a progressive partner dance). The circles move in opposite directions. The outer circle starts anticlockwise, and the inner circle starts clockwise.
Third-party content attributions
The High Road, composed by Tracy Burjan, arranged by Tracy Burjan, Paul Burjan and Susan Sukkar, © Tracy Burjan, Paul Burjan and State of NSW (Department of Education), 2022, reproduced and communicated with permission.