Read and write rhythms with quarter (Ta) and eighth (Ti-Ti) notes.
Materials
Rhythm sticks
(Optional) display of Curwen hand signs for Sol and Mi
Instructions
Teach rhyme to students one phrase at a time.
Add melody. Sing entire song several times with the lyrics.
Label the high notes as Sol and the low notes as Mi. Practice singing with solfege. Add Curwen hand signs, if desired.
Show high notes by clapping hands, show low notes by patting lap. Practice singing with these movements.
Discuss with students how a train would sound if it were very far away. (soft) How it would sound if it were very close. (loud)
Practice singing the song very softly as though the train were far away. Practice again singing loudly as though the train were very near. Remind students to use their singing voices and not yelling voices on this activity.
Practice having students follow the teacher's hand gestures as they sing. When your hands are close together, the children are to sing very softly. When your hands are far apart, they are to sing louder. Move your hands slowly from one position to the other and have students sing louder or softer as your hands move.
Select a student to serve as conductor to show loud and soft. Instruct class to follow his or her lead as they move their hands.
Play the recording for the class. Have students determine how the volume changes during the performance of the song. (Soft to loud, then loud to soft)
Draw four vertical lines to represent the steady beat in a measure. Challenge students to step to the steady beat of the song as the teacher touches each vertical line. Select an Engine for the rest of the class to follow around the room, stepping to the steady beat.
Taking one measure at a time, have students decipher the rhythm. One sound per beat is ta ( ) and two sounds per beat is ti-ti ( ). The teacher marks their responses on the board.
Lead students to discover that the rhythm is the same for all four lines. (ti-ti ti-ti ti-ti ta)
Sing entire song on rhythm syllables while tapping rhythm sticks.
Perform song while dividing students into a Melody Train group and a Rhythm Station group. The Melody Train moves around the room, singing the song while walking to a steady beat. The Rhythm Station sits in a small group and taps the rhythm on rhythm sticks. Switch groups, if time permits.
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