LESSON PLAN

Subject: Music Class: Primary 3

Topic: African Music Time: 2 lessons

Prior Knowledge
Students should already know:
1. how to keep to a steady pulse
2. how to play Orff instrument
3. the concept of Ostinato

Instructional Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1.Have a better understanding on the African culture
2.Sing the song “Funga Alafia” with actions
3.Create two rhythmic ostinati within groups to accompany “Funga Alafia”
4.Perform “Funga Alafia” through the use of Orff instrument and percussive instruments (claves,
shakers, etc) in groups

Logistics Needed:
1. Orff instruments
2. Percussive instruments
3. Powerpoint slides, Computer and Projector
4. Worksheets

1. Teach funga alafia (paul grosse way).

2. Introduce the African culture
3. Teach melody of funga alafia on the orff instruments
4. Use imitation to teach polyrhythms with simple rhythms to class (using rhythmic instruments)
5. Layer the rhythms with the singing of Funga Alafia
6. Group work/composition of new simple rhythms to layer

Time Lesson Development Rationale Resources

(optional)

Introduction OR Pre-activity Youtube:

Funga Alafia
10 - Teacher sings “Funga Alafia” with actions while - Imitation (Ghana)
Mins students imitate (Call and response). allows http://www.y
students to outube.com/
- Teacher tells the class that “Funga Alafia” is a learn without watch?v=S_
traditional greeting song from West Africa. pre-requisites 7UUA7oM5
- Providing w
 - Teacher explains the meaning of the song in students with
relation to the actions done: the cultural
context of the
“I greet you with my thoughts song which
flows into the Exploring
I greet you with my words
introduction of Africa:
I greet you with my heart, culture http://explori
with nothing up my sleeves” ngafrica.mat
- Community rix.msu.edu/t
singing in eachers/curr
- Class to sing “Funga Alafia” with actions while circles allows iculum/m13/
walking in a circle (left, right, inwards, outwards -> a closer notes.php
experience to
teacher can decide)
the African
Culture Introduction
to Africa:
10 - Teacher introduces the African culture - Providing http://www.e
mins students with how.co.uk/a
to students using powerpoint slides. information on bout_61057
Africa 94_interestin
g-africa-
kids.html#pg
=1

Youtube:
Traditional
Rwandan
Dance -
http://www.y
outube.com/
watch?v=tci
DbE-Brx4

Lesson Development OR Main Activities Youtube:

Funga Alafia
20 Activity: Funga Alafia melody on Orff in the
mins Instruments classroom -
http://www.y
- Teacher teaches the class to sing “Funga Alafia” - Allows easier outube.com/
in letter names [eg. C C G A G E G E G], through transtition to watch?v=-
Orff 8Gt9fF6spI
the use of call and response.
instruments by
singing in
- Teacher uses the musical staircase to point to
 the notes while students sing “Funga Alafia” in letter names
letter names.
- Musical
- Teacher elicits responses from students what are staircase
the notes that were used in “Funga Alafia”. [The helps students
five notes are: C, D , E, G and A] to pitch
relatively
- Teacher explains to the class that these five
notes constitute a pentatonic scale.

- Teacher lays down ground rules for using Orff

instruments before starting activity.

Eg:
(1) Not playing when the teacher is talking.
(2) Mallets on your laps when not playing.
(3) Treat the instrument gently, etc.

- Teacher distributes Orff instruments to students.

- Teacher instructs students to remove two notes,

F and B from the Orff instrument as they are not - Removal of
found in “Funga Alafia”. notes
minimizes
chances of
error in
playing
- Teacher demonstrates how to play “Funga Alafia”
on the Orff instrument once.
- By
- Teacher plays the first 2 bars of “Funga Alafia” demonstrating
while singing in letter names , students can
have
- Teacher then gets the class to echo the singing something to
and playing on their Orff instruments while the model to
teacher sings along the letter names.
- Singing and
- Teacher repeats the above steps for the last 2 Playing helps
bars and then, rehearse playing the whole song students
until the students are familiar with it. memorize
better

20 Activity: Composing a rhythmic pattern to

mins accompany the song

- Teacher claps a rhythmic pattern repeatedly

while students play the melody of “Funga Alafia”
on the Orff instruments.

Rhythmic Pattern Example 1:

(at teacher’s discretion)

- Teacher elicits responses from students what

was observed. - Allows
students to
Expected response: perceive and
● Clapping of the rhythm can be heard express the
● The rhythm is clapped repeatedly musical
changes
- Teacher explains to the class that the repeated happening
clapping of the above rhythmic pattern is called a
rhythmic ostinato.

- Teacher proceeds to ask students if they were

able to clap out the rhythmic ostinato that they
have heard earlier.

- If students are unable to hear the rhythmic

pattern that was clapped earlier on, teacher leads
the students by clapping the rhythmic pattern first
and getting them to clap back.

- Teacher splits the class into 2 groups whereby:

Group 1: plays the melody of “Funga Alafia” on the - Switching
Orff instrument roles allows
Group 2: claps the rhythmic ostinato students to
(After which, both groups will switch roles.) gain melodic
and rhythmic
- Teacher adds in a second rhythmic ostinato by experience
using a woodblock or a castanet while the two
groups of students [Group 1: melody of “Funga - Rhythmic
Alafia” and Group 2: clapping of rhythmic pattern Instrument is
example 1] will perform together. used to
differentiate
 Rhythmic Pattern Example 2: the “colour” of
rhythms
between the
(at teacher’s discretion) 1st and 2nd
rhythmic
- Teacher elicits responses from students what ostinato
was the rhythmic ostinato played by the woodblock
or castanet.

- Teacher leads students to clap out the rhythmic

pattern played by the woodblock or castanet.

- Teacher explains that when different rhythmic

patterns are performed together, it creates multiple Conceptualize
layers in the song which brings about a thicker the experience
texture. and bringing in
the concept of
- Teacher demonstrates to students how to notate multiple layers
the first rhythmic pattern on the worksheet.
- With the
demo,
- Teacher conducts a discussion on how to notate students can
the second rhythmic pattern on the worksheet. then take
ownership of
conceptualizin
g the 2nd
pattern into
notation

20 Group Activity: Composing of rhythmic

mins patterns to layer “Funga Alafia”

- Teacher asks students to get into their respective

music groups (groups of 5 or 6).

- Teacher sends students to collect the different

instruments for their respective groups [each
group will have 2 Orff instruments and 3 to 4
percussive instruments which can consist of
castanet, shakers, woodblock or claves]

- Teacher briefs students on the activity, that is - Collaborative

each group will compose and pen down their 2 learning gives
 rhythmic patterns (rhythmic pattern A and B) in the students
worksheet, to layer “Funga Alafia”. opportunities
to contribute
Performance Criteria: (Within each group) actively (21st
a) 2 members play the melody of “Funga Alafia” CC)
(Orff instruments)
b) 1- 2 member(s) play the rhythmic pattern A
repeatedly (percussive instruments)
c) 1 - 2 member(s) play the rhythmic pattern B
repeatedly (percussive instruments)

- Students brainstorm as a group to decide on their - Facilitation

rhythmic patterns and pen it down on the allows teacher
worksheet while teacher goes around the class to to assist
facilitate. groups
according to
- Students rehearse for their performance. their progress

30 - Students perform in their groups [Teacher may

mins provide the pulse during their performance].

- Teacher asks the rest of the class to share one - Peer

star (good point) and one hope (area for feedback
improvement) about their peer’s performance allows
before giving constructive feedback to the students to do
respective group. critical
reflection

Closure and Consolidation OR Post-Activity

10 - Teacher sums up what was taught:

mins ● Students learnt to sing “Funga Alafia” with - Allows
actions. students to
● Students learnt the meaning of “Funga recap and
Alafia” and its country of origin, (West) reflect on what
Africa. they have
● Students played “Funga Alafia” using Orff learnt for the
instruments. lesson
● Students created their own rhythmic
patterns using percussive instruments.
● Students performed Funga Alafia with their
composed rhythmic patterns in their groups
Extra Resources

http://artscohort.wikispaces.com/file/view/African+Drumming+Lesson+Grade+5.doc

http://www.spurin.co.uk/Year%207%20Resources/Special%20resource%20project.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8Gt9fF6spI

http://www.slideshare.net/clasedemusica/funga-alafia-2545671