Dem "Dry Bones" take form

This lesson introduces musical form (ABC) by using the song "Dry Bones."

A lesson plan for grades 1–2 Music Education

By Melissa Vincent

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Related topics

• Learn more about ABC form, arts, folk music, music, and musical form.

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Learning outcomes

The students will learn musical form through movement.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

35 minutes

Materials/resources

• Music to “Dem Dry Bones” (recording optional)
• paper cut outs of a head, body, and legs (a skeleton would work well here) If paper cut outs are not available, a drawing on the chalk or white board will work.

Technology resources

If you use a recording, a CD, record or tape player is necessary.

Activities

1. Teach the song.
2. Discuss that the song is in three sections. Use the body cut-outs. Make the head A, the body B, and the legs C. (Since this is a folk song, versions may vary.)
3. Have the students stand still during the A (head) section. Have the students show the different parts of their body as they are mentioned in the song during the B (body)section. Have the students walk around during the C (legs) section (After all that’s what legs do!)
4. When the students have mastered this movement, with your visual, switch the head, body and legs around explaining to them that no matter what the order of the body, musically the form will still be ABC. The first section is always A, the next unique secton is always B and the third unique section is always C. Have them demonstrate the new arrangement by singing and moving.

Assessment

The students will be able to show that they understand the form of the song by making the appropriate movements at the appropriate section of the song.

Supplemental information

Comments

You may want to add a coda, so perhaps you could use a paper cut out of a dog instead of a person so that it would have a tail.

Again, this lesson uses a folk song and folk songs tend to be different from place to place and publisher to publisher. This activity is fun with other songs as well. It may need to be modified for that song.