Music reading railroad

Students will learn to read quarter notes, rests and repeat signs using a traditional folk song.

A lesson plan for grade 1 Music Education

By Melissa Vincent

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• learn “I’ve Been Working On The Railroad.”
• learn quarter notes, quarter rests, and repeat signs.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

40 minutes

Materials/resources

• Overheads or chart with the lyrics to “I’ve Been Working On The Railroad.” Each verse needs to be identified (i.e. written on different pages, different colors, etc.).
• Overhead projector with an extra clean overhead or chalk/white board.
• Chalk, white board pens, or overhead pens.
• Instrument for each child: sandblocks, and cymbals or other appropriate for train sounds.

Technology resources

• Overhead Projector
• CD/Tape Player
• Recording of “I’ve been working on the railroad”

Activities

1. Explain to the children that they will be learning an old song that has been passed down through many generations. (If you know the history of the song, perhaps you could give it in brief. The song was, at one time, two different songs combined in a medley.)
2. Display the first verse. Teach the verse using the “line out” method (the teacher sings the each phrase with the students repeating the phrase.)
3. Sing the first verse together with the recording.
4. Follow steps 2 & 3 with the second and third verses.
5. Sing the entire song together directing the children when to sing each verse.
6. Ask the children to give you three sounds a train makes. Most of the children name chug, or choo, toot, and clang or ding.
7. Write “chug, chug, chug, chug” on the clean overhead or chalk/white board. Have the students say the four sounds with you.
8. Draw repeat signs on both sides of the chugs explaining that this means to repeat.
9. Have the children say the chugs again, this time with repeats.
10. Above the chugs, draw quarter notes explaining that this is what the rhythm looks like when written down.
11. Underneath the chugs, draw the repeat signs (leave room for four beats.) Draw a quarter rest on the first beat. Identify that this is a rest and we are to be silent on that beat. Write “toot, toot” on the next two beats and another quarter rest on the last beat.
12. Say the rhythm for the children. Have them say it with you making sure to observe the rests.
13. Write two more repeat sings under the “toot, toot” line. Again, make sure to leave room for 4 beats. Draw quarter notes above “toot, toot” reviewing with the children what the notes are for.
14. Write “Clang” on the first two beats. On the last two beats, draw quarter rests. Review with the children what they are. Draw quarter notes above “clang, clang” reviewing with the children what the notes are for.
15. Say the rhythm with the children.
16. Play the recording of the song. Have the children to say the “Chug, Chug” line with the first verse, the “Toot, Toot” line with the second, and the “Clang, Clang” line with the third. It is important that the teacher point at the written rhythm to keep the children’s focus it.
17. Pass out the instruments. Demonstrate how the sandblocks represent the Chug, the cymbals represent the clang. Use your vocal instrument to represent the toots.
18. Play the recording. First verse - Chug: Sandblocks; Second verse - Toot: voice; Third Verse - Clang: cymbals. Verbally prepare the children before each verse. Again, the instructor needs to point at the written rhythm to help the children focus on it.
19. For independent practice: Leave out the verbal preparation and have the students follow the instructors hand preparation as the rhythms are being pointed to.
20. Take up the instruments.
21. Sing the song to conclude the lesson.

Assessment

Make sure the students are playing the correct rhythm, keeping their eyes on the music, and playing their instruments correctly.

While singing, observe the students retention of the lyrics and melody. Did they repeat it as it was sung? Repeat the line, if necessary until correct. Did the follow directions during the “lining out” process?

Supplemental information

If this lesson is used for a regular classroom teacher, they will need to have some basic music reading skills.

For the recording, I used the Music K-8 CD Vol. 6 No. 5.

Comments

My students were very responsive to this lesson and learned quickly.