Sarah Wagner

Content and Achievement Standards

Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
c. sing music representing diverse genres and cultures, with proper expression and
articulation manifest in the song.

Class Goals and Objectives

Continue to develop students skills through various singing activities.
Enable students to aurally identify and accurately perform rhythm patterns with eighth
and sixteenth notes.

Materials
A copy of Ive Been Working on the Railroad and index cards.

Procedures
1. The instructor will demonstrate straight versus dotted rhythms when saying hello to the
students.
a. Q: (Swung) How are you today? (Straight) I am good, thank you!
b. P: Repeat after me while clapping the beat.
2. Students will pat their legs to keep a steady beat while the instructor sings and plays
ukulele to Ive Been Working on the Railroad. (1 min)
a. Q: What is the narrator hearing? Who is the captain shouting to?
b. P: Pay attention to the lyrics of the song while patting the beat.
3. Students will echo Ive Been Working on the Railroad, starting with a part of a phrase
and eventually being able to perform the entire melody. The instructor will model the
starting pitches and repeat phrases if the students do not accurately repeat them back.
a. P: Now lets sing; repeat after me while stomping the beat. (4 min)
4. The instructor gives the starting pitch and allows the students to sing Ive Been Working
on the Railroad alone, while accompanying on ukulele.
a. P: Now you have a chance for sing for yourself. Stand up and pretend to hammer
a rail to keep the beat.
5. The instructor will have the students sing Ive Been Working on the Railroad again,
while singing and playing the descant at the same time. (1 min)
a. P: Sing the song again while patting your legs as I sing a different version.
6. Students will echo the descant, starting with a part of a phrase and eventually being able
to perform the entire melody. The instructor will model the starting pitches and repeat
phrases if the students do not accurately repeat them back. (2 min)
a. P: Now lets sing; repeat after me while tapping your shoulders. This is called a
descant, which is an independent melody above the original.
7. The instructor demonstrates the first line of Ive Been Working on the Railroad and the
descant using straight rhythm patterns.
a. Q: What is different about these two lines?
8. The instructor will join the class in singing both Ive Been Working on the Railroad
and the descant while playing ukulele. The room will be divided in two by counting off
one and two with students. (1 min)
Sarah Wagner

a. P: Lets sing together; here are your starting notes. Lets make a conga line but act
like trains.

Assessment of Goals and Objectives

Assessment of the lesson will be an exit ticket at the end of the lesson. Students will identify the
different note heads that represent straight and dotted rhythms and the definition of a descant.

Follow up Lessons
Future lessons will focus on other types of partner songs, such as rounds or countermelodies, and
more sixteenth note patterns.