Melody Introduction

Year Level

Prep

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

25 students

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Explore the concept of melody through listening activities
• Identify different melodies in songs
• Distinguish between high and low sounds in music

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Success Criteria

• Students can listen attentively to different songs and identify the melody
• Students can describe melodic sounds as either high or low
• Students can demonstrate understanding by moving or responding physically to high and low sounds

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NSW Curriculum Links

Stage 1 – Music (Years K-2)

• Content descriptions:
  • ACAMUM080 – Explore ideas and expressive possibilities in music including pitch (high/low) through singing and playing instruments
  • ACAMUM082 – Listen to and respond to different sounds, identifying differences in pitch
  • ACAMUM083 – Explore and use elements of music (pitch, dynamics) in movement and sound-making activities

Achievement Standard:
By the end of Year 2, students identify where they experience music, describe elements of music (including pitch), demonstrate listening skills and use elements of music to improvise and compose simple music.

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Lesson Overview

Time	Activity	Description
5 min	Introduction and WALT	Briefly explain the goal of today’s lesson using child-friendly language and WALT poster.
10 min	Listening Activity — "Melody Hunt"	Play 3 short, familiar songs with distinct melodies and ask students to listen carefully.
10 min	Exploring High and Low Sounds	Using a xylophone or keyboard, demonstrate high and low sounds. Students follow with their voices or instruments.
10 min	Movement Response to Melody	Guide students to move their bodies high or low according to the melody heard in a selection of songs.
5 min	Group Reflection and Discussion	Ask simple questions: “What did you notice about the songs?” “How could you tell if the sounds were high or low?”
5 min	Assessment and Review	Informal assessment through a quick ‘show me’ activity where students indicate if a played note is high or low by raising hands or low/high arm movements.

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Detailed Lesson Plan

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Gather students on the carpet or in a circle.
• Display WALT: We are learning to listen to melodies and hear high and low sounds.
• Engage students with a question: “Have you heard music that goes up and down like a staircase?”

2. Listening Activity: "Melody Hunt" (10 minutes)

• Play 3 short, simple songs that feature clear melodies (examples: "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Old MacDonald," a simple instrumental melody).
• After each song, ask students to share what stood out about the song’s tune or melody. Use phrases like “Was the tune going up or down?”
• Reinforce the term ‘melody’ as a musical story made by different sounds.

3. Exploring High and Low Sounds (10 minutes)

• Use a xylophone, glockenspiel, or keyboard. Demonstrate playing a high note and a low note.
• Invite students to imitate the sounds vocally (e.g., “sing it high, sing it low”).
• Play a short sequence of notes and ask students to show with their hands how the sound moves (high hand for high sound, low hand or closer to feet for low sound).
• Use vocabulary explicitly: “high” and “low.”

4. Movement Response to Melody (10 minutes)

• Play a familiar melody or instrumental piece.
• Ask students to move their bodies with the music: stretch tall for high sounds, crouch or crouch low for low sounds.
• Encourage creative, free movement with guidance based on pitch changes.
• Optionally incorporate scarves or ribbons for visual movement interpreting melody.

5. Group Reflection and Discussion (5 minutes)

• Sit together and discuss: “How did you know which sounds were high and which were low?”
• Use thumbs up/down or a show of hands for “Did you like moving high or low more?”
• Reinforce the new vocabulary and concepts learned.

6. Assessment and Review (5 minutes)

• Play notes or short melodic phrases, mixing high and low.
• Each student responds by raising one hand high for “high sound” or low for “low sound.”
• Give immediate positive feedback.
• Summarise the lesson outcomes and preview the next lesson, which will focus on creating simple melodies.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For diverse learners:
  • Provide visual aids for high and low sounds (pictures or hand signs).
  • Use clear, slow verbal instructions and repeat key vocabulary.
  • Pair students for peer assistance during movement activities.
  • Allow alternative ways to respond (tapping a high or low drum instead of moving).

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Extension Activities (for advanced learners)

• Encourage students to try creating their own short melody using classroom instruments (xylophones, recorders, keyboards).
• Introduce a simple visual representation of melody lines using a staff with colours or stickers indicating high and low notes.
• Challenge students to listen for and identify melody changes in more complex songs.

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Resources Required

• Audio player and recordings of simple songs (e.g., nursery rhymes with clear melodies)
• Classroom instruments (xylophones, keyboards, glockenspiels)
• Scarves or ribbons for movement
• WALT posters and visual aids for high/low sounds
• Space for movement activities

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This lesson plan is grounded in the NSW K-2 Music syllabus focusing on listening skills and melody exploration, specifically pitch (high and low), reflecting the achievement standard for Years 1 and 2 which includes foundational musical concepts starting in Prep.

The approach integrates active listening, movement, and vocal experimentation to engage young learners with music concepts compatible with their developmental stage and NSW curriculum expectations.