Colours in the Beat

Overview

In this 45-minute Sound Arts lesson, Year 1 students learn and perform the teacher-approved version of the New Zealand colour song “Ma is White”. They develop singing skills while keeping a steady beat through body percussion. Students listen, copy, practise and perform as a whole class.

Learning intentions

• WALT sing “Ma is White” together, learning the words and keeping in time.
• WALT identify and maintain a steady beat, or pulse.
• WALT use our bodies to create simple musical patterns.
• WALT respect and pronounce te reo Māori colour words as we sing.

Success criteria

• I can join in with “Ma is White” and sing the words with support.
• I can keep a steady beat while I sing.
• I can copy and perform a body-percussion pattern.
• I can listen to others and perform safely and respectfully.

Curriculum links

• The Arts: Music – Sound Arts, Developing Practical Knowledge: explore and use voice, body percussion, beat, rhythm and musical patterns.
• Developing Ideas: create and select simple sound patterns to accompany a song.
• Communicating and Interpreting: perform music for others and respond to musical features such as beat, tempo and volume.
• English – Communicating and Presenting: remember and recite a text or song, speaking or singing in time with a group.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and musical hook. Teacher gathers students in a semicircle, opens the bee and colour introduction slides, and asks: “How could a bee use movement or sound to communicate?” Explain simply that bees use movement and sounds to communicate with other bees; today we are learning music, using our voices and bodies to communicate together. Students make a silent “bee flight” with their hands, then freeze on a signal.

2. 5–10 min · Vocal and body warm-up. Teacher leads relaxed stretches, shoulder rolls, gentle breathing, humming, and playful vocal sounds such as “mmm”, “mee” and “mah”. Model the expectation: voices are ready, not shouted; hands and feet stay in our own space. Students echo short patterns using voice, claps and pats. Check that everyone can stop immediately when the teacher raises a hand.

3. 10–17 min · Song listening and modelling. Teacher displays the song and pronunciation slides and performs or plays the teacher’s approved/known version of “Ma is White” once without requiring students to sing. Point out the colour words and explain that the class will use the exact approved lyrics and melody; do not add or change words. Model clear singing, sitting or standing tall, breathing quietly, and looking towards the leader. Students listen for repeated words, the beginning, and the ending, then share one thing they noticed.

Give pronunciation guidance before singing. Use the school’s agreed pronunciation and model each te reo Māori colour word slowly, naturally and respectfully. For example, mā is “maa” (long ā), kākāriki has clear repeated syllables, and kōwhai begins “kō-fai”. Avoid turning the words into exaggerated sounds. Invite students to listen, watch your mouth, and echo rather than correcting one another.

4. 17–25 min · Echo singing and whole-class singing. Teacher sings one short phrase from the approved version, and students echo it; repeat with the next phrase, then join phrases together. Use a quiet hand signal for “listen”, a hand near the ear for “echo”, and a wide arm movement for “all sing”. Students echo with gentle voices, then sing the complete song with the teacher. Repeat once, encouraging clear words and singing in time. Pause for a formative check: ask students to show with a thumb whether they kept up, and reteach one tricky phrase if needed.

5. 25–33 min · Explicit teaching of steady beat. Teacher explains: “The steady beat is the regular pulse we can feel, like footsteps or a bee’s gentle hum.” Tap four even beats while counting “1, 2, 3, 4”; students copy. Contrast a steady beat with random fast tapping. Model four safe body-percussion sounds: pat thighs, clap hands, tap shoulders or fingertips, and stamp softly. Students practise each sound while the teacher counts, then maintain a quiet patting beat as the song is sung. Keep movements small and establish “soft feet” and “hands to self”.

6. 33–40 min · Body-percussion accompaniment. Teacher uses the beat-pattern instruction slides to show a simple four-beat pattern, for example: pat–pat–clap–rest. Speak and perform it first, then have students echo. Add alternatives such as pat–clap–pat–clap or tap–tap–stamp–clap. Divide the class into two groups: Group A sings while Group B keeps one steady patting beat; swap roles. Finish with everyone singing and performing the selected pattern. Keep the accompaniment steady rather than loud enough to cover the singing.

7. 40–45 min · Plenary and reflection. Teacher leads a final performance, then stops and asks: “What helped us stay together?” and “Which body sound helped you feel the beat?” Students turn and tell a partner, then demonstrate a steady four-beat pattern. Revisit the reflection and closing slides and invite students to show one finger for “still practising”, two for “nearly there”, or three for “I can keep the beat and sing with the group”. Celebrate listening, cooperation and respectful use of te reo Māori.

Resources

• the complete colour-song, bee hook, pronunciation, beat-pattern and reflection slide deck
• Teacher’s approved/known version of “Ma is White”
• Audio player or keyboard, if used
• Open floor space or semicircle seating
• Whiteboard and marker
• Teacher beat cards or hand signals
• Optional recording device for teacher assessment

Assessment

• During echo singing, listen for students joining at the correct time, matching the phrase and attempting the colour words.
• During body percussion, observe whether students maintain an even pulse, follow the pattern and stop safely on the signal.
• At the end, ask each student to demonstrate or tap four steady beats and explain one strategy that helped them sing together.

Differentiation

• Support learners with a visible beat, teacher beside them, repeated short phrases, and permission to hum or perform only the beat before joining the words.
• Use a confident peer model, slower modelling and smaller patterns for students who need additional processing time or motor support.
• Offer seated alternatives: pat thighs, tap fingers or tap the back of a hand instead of stamping.
• Extend ready learners by leading an echo phrase, choosing between two patterns, or keeping the beat while the teacher changes the singing tempo. Keep the musical challenge focused on steadiness, not speed.

Cultural responsiveness and closing reflection

Use te reo Māori colour words accurately, with the school’s pronunciation guidance and without making accents or voices into a joke. Acknowledge that the song connects music, language and Aotearoa New Zealand, and invite whānau or local expertise if the class is learning additional colour vocabulary.

Close by inviting students to share one colour word, one way they kept the beat, or one body-percussion pattern they performed. Reflect on how the class listened, sang and performed safely and respectfully together.