Lesson Introduction: 

I introduce the students to the concept of melody by name for the first time when I teach “Blue Bird.” In order to do this, I scaffold the instruction to allow the students to listen to this unfamiliar song for the first time, as it is played on a xylophone. The students, not knowing the words, only have the melody to hear. After hearing the song, I ask students if they are familiar with the concept of “vocabulary” words, which they may or may not use regularly in their classroom by that label. I explain to the students that we have these types of words in music as well, and when we listen to the main tune of a piece, as we just did, this is called, “melody”. Then we listen to the tune again before moving on. As I initiate the lesson, I start with having the students listen to the story, “Birds” By Kevin Henkes, but this is optional and the lesson works with/without it. 

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Structure / Activities

You may choose to begin the lesson by reading your students the book “Birds” by Kevin Henkes to prepare the lesson. I have included the Youtube link to the story in the resources. However, this is optional and the lesson works without it depending on your time available. After reading the story if you choose, follow the sequence below; otherwise, you may skip straight to step one below if desired.

1. Play a recording (or live if you wish) of “Blue Bird Where Are You?” on a xylophone. Have students listen to the recording, then ask students if they know what vocabulary words are. If students do, then explain to them that Melody is the vocabulary word they will be learning in music today. If they don’t, explain that vocabulary words are words you want students to know, that are often new words with meanings they will learn. Then introduce students to the idea of “melody” and elaborate that what they just heard was a “melody”.
   
   
2. Replay the recording for students, so they can hear the song’s “melody”.
   
   
3. Next, tell the students they are already familiar with the concept of melody and there are several other melodies they likely know. Explain that the melody is, “the singable part” of a song that gets stuck in their head. Proceed to hum (or sing using the syllable “la”) the melody of other well known songs and ask the kids to raise their hand when they know the name of song they are hearing (I like to use the following songs, in this order: ABC Song OR Twinkle Twinkle Little Star; Mary Had a Little Lamb, Old MacDonald had a Farm, and then the Super Mario Bros Theme Song from the video game). In between songs, call on a student to say the name of the current song hummed/sung.
   
   
4. After students have an understanding of melody, display the words of the song, “Blue Bird Where Are You?” for the students to read and let them try it out on their own as they read them for the first time independently.
   
   
5. Next, proceed to sing the song, “Blue Bird Where Are You?” Students who can read will follow along on their own (without instruction). Other students may listen. Sing the song once through.
   
   
6. At this point, I like to use a blue bird finger puppet to move to the song as I sing it again, if you don’t have a puppet students may simple pretend they are a blue bird using their whole body. I ask for a student volunteer to move the puppet to the music like they think a blue bird would move in the song. I proceed to sing the song and let a student to use the puppet to move to the music. I call on several volunteers and give several students a try, asking them if they can find new ways to move. I ask the class to join in singing the song to the melody, once they feel like they know the words. Students will join in singing at different times and that is okay.
   
   
7. The last thing I do, is I teach the students a new game to go with our new song and melody. Standing in a circle students will join hands to make “window” between them. When their hands are down and held, the window is closed. To open the window, students must raise their hands in the air and still be connected. I ask all students to “open” their windows. I then model for students, while using my finger puppet (but not required), how to sing the song while moving my body in and out underneath students raised arms (going in and out of “windows”). I allow windows to close the first time they hear “Oh Johnny, aren’t you tired?” because their arms are tired. At this point, I go around the circle and tap a friend on the should for each time it says “Take a little friend and tap them on the shoulder”. The next time “Oh Johnny aren’t you tired?” comes around, the windows reopen so the bird can fly in and out.
   
   
8. Play the game with the students. You may decide to only have one student be a bird at a time, but I eventually like to let the bird gather a group of new friends holding hands in a chain (one time for each “take a little friend” who is designated by being tapped on the shoulder) and continue on the journey until either the first student gets tangled up and can no longer move, or all the students except for the final two have been added to the bird chain.
   
   
9. After the game is finished, you may select a new “bird” and play the game again. 

Assessment / Closure

To conclude the lesson, after playing the game for the last time or needing to stop because time is up, ask the students if they recall the new “vocabulary” word they learned today. Students should remember the word is “melody”, but if they have forgotten the name of the word, remind them (they will definitely understand the concept, before they know the term, which is evident by their being able to name the songs of other familiar melodies). Then remind students the song, “Blue Bird Where Are You?” has a new melody. If you have extra time, you can ask the students if there are other melodies they know that you haven’t discussed yet, and get students to hum/sing on “la” examples of other types of melodies they know. For the game, sudents will enjoy the game and want to keep playing after time is up. I like to remind my students they can play the game at recess if they’d like. 

Examples and Additional Resources

Song Lyrics:

Blue bird blue bird, through my window.
Blue bird, blue bird, through my window.
Blue bird, blue bird, through my window.
Oh, Johnny aren’t you tired?

Take a little friend and tap them on the shoulder.
Take a little friend and tap them on the shoulder.
Take a little friend and tap them on the shoulder.
Oh, Johnny aren’t you tired?

(NOTE: some versions of the song say, “take a partner” instead of “little friend,” but for young students I prefer to use “little friend”)

Rhythm: (this song uses half notes students)

Ta ta ta ta, ta ta ta ta.
Ta ta ta ta, ta ta ta ta.
Ta ta ta ta, ta ta ta ta.
Ta-ah, ti-ti ti-ti ta-ah ta-ah?

Ti-ti ti-ti ta ta, ti-ti ti-ti ta ta.
Ti-ti ti-ti ta ta, ti-ti ti-ti ta ta.
Ti-ti ti-ti ta ta, ti-ti ti-ti ta ta.
Ta-ah, ti-ti ti-ti ta-ah ta-ah?

Pitch w/ solfege:

Sol mi sol mi, sol la sol mi.
Fa re fa re, fa sol fa re.
Sol mi sol mi, sol la sol mi.
Do^, la sol mi do re do?

Sol sol la la sol mi, sol sol la la sol mi.
Fa fa sol sol fa re, fa fa sol sol fa re.
Sol sol la la sol mi, sol sol la la sol mi.
Do^, la sol mi do re do?

(Do^ indicated an octave higher than do)

Letter Names:

G E G E, G A G E.
F D F D, F G F D.
G E G E, G A G E.
C^, A G E C D C?

G G A A G E, G G A A G E.
F F G G F D, F F G G F D.
G G A A G E, G G A A G E.
C^, A G E C D C?

(C^ would be C3 and C would be C4 for example)

Recording resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0TbqKakuFc

I like to use the following resource when clarifying the rhythm and longer half notes for my students as an expansion on the lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvcBhRdstuU

“Bird” by Kevin Henkes Book Read Aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM8vhZhTpNc

Game demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MibnLIXnLcE