We Are Going Down the Numbers

Advanced rhythm: sixteenth followed by a dotted quarter, dotted quarter followed by a sixteenth, and contrast between dotted rhythms and straight eighths.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Nigerian Folk Song
Key: F Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCDE
Rhythm: advanced: | ri ti/ ti/ ri ti ti ti ti | ta/a/a ti ti |
| ta ta ta ti ti | ti ti ti ti (ta) | ri ti/ ti/ ri ti ti (ta) |
Pitches: intermediate: Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
Intervals: intermediate: Fa\Re, Re/So, Mi\Do, Re\Ti
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, quarter, dotted eighth, sixteenth; rest: quarter; pickup beat, vocal slur, common ending Re\Ti/Do, syncopation
Key Words: geography, Nigeria, Africa, counting backwards, numbers
Keyboard: intermediate: excellent five finger exercise for both right, left, and two hands together

**“We Are Going Down the Numbers”**
We are going down the numbers 1 by 1. We are going down the numbers 1 by 1. We are going down the numbers, going down the numbers, going down the numbers 1 by 1.

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Waves

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
By the Sea

Introducing the coda.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: G Major
Time: 2/4
Form: ABAB, coda
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti | ta/ ti | ta/a |
Pitches: intermediate: So Ti Do Re Mi So
Intervals: intermediate: Mi/So, So\Mi, So\Do, Do/Mi, Mi\Ti, Mi\So, So/Re
Musical Elements: notes: half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, tempo: sostenuto/sustained; dynamics: mezzo forte/medium loud, piano/soft, crescendo, decrescendo, coda
Key Words: sea, seashore, earth science, waves, ocean, roll, roar, rumble, tumble, slow, gentle, rush, roaring, forgot, murmur, hush

**“Waves”**
The waves of the ocean Roll in with a roar. They rumble and tumble Up on the wide shore. But often they come With a slow, gentle rush, Their roaring forgot As they murmur “Hush! hush! Hush! hush! hush! hush!”

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Useful

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
At Home

Introducing dotted quarter and dotted eighth notes.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: E Flat Major
Time: 2/4
Form: through composed
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti | ta ti ti | ta/ ti |
| ti/ ri ti ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Do – adding Fa to the pentatonic scale
Intervals: intermediate: Do/Do8, Do8\Mi, Re/Fa, Fa/La
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, dotted eighth, eighth, sixteenth; through composed, pickup beat, tempo: allegretto/moderately fast (98–109 BPM)
Key Words: character education, manners, helping hands, brings, slippers, shuts, grandma, bit, noise, errands, scampers, up, down, vows, town; possessives: father’s, baby’s

**“Useful”**

		1.	He/She brings his/her father’s slippers, Picks up the baby’s toys; He/She shuts the door for Grandma Without a bit of noise.

		2.	On errands for his/her mother, He/She scampers up and down; He/She vows he/she would not change him/her For all the boys/girls in town!

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Treasures

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
By the Sea

Introducing dotted quarter notes and singing the scale while stepping up and down the staff.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: D Major
Time: 2/4
Form: AB
Rhythm: beginners: | ti ti ti ti | ta ti ti | ta/ ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Intervals: intermediate: Fa/La, Fa\Re, Re\Ti
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, eighth; pickup beat, repeat signs, multiple endings, singing/playing the ascending scale, tempo: moderato con moto/moderately with motion (86-97 BPM), dynamics: crescendo, decrescendo
Key Words: earth science, ocean waves, sea, seashore, gather, treasures, beach, tide, floating, reach, dashed, threw, sands, pretty, eager, hands, abbreviations: cover’d (covered), tow’rd (toward)

**“Treasures”**

		1.	A child who went to gather Some treasures on the beach. Found all were cover’d by the tide Or floating out of reach.

		2.	But soon a wave dashed tow’rd him, And threw up on the sands More pretty things than he could hold In both his eager hands.

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The Train

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
Fair Days and Stormy

Introducing the ascending and descending tonic octave skip.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: D Major
Time: 6/8
Form: AaBB
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti ta ti |
| ti ti ti ta/ | ta/ ti ti ti | ta/_a (ti) | ta/_a ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La Do
Intervals: advanced: La/Do\La, So\Mi/So, Fa\Re, Re\Ti, Do/Do (ascending dominate octave leap), Do\Do (descending dominate octave leap)
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: eighth, repeat signs, tied notes, multiple endings, tempo: allegro moderato/moderately fast (98-120 BPM)
Key Words: playing a train, railroad, train sounds: whoo-woo, choo-choo, clickety clack; wheels, track, all aboard, rattle, spin, train station, spin, haste, zum

**“The Train”**

		1.	With “Whoo, woo, woo!” and “Ding a ding, dong!” And “All aboard!” shouted, the train starts along. Ding! Ding-a-ding dong! Ding! Ding-a-ding dong!

		2.	Then “Choo, choo, choo! Choo, Choo!” and Clickety clack!” As faster and faster, it speeds on the track. Click! Clickety clack! Click! Clickety clack!

		3.	Now steadily, swiftly, around the wheels spin, While on the train rushes with rattle and din. Zum! How the wheels spin! Zum! How the wheels spin!

		4.	Then slowly “Choo, choo, choo!” and “Whoo, whoo!” again, For here is the station and here stops the train. Haste! Haste from the train! Haste! Haste from the train!

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Train is A-Comin’

Introducing 2/2 time and an uncommon interval La\Mi.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: USA – Spiritual
Key: D Major
Time: 2/2
Form: ABCA
Rhythm: beginners: | ta ti ti ta ti ti | ta ta/a (ta) |
| ta ti ti ta ta |
Pitches: intermediate: So La Do Re Mi So La – pentatonic scale
Intervals: intermediate: Do/Mi\Do, Do\So, La/Do, Do/So, So/Do, Do8\La, La\Mi, Mi/So, Do\La
Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter; pentatonic scale
Key Words: African American History, underground railroad, Martin Luther King birthday/holiday, American history, abbreviation: comin’ (coming)

**“Train is A-Comin'”**

		1.	Train is a-comin’, oh yes, Train is a-comin’, oh yes, Train is a-comin’, Train is a-comin’, Train is a-comin’, oh yes.

		2.	Better get you ticket, Oh yes, Better get you ticket, Oh yes, Better get you ticket, Better get you ticket, Better get you ticket, Oh yes.

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To the Sky and Back

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
At Home

Contrasting dotted rhythms followed by straight eighths.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: A Flat Major
Time: 2/4
Form: ABCD
Rhythm: advanced: | ta/ ti ti ti | syncopation,
| ti ti ti ti | ta/ ti | syncopation, | ta/ (ti) ti | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Do\So, So/Re, Mi/So
Musical Elements: notes: dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: eighth; repeat signs, multiple endings, tempo: allegro moderato/moderately fast (98-120 BPM)
Key Words: weather, earth science, sunbeams, danced, coaxed, rise, air, sky, skies, far, above, end, hurried, children, cried, rain; abbreviation: thro’ (through), wand’ring (wandering)

**“To the Sky and Back”**

		1.	The sunbeams on the water danced And coaxed some drops to rise With then up thro’ the air, to make A visit to the skies.

		2.	Then far and far above the earth In clouds of white and gray, Across the sky the water drops Went wand’ring in their play.

		3.	The wondrous visit at an end, They hurried down again; And as they came the children all Cried out, “Oh! see the rain!”

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To A Snowflake

“Songs of a Little Child’s Day”
Fair Days and Stormy

Introducing poco ritardando and a tempo.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: Emilie Poulsson, Eleanor Smith
Key: D Major
Time: 4/4
Form: AB
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ta ta ta | ta/a ta ta |
| ta/a/a ta | ta ta ta/ ti |
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Intervals: advanced: Mi/La, So/Do, Do\La, La\Fa, Do/Do (ascending tonic octave skip)
Musical Elements: notes: dotted half, half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; pickup beat, tempo: lightly, poco ritardando, dynamics: crescendo, decrescendo
Key Words: weather, earth science, seasons, winter, frosty, snowflake, lightly, floating, travel, sky, window, far, children, love, filmy, star
Recorder: intermediate: upper grades: excellent tune following the five Beginning Recorder Songs

**“To A Snowflake”**

		1.	Oh little frosty snowflake, So lightly floating by, A long, long way you travel In coming from the sky.

		2.	Come rest upon our window; How could you float so far? We children love to see you, You pretty filmy star!

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Three Blind Mice

Four part round with advanced syncopation, a dotted eighth rest, triplets, and mastering the perfect fourth (P4) So/Do\So.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: England – Traditional Round
Key: C Major
Time: 4/4
Form: ABCcca
Rhythm: advanced: | ta ta ta (ta) | ta ti/ ri ta (ta) | syncopation, | ta ti/ ri ta (ti/) ri | syncopation,
| ti/ ri ti-ti-ti ti/ ri ti/ ri | syncopation,
| ti-ti-ti ti-ti-ti ti/ ri ti/ ri | syncopation,
| ti-ti-ti ti-ti-ti ti-ti-ti ti/ ri | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Mi/So, So/Do8,
Do8\So
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, dotted eighth, eighth, sixteenth; rest: quarter, dotted eighth; triplets, syncopation, four part round, singing in four parts, melodic rhythm patterns
Key Words: world geography: England; carving knife, such a sight; possessive: farmer’s wife
Recorder: intermediate: grades 3,4,5 – dotted eighth rest, triplets, mastering the perfect fourth: tonic\dominate/tonic (C\G/C)

**“Three Blind Mice”**
Three blind mice, three blind mice. See how they run, see how they run. They all ran after the farmer’s wife. She cut off their tails with the carving knife, Did ever you see such a sight in your life, As three blind mice?

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This is My Little House

Identifying melodic variations.

Description

Grade: First
Origin: USA – Traditional
Key: G Major
Time: 4/4
Form: rhythm: ABCD pitches: ABab
Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti ta | ta ti ti ta/ ti |
| ta ti ti ta ti ti | ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti | ti ti ta/a |
Pitches: intermediate: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So
Intervals: intermediate: Do/So, Mi\So, Do/Fa
Musical Elements: notes: half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; fifth (5th) measure is a variation of the first (1st) measure, last measure is a variation of the fourth (4th) measure
Key Words: home life, parts of a house, home sweet home, door, windows, floor, chimney, outside, shining, tall, curling

**“This is My Little House”**
This is my little house, this is the door. The windows are shining and so is the floor. Outside there is a chimney as tall as can be, with smoke that goes curling up, Come and see.

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1st Grade