Education 3871 – Mini-Lesson Assignment Megan Fong

Grade Level: 2
Objective: To prepare the concept of ‘do’ and ‘re’ in a m-r-d song
Song: Hot Cross Buns (pg. 199, The Kodaly Method I)
Tone set: m-r-d

Rationale:
I chose this song because the ‘do’ is very well placed at the end of the phrase or immediately
repeats. The placement of ‘do’ at the end and beginning of the phrases strongly delineates ‘do’
from the other pitches, therefore assisting in the teacher being able to isolate ‘do’ and for the
students to subconsciously identify ‘do’ as the new sound. The students make their way down
stepwise from ‘mi’ to ‘do’, facilitating an accurate placement of ‘re’ and a subsequent accurate
placement of ‘do’. Additionally, this song begins with a known note to the students therefore
creating a sense of ease and familiarity even though the song is primarily composed with two
unknown notes. Finally, the song itself is simple, as it features the same phrase three times with
an additional new phrase, and lends itself well to being quickly learned.

Background:
Rhythmically, this grade two class understands, and is able to keep, a steady beat. They have also
developed rhythmic terminology that includes ta, ti-ti, as well as the quarter rest and understand
that these sounds can be used together to make patterns. Melodically, these students understand
that sounds can be high, low, or in the middle. ‘So’, ‘mi’, and ‘la’ have been made conscious,
along with the corresponding hand signs. Additionally, they have an understanding that sounds
can move from low to high, high to low, or stay the same. In terms of form, this group
comprehends that music can be organized into sections, whether alike or different. This group
also understands that music is organized into phrases, which are clearly felt by a pause in the
music where a breath is appropriate.

Procedures:
 Step Procedure Pacing
Introduce song 1. Sing solo while 2 minutes
clapping your hands to
the beat
2. Ask students to listen
to song again and
listen to hear if there
are any sections of the
song that repeat
Teach song 1. Ask individual 4 minutes
students for rhythm
(tas or ti-tis) of each
phrase and write
rhythmic notation on
the board
2. Review hand sign for
‘mi’ and place
corresponding ‘mi’s
under rhythmic
notation
3. Have students echo the
song two bar
groupings and finally
in its entirety as a
group (clapping to beat
as a group)
Prepare placement of ‘do’ and 1. Perform song as a 2 minutes
‘re’ group, at first slowly
and a second time up
to speed asking
students to follow your
movements - standing
tall for ‘mi’, bending
slightly at the knees for
‘re’, and bending knees
while touching hands
to ground for ‘do’
Review 1. Solidify song by 2 minutes
dividing class in half
and singing song in
canon (second half of
class is to start song
after first half of class
has completed one
phrase)