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The Great Fire of London
Rhymes and Songs

Find out about historical songs and chants connected to the Great Fire of London. Explore dynamics, pitch and tempo. Use all you have learned to create a simple 4-part music and movement composition, inspired by the Great Fire.

Block Overview

Session 1 London's burning

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Music

  • Use voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes.
  • Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.

History

  • Learn about events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally.

Teaching and Activities

Experiment with songs and chants. Change dynamics within music to change the effect, all while looking at the classic song ‘London´s Burning’.

Teaching Outcomes
 To experiment with singing songs and speaking chants.
To know that the songs London´s Burning and Ring a-ring o’roses are based on historical events.

Children will:

  • Experiment with singing songs and speaking chants.
  • Explore using and changing the dynamics.
  • Know that the songs London´s Burning and Ring a-ring o’roses are based on historical events.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 2 High and low sounds

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Music

  • Learn to play tuned and un-tuned instruments musically, listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high quality live and recorded.
  • Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.

Teaching and Activities

In this session, experiment with pitch by exploring low and high sounds in recorded music and by using a selection of musical instruments.

Teaching Outcomes
 To experiment with pitch and to play tuned and un-tuned instruments.

Children will:

  • Experiment with pitch.
  • Listen to recorded music.
  • Play tuned and un-tuned instruments.

Provided Resources

  • Fire photographs
  • Manuel de Falla –fire dance description
  • Fire score

You Will Need

  • Xylophones and other tuned and untuned instruments

Session 3 All about the beat

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Music

  • Use voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes.
  • Play tuned and un-tuned instruments.
  • Experiment musically with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.

History

  • Learn about events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally.

Teaching and Activities

All about the beat - explore how to change the tempo of music- fast and slow sounds.

Teaching Outcomes
 To explore, choose and organise sounds and musical ideas.
To know that the song London´s Burning is based on a historical event.

Children will:

  • Use their voices to speak chants.
  • Experiment with tuned and un-tuned instruments.
  • Experiment with using a beat and tempo.
  • Explore, choose, organise sounds and musical ideas.
  • Know that the song London's Burning is based on a historical event.

You Will Need

  • London´s Burning lyrics
  • Xylophones or other tuned and untuned instruments.

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 4 Fire performance

Session plan Download all files

Objectives

Music

  • Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.
  • Play tuned and un-tuned instruments.

Dance

  • Perform dances using simple movement patterns.

Teaching and Activities

Use all you have learned about dynamics, pitch and tempo to create your own 4-part music and movement composition inspired by the Great Fire of London.

Teaching Outcomes
 To explore sounds and organise musical ideas into a composition.
To react to music with simple movements.

Children will:

  • Organise musical ideas into a composition.
  • Explore how sounds can be made in different ways.
  • Experiment with tuned and un-tuned instruments.
  • React to music with simple movements.

You Will Need

  • Xylophones or other tuned and untuned instruments

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