Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 3

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• Perform a simple sequence of rhythm, movement, and song.
• Use your face and body to show a character or emotion.
• Create rhythms with your body and everyday objects.
• Work together in a group to create a performance.
• Describe different parts of a performance, like fast and slow music.

Lesson summary

This week, we dive into the vibrant and exciting world of Creative Arts, focusing on how music, dance, and drama work together to tell stories and express feelings. In South Africa, our rich cultural heritage is filled with storytelling, music, and dance. From the rhythmic stomping of the Indlamu dance to the expressive storytelling of an iintsomi (folktale), these arts are a core part of who we are. They are how we celebrate, how we remember our history, and how we connect with our community. This lesson helps learners understand that they too are storytellers and artists.

Lesson notes

This section explains the main 'ingredients' we use in music, dance, and drama.

Music: The Sound of Feeling Music is organized sound. It has a few key parts that help us understand it.

Rhythm: This is the 'heartbeat' of music. It's a pattern of sounds and silences. Think about the sound of rain on a tin roof: pitter-patter-pitter-patter. That's a rhythm! In South Africa, the beat of the drum is central to many traditional songs.

Example: Let's create a rhythm for the word "Johannesburg". Jo-HAN-nes-burg.

We can clap it like this: clap-CLAP-clap-clap. The loud clap is on "HAN".

Tempo: This is how fast or slow the music is.

Example: A song about a cheetah running would have a very fast tempo. A song about a tortoise walking would have a very slow tempo.

Pitch: This refers to how high or low a sound is.

Example: The sound of a small bird tweeting is a high pitch. The sound of a big bull roaring is a low pitch. When we sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," our voice goes up high on "Up above the world so high." Body Percussion: This is making music using only your body! It's an instrument you take with you everywhere.

Types: Stomping: Using your feet on the floor.

Patsching: Patting your thighs (like in the song "B-I-N-G-O").

Clapping: Hitting your hands together.

Clicking/Snapping: Using your fingers to make a sharp sound.

Dance: Telling Stories with Your Body Dance is using your body to move in a creative way, often to music or a rhythm.

Movement: This is the core of dance.

There are two main types: Locomotor Movement: Movement that travels from one place to another.

Examples: walking, running, skipping, hopping, jumping, galloping like a horse.

Non-locomotor Movement: Movement that happens in one spot.

Examples: stretching, bending, twisting, turning, swaying like a tree in the wind.

Levels: This is about the height of your movements.

High Level: Reaching up high, like a giraffe eating from a tall tree or a bird flying.

Medium Level: Moving at your normal standing or walking height.

Low Level: Moving close to the ground, like a snake slithering or a baby crawling.

Expression: In dance, your face and body show the feeling of the story or music. A joyful dance might have big jumps and a wide smile. A sad dance might have slow movements and a heavy, drooping body.

Drama: Becoming Someone Else Drama is acting out a story. It lets us explore different situations and feelings in a safe and fun way.

Mime: Acting out a story or an action without using any words. You use your body and face to show everything.

Example: To mime eating a sour lemon, you would pretend to pick it up, take a bite, and then scrunch up your whole face – squeeze your eyes shut, wrinkle your nose, and pucker your lips.

Character: A person, animal, or object in a story. When you are doing drama, you become a character.

Example: To become the character of a very old gogo, you might bend your back slightly, walk slowly with a pretend walking stick, and speak with a gentle, shaky voice.

Facial Expressions & Body Language: These are your most important tools in drama. Your face can show happiness, sadness, anger, fear, or surprise. How you stand and move (your body language) can show if your character is confident (standing tall) or shy (looking at the ground). Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Activity 1: The Rhythm Orchestra Task: The teacher will lead the class in creating a 'body percussion orchestra'. The teacher will first divide the class into four groups: Stompers, Clappers, Clickers, and Patsch-ers. The teacher starts a slow, steady beat: STOMP... STOMP... STOMP... The 'Stompers' group joins in. Next, the teacher points to the 'Clappers' and adds a pattern on top: STOMP... CLAP-CLAP... STOMP... CLAP-CLAP... Finally, the 'Clickers' and 'Patsch-ers' can be added with their own simple rhythms. Solution &

Commentary: The solution is the successful layering of the four different rhythms to create a cohesive piece of music. The commentary for the teacher is to encourage learners to listen carefully to the other groups. The goal is not just to make noise, but to make music together. This activity teaches rhythm, listening skills, and collaboration.

Activity 2: The Emotion Machine Task: In a circle, the first person starts a repeating movement and sound that shows an emotion (e.g., for 'Joy', they might jump up and down lightly while saying "Whee!"). The next person in the circle connects to them and adds their own joyful sound and movement. This continues until the whole circle is a connected, moving 'machine' of joy. The teacher can then change the emotion to 'Sadness' or 'Anger'. Solution &

Commentary: A successful solution for 'Joy' would involve the whole class creating a vibrant, energetic machine with high-level movements, smiles, and light sounds. For 'Sadness', the machine would become slow, low-level, and quiet.