Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade R

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Name the three primary colours
• Mix primary colours to make a new colour
• Create a simple A-B pattern
• Keep a steady beat by clapping
• Move to fast and slow music

Lesson summary

This week, we dive into the vibrant world of Creative Arts, focusing on drawing, painting, and music. In South Africa, art and music are not just activities; they are the heartbeat of our diverse cultures. From the geometric patterns of Ndebele house paintings to the powerful rhythms of 'Gqom' music and the harmonies of 'isicathamiya', creative expression is woven into our daily lives. This lesson helps young learners connect with their heritage, develop essential skills, and express their unique feelings and ideas. Engaging in creative arts builds fine motor skills necessary for writing, fosters emotional intelligence, and encourages problem-solving and self-confidence.

Lesson notes

This section covers the foundational concepts for this week's creative exploration. We will focus on both Visual Arts and Performing Arts.

Visual Arts: The Magic of Colour and Pattern a)

Primary Colours: The 'Parent' Colours Primary colours are the three main colours that cannot be made by mixing other colours. They are the building blocks for all other colours. Think of them as the 'mother' and 'father' colours.

Red: A strong, bold colour. We see it in the South African flag, a juicy strawberry, or a beautiful protea flower.

Yellow: A bright and happy colour. We see it in the sun, a ripe banana, or the sunflowers growing in the Free State.

Blue: A calm and cool colour. We see it in the big sky over the Karoo, the ocean at Durban, and also in our flag.

Why it matters: Understanding primary colours is the first step in learning how to use colour effectively to express feelings and ideas in art. b)

Secondary Colours: Mixing to Make New Colours Secondary colours are created when we mix two primary colours together. This is like a fun science experiment! Red + Yellow = Orange: Think of a delicious orange from the Eastern Cape or a beautiful sunset over the mountains. Yellow + Blue = Green: This is the colour of the grass after the rain, the leaves on a tree in a park, and the Springboks' jersey. Blue + Red = Purple: Think of the beautiful Jacaranda trees in Pretoria or a tasty bunch of grapes.

How we do it: We take a little bit of one primary colour paint and a little bit of another on our brush or palette and swirl them together. Watching the new colour appear is magical! c)

Pattern Making: Art that Repeats A pattern is something that repeats over and over again. Patterns are all around us, from the stripes on a zebra to the design on a shweshwe dress. We will focus on a simple A-B pattern.

Example: Red Circle (A), Blue Square (B), Red Circle (A), Blue Square (B)... and so on.

Why we learn this: Recognizing patterns is a key skill for both reading and mathematics. Creating them helps develop logical thinking and hand-eye coordination.

Performing Arts: Feeling the Music a)

Rhythm and Beat: The Heartbeat of Music The beat is the steady pulse you feel in a song, like a slow or fast heartbeat. Rhythm is the pattern of long and short sounds that fit with the beat.

How we feel it: We can clap our hands, tap our feet, or use shakers (maracas) or drums ('djembe') to make a steady beat.

We can clap the rhythm of our names: 'Si-pho' (two claps), 'A-ne-le' (three claps).

Why it matters: Rhythm connects music to our bodies and is fundamental to dance and song. It helps with coordination and listening skills. b)

Tempo: The Speed of Music Tempo tells us how fast or slow the music is. Music can change tempo to create different feelings.

Fast (Allegro): This music makes you want to run and jump! Think of a cheetah chasing its prey. A fast song might be used for a celebration.

Slow (Adagio): This music is calm and relaxing. Think of a tortoise walking slowly. A slow song might be a lullaby like 'Thula Thula'.

How we explore it: We listen to a piece of music and move our bodies to match the speed. If the music is fast, we move quickly; if it slows down, we move slowly. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Activity 1: The Colour Mixing Discovery Task: The teacher places a blob of yellow paint and a blob of blue paint on a paper plate for each learner. "We have our bright yellow sun colour and our calm blue sky colour. I wonder what will happen if we gently mix them together with our paintbrush? Let's try!" Solution and

Commentary: The teacher guides the learners to mix the two colours. "Wow! Look what you made! You mixed yellow and blue, and you created green. Your new colour is green, just like the grass. You are a colour magician! By mixing two primary colours, you have made a brand new secondary colour." Activity 2: The Echo Clap Game Task: The teacher says, "Listen carefully to my hands. I am going to clap a secret message. Your job is to be my echo and clap it back to me." The teacher claps a simple rhythm: CLAP... CLAP... CLAP-CLA

P. Solution and

Commentary: Learners listen and try to copy the rhythm. The teacher assists those who struggle. "Fantastic! You listened so well and copied the pattern of my claps. That is called rhythm. You felt the beat and repeated the pattern. Let's try another one!" Activity 3: The Pattern Snake Task: The teacher gives learners pre-cut red circles and yellow squares. "We are going to make a long pattern snake. We will start with a red circle, then a yellow square. What do you think comes next to continue our pattern?" Solution and

Commentary: The teacher guides the learners to see the repeating sequence. "That's right, a red circle comes next!

Our pattern is: red circle, yellow square, red circle, yellow square. You are following an A-B pattern.