Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock. 2: 'Anansi went walking'
In the second part of the story Little Deer is determined to teach Anansi a lesson by playing his own trick on him. The song 'Anansi went walking' tells the events of the story while the music activity focuses on identifying the strong beat of the song and clapping simple rhythm patterns, including rests.
Tutorial: Learn the song 'Anansi went walking'
Join Andy and Rebecca to learn the song 'Anansi went walking'.
The main elements of the tutorial are:
- Identifying how the animal sounds in Verses 1 and 2 for Snake and Lion are the same length and the same pitch.
- Practising singing loudly the ‘Crash! Bang!’ in the Chorus.
- Clapping in the rest before the ‘Crash! Bang!’ in the Chorus.
- Clapping in the three beat rest in Verse 2 after ‘All at once Anansi stopped’.
- Identifying how Andy and Rebecca sing the same notes for the conversation between Anansi and Little Deer, but an octave apart.
Duration: 08 09
Story: Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock, Part 2
Anansi has tricked many of his animal friends into falling asleep on the magical moss-covered rock...and has then stolen their food.
Little Deer has been watching Anansi and she decides to teach Anansi a lesson. She agrees to walk with Anansi to the moss-covered rock, but when they get there she tricks him into saying the magic words. Anansi falls asleep and wakes up to find all the animals gathered around him, laughing.
Story questions:
- Who has secretly been watching Anansi?
- Why does she want to play the same trick on Anansi? (She feels sorry for the other animals and wants to teach Anansi a lesson).
- How does Little Deer manage to trick Anansi into saying the magic words?
Duration: 06 05
Song: 'Anansi went walking'
Sing the song with Andy and Rebecca. The clips carousel begins with the full vocal version of the song and is followed by individual clips for Verse 1 and Chorus (Snake), Verse 2 and Chorus (Lion) and Verse 3 and Chorus (Little Deer) - and includes the backing track version of the song at the end. This allows you to navigate quickly to the individual sections of the song and to focus on specific sections while learning the song.
for the Lyrics. for the Music.
Music activity
Focus: pulse and rhythm patterns - clapping / tapping rhythm patterns, including rests
- Talk about how a strong beat - or pulse - always runs through a piece of music, holding it together.
- Andy and Rebecca clap the pulse and the children copy.
- Then they add some rests, so that they are pausing on some beats and clapping on others. The children copy these rhythmic sequences.
- Then Andy and Rebecca make more challenging rhythms, changing the patterns and substituting different clapping beats for rests. They also add tapping rhythms, where the children tap their shoulders.
- If you have time the children can make up some of their own clapping and tapping patterns with a partner, remembering to add some rests.
Duration: 05 25
Listening music: Beethoven - Symphony No 5
An extract from the opening of the famous first movement is played by an orchestra.
- This piece of music was written over 200 years ago. What is the style of the music? (Fast and exciting!)
- This piece has very strong rhythms - just like today’s song.
- Clap and sing the opening four notes together.
- The opening of the music is like a musical 'conversation'. The first four notes play and then the next four notes answer.
- The music is played by an orchestra. At the start the instruments all play the same notes - loudly!
- What are the dynamics of the first few bars? (Loud!)
- Can the children hear when the music becomes quieter, then loud again? Children can put their hands up when the music is loud, then down again when it becomes quieter.
- Can the children hear any moments of silence, or rests?
Duration: 01 38
Resources
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Guidance on all the content (pdf)
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Download / print the illustrated transcript of Episode 2 (pdf)
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Download / print the lyrics for 'Anansi went walking' (pdf)
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Download / print the music for 'Anansi went walking' (pdf)
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Sequence the events of the story (pdf)
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Download / print Little Deer to colour in (pdf)
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Download / print Anansi and Little Deer to colour in (pdf)
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Download / print the word search puzzle (pdf)
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Download / print the vocal sheet (pdf)
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Download / print the writing sheet (pdf)