Submitted by Louise Eddington, Muncie, Indiana

Idea posted November 15, 2006

This may not be useable in public schools with the existing text, but for those of you who are teaching in private, parochial, or home-school music programs, the following is a hit with fourth graders. The song is the little round, "For Health And Strength" which can be found in many collections. It is a good opportunity to integrate singing skills, scale work, round singing, playing instruments, and movement.

Day One: First, we learned to sing the song. As we were learning the melody, I had them do vocalizations with a descending scale pattern in the key of F major, using the numbers 54321. Then, to prepare for the actual song, they used the numbers 55543332111. This is the entire melody, except for the pickup note (low sol) at the beginning and the last two notes (ti do) at the end. I had them move their hands in the air (up and down) to show the descending pitches and also the repeats. Then, we added the final two notes (actually ti do). I called it "down back" after the number sequence, since I was using numbers instead of solfège. (It certainly could have been done in solfège instead.) Finally, I added the pickup at the beginning, which was a LOW sol, making an octave jump from that to the 555... pattern. I called it "and 555..." The kids did the BIG jump of their hands at the start. Then they played the whole thing up and down in the air as they sang it, first with numbers and then with the words of the song. They also learned simple hand motions that reflected the text: "For health and strength" - flexed the muscles, "and daily food" - acted as if they were eating, "we praise Thy name" - folded hands as if in prayer, "O Lord" - raised hands high in air. We also tried singing it as a round.

Day Two: We prepared to play the song on barred instruments (set in F major, B flats added). The hand signing of the melody was changed from up and down to a left to right orientation, as if they were playing it on the bars. Special attention was given to the repeated notes (all the ODD numbers repeat). Lastly, we added the end notes and the pickup, as we did the first day. After this preparation, they played the entire melody easily.

Day Three: We added a few more instruments. The end result was xylos playing melody, metallophones playing F and C bordun in whole notes, and glocks playing low C, high C repeatedly in half notes. Parts were combined.

Day Four: Then we added movement; this was extremely easy! Circle formation, palms touching neighbor's at about shoulder level. (They didn't object to this like many objected to holding hands - yuk.) As they sang, they did a step-touch to left and then to right, with a half note beat for each step or touch.

Day Five - The Final Production: - ABA form

A section - Half the class is in a circle singing and moving as described above, while the other half of the class is at Orff instruments playing the melody and simple ostinati described above.

B section - Ostinati continue, and then the students stop singing. During this section, I play the melody on my alto recorder and the students do the text-based hand motions (see Day One) as their feet continue the step-touch movement (which, by the way, is mirrored by the glock pattern, and they help each other stay on track).

A section repeats

This gave some good learning opportunities and was very effective. It could even be used as a Thanksgiving program. I would probably have the circle dancers wear wrist bands made of a rubber band holding several crepe paper streamers in autumn colors, such as brown, gold, tan, or orange.