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Lesson 2 of 6
  • Year 2

Singing to help us work in time together

I can sing songs with a steady pulse and know that this can help us to work together in time.

Lesson 2 of 6
New
New
  • Year 2

Singing to help us work in time together

I can sing songs with a steady pulse and know that this can help us to work together in time.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. We warm up before every music lesson to make sure that our minds, bodies and voices are ready.
  2. Sea shanties have a steady pulse that is sounded as a strong beat. This helped sailors to work together in time.
  3. This strong beat stays the same. It does not get slower or faster. This helped sailors to all move together.
  4. Rhythm is the pattern of notes that we play and sing and follows the syllables of the words. It is different to pulse.

Keywords

  • Sea shanty - a traditional folk song sung by sailors to help them work together in time

  • Pulse - the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

  • Beat - the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock

  • Rhythm - the pattern of notes that we play and sing

Common misconception

Pulse and rhythm are the same thing.

Pulse is the regular, steady heartbeat of the music. We can feel the pulse and this sometimes makes us want to move or tap along to the pulse. Rhythm is the pattern of notes that we play and sing. Rhythm follows the syllables of the words in a song.


To help you plan your year 2 music lesson on: Singing to help us work in time together, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When playing the rhythm Drunken Sailor with claves, encourage pupils to first speak the rhythm as they play. This will ensure their playing matches the syllables of the words. Then whisper the words as they play. Finally, ask pupils to put the words into their "thinking voice" only.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Claves (enough for half the class to have a pair each), drum (one)

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
We before music to keep our voice safe and healthy.

Correct Answer: warm up, warm-up, Warm up, Warm-up

Q2.
Sailors would sing __________ to keep them in time and help them stay motivated.

pop songs
Correct answer: sea shanties
arias

Q3.
Call and response is ...

always a call and an echo
a verse and chorus musical structure
Correct answer: a question and answer musical structure

Q4.
Which of these are examples of body percussion?

Correct answer: clapping
nodding
winking
Correct answer: stamping

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
A call is followed by ...

Correct answer: a response
a verse
a chorus

Q2.
Match the musical element to its definition.

Correct Answer:pulse,the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

Correct Answer:beat,the playing or showing of the steady pulse like the ticking of a clock

the playing or showing of the steady pulse like the ticking of a clock

Correct Answer:rhythm,the pattern of sounds that we play and sing

the pattern of sounds that we play and sing

Correct Answer:tempo,how fast or slow the music is played

how fast or slow the music is played

Q3.
How does a drum beat help in a sea shanty?

it helps us know what job needs doing next
Correct answer: it helps us feel the pulse and move in time together
it helps us know when to sing the high or low notes

Q4.
When we play the claves to match the syllables of the song, we are playing a ...

Correct answer: rhythm
pitch
tempo