Call and response singing games
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create and sing a musical response as part of a call and response singing game.
Key learning points
- We warm up before singing so that our bodies, minds and voices are ready to sing.
- We can use our voices and movements to chant and sing both echo and call and response songs and chants together.
- We can create musical responses as part of play in a singing game.
Keywords
Echo - an exact copy of a musical phrase
Call and response - a question and answer musical structure
Common misconception
Echo and call and response are the same thing.
An echo is an exact match of a phrase. A call and response is a question and answer structure in which the response can be different from the call.
Teacher tip
Puppets or other props can be really helpful when singing call and response songs. The children know that whoever has the puppet or prop sings the call and then the rest of the class sing the response.
Equipment
Optional: puppet, prop for dog bone, lemonade cup prop
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is an echo?
Q2.Is Charlie Over the Ocean an echo or call and response song?
Q3.Match the part of the song to the explanation.
The part the leader sings, which is quite often a question.
The part everybody else sings, which is quite often an answer.
Q4.It is really important to warm up before singing because we need to keep our voices...
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.How can we show the leader that we are listening carefully?
Q2.Which one of these is not an echo song?
Q3.Doggie, Doggie is a call and response song. Can you match the phrase to the correct part of the song?
call
response
call
response
Q4.How do we know Doggie, Doggie is a call and response song?
To help you plan your 1 music lesson on: Call and response singing games, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 music lesson on: Call and response singing games, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 music lessons from the Start with singing: finding my singing voice unit, dive into the full primary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.