New
New
Lesson 1 of 6
  • Year 5

Part singing: rounds and partner songs

I can sing new rounds and partner songs in unison and understand the structure of these.

Lesson 1 of 6
New
New
  • Year 5

Part singing: rounds and partner songs

I can sing new rounds and partner songs in unison and understand the structure of these.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. It is important to warm up the voice and body to prepare for singing and to help keep the voice strong and healthy.
  2. When we sing the same thing at the same time, we are singing in unison.
  3. Rounds help develop part-singing in a simple way. The same melody fits together at different times to create harmony.
  4. Partner songs help develop part-singing in a simple way. The two songs work together to create a pleasing harmony.
  5. Understanding the structure of a song helps us sing together successfully.

Keywords

  • Unison - the same tune sung or played at the same time

  • Round - a song structure where multiple groups sing the same melody but start at different times

  • Partner songs - two or more songs that fit together sung at the same time

  • Structure - the way the music is organised, ordering different sections of a piece

  • Harmony - the combination of two or more notes played or sung together, creating a pleasing sound

Common misconception

We only need to warm up before a performance.

It is important to warm up before we sing, whether that is when we rehearse, in a lesson, or before a performance. Warming up develops our vocal skills and protects our voice from injury.


To help you plan your year 5 music lesson on: Part singing: rounds and partner songs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

There are a lot of songs in this lesson. Do not spend too long on each one as they will repeat in every lesson. They are short and snappy and the pupils will pick them up quickly, so keep up the pace of the lesson. Hopefully, you may recognise many of the songs from earlier units.
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Equipment

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.
is the steady, regular heartbeat of the music.

Correct Answer: Pulse, pulse

Q2.
A folk song is ...

a chant, spoken in time to a steady beat.
a solo song sung by a character in an opera.
Correct answer: a song that originates from a particular country, culture or people.

Q3.
The words in songs are called .

Correct Answer: lyrics, Lyrics

Q4.
A melody is ...

a constant, pitched sound that continues throughout a piece of music.
Correct answer: a combination of notes to make a memorable tune.
the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock.

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
True or false? It is important to warm up before singing because it helps to protect our voices.

Correct Answer: True, true, correct, Correct

Q2.
Match the singing term to its definition.

Correct Answer:round,multiple groups sing the same melody but start at different times

multiple groups sing the same melody but start at different times

Correct Answer:unison,the same tune sung or played at the same time

the same tune sung or played at the same time

Correct Answer:partner song,two or more songs that fit together sung at the same time

two or more songs that fit together sung at the same time

Q3.
Rounds and partner songs create pleasing ...

chants
drones
Correct answer: harmonies

Q4.
It is important to understand a song's so we can sing together successfully.

Correct Answer: structure

Additional material

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