Lesson Plan: Shoo fly

Content and Achievement Standards

Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

Class Goals and Objectives

Students will be able to

o recognize what an accent sounds and looks like
o sing Shoo Fly rhythmically and tonally accurate
Materials

Dry erase marker

Shoo fly
Procedures
1. Students and instructor will talk about Flies and how to get rid of them.
Question: Have you ever had a fly buzzing around your house before?
Did you find the fly annoying?
How have you guys been able to get rid of that fly?
Prompt: I want you to keep that in mind for later, but for now I am going to
teach you guys a song to sing while youre trying to get rid of the next fly that
bothers you.
2. Students will keep a steady beat and listen as instructor sings Shoo Fly
Question: Why do I not want the fly to bother me?
What is a Morningstar? (answer: a bright planet that is seen in the
east before sunrise)
Prompt: Lets learn the song together.

3. Students will echo Shoo Fly in chunks to learn the song by rote. Repeat the chunks they
dont get. Asses and do again. Put first half together. Chunk second half. Put second half
together.
Prompt: now lets sing the entire song.

4. Students and instructor sing shoo fly. Intone the starting pitch to help students start
together.
 Prompt: This time I am going to sing shoo fly a little differently. I want you to
keep a steady beat while you try and figure out what it is.
5. Students will keep a steady beat while listening to Instructor sing shoo fly with
accents.
Question: How did I sing the song differently? What was different about the way
I sang it?
Prompt: now lets try singing shoo fly with the accents.

6. After the students have sung the song with accents, have them sing again but jump and
swat the fly on the accents.
Prompt: as you leave class please fill out an exit ticket and hand it to me on
your way out.
Assessment of Goals and Objectives
Assessment of singing skill will be informal and achieved by monitoring students during singing
activities. The instructor will use an exit ticket to assess students on their knowledge of accents,
as gathered from the class.
Follow Up Lessons

Future lessons will focus on syncopation and how an accent is used during it, and how it
changes the rhythmic feeling of a piece.