Koonelaki - Practice - World Music Pedagogy - 7

Standards: Pr.2.1.a With limited guidance, demonstrate knowledge of music concepts (such as
beat and melodic contour) in music from a variety of cultures selected for performance.

Pr.2.1.b When analyzing selected music, read and perform rhythmic patterns using iconic or
standard notation.

Materials of Instruction:
Notation of “Koonelaki”

https://youtu.be/zopAXTtStOE

Flash Cards
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hkJsCMkH_mD_FtGWHjoGpBHebNJ337BI

Greece PowerPoint
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aH0HNeWz3p17CmTBaC5P7y3ZVvvJAVcJ9eAsCSp
mRqk/edit?usp=sharing

Objectives:
● Students will read rhythms to “Koonelaki” before listening to a model with 80%
accuracy.
Lesson Sequence:

Warm-Up

Hello everyone! Today we are going to start class by reading some rhythms and playing them
back on hand drums!

● Once everyone has a hand drum the teacher will get out the flash cards
● We’re going to go along with the beat track and I’ll give you all 4 beats to look at the
card and then we will speak and play the rhythm as a class. 4 beats, play, 4 beats, play.
Make sense?
○ Along with the beat track the students will have 4 beats to look at the rhythm card
presented and then will play the rhythm as a class, then the next card will be
presented and the same process will happen. If students have trouble, extend the
reading time. You can also put multiple rhythm cards in a row and have them read
multiple
● Now that we’ve done that as a class, we’re going to be in groups of 5! We’re going to do
the same thing, but each group is going to get their own card and we will go around in a
circle until each group gets a chance!
○ Go around the room and have each group play and speak a rhythm card on their
hand drums
● Now, we’re going to make this even more fun, and instead of taking turns, everyone is
just going to add their rhythm in one-by-one! We’re really going to have to listen in to
our group members to keep on beat. Ready?
○ Have students layer in group by group a new rhythm and then at the end
experiment with having them stopping one group at a time
● Great job everyone! Let’s all go to our spots.

Activity 1

● We’ve already gotten to play on drums today! Drums are part of a lot of different
cultures, and today we’re going to learn a Greek Folk song! Has anyone ever heard of the
country Greece?
○ Students answer, if some students know, have them share where they heard about
it and what they know about Greece
● Show Greece PP to transition into the song we are learning about
○ https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aH0HNeWz3p17CmTBaC5P7y3ZVvvJ
AVcJ9eAsCSpmRqk/edit?usp=sharing
● We see the music for the song Koonelaki. What do we notice about its rhythms?
○ Students answer
■ Ta and ti ti
 ● Right! Ta and ti ti! You guys are pros about clapping and counting rhythms, so let’s try
clapping and counting the rhythms to the song before we listen to it
○ Have students clap and count Koonelaki

Assessment:

● Students will clap and count “Koonelaki” with 80% accuracy

● Great! I have a video of this song to show everyone!

○ Show youtube video of Koonelaki
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=zopAXTtStOE&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3rEgLThsNG9HnfTxugGK3
UPhQ-M9q5gQ1Mn-Grr7xIOZYdOpc8KfjvGEs
● Based on the video, what do we think this song is about?
○ Students answer
● It’s about a bunny! About how a bunny eats and makes holes in the ground! Once we
learn the words in greek, I will read you the words in English. Repeat after me!
● Teach the song by rote (Teacher, Students)
○ Ach Koonelaki, koonelaki,
■ Ach Koonelaki, koonelaki,
○ Xeelo poo tha toh fas,
■ Xeelo poo tha toh fas,
○ Messa sto xeno, perivolaki
■ Messa sto xeno, perivolaki
○ Treepes ya-tee treepas.
■ Treepes ya-tee treepas.
● If students are struggling, go over the hard sections or the entire thing the same way again
● Now, we’re going to group more words together!
○ Ach Koonelaki, koonelaki,
○ Xeelo poo tha toh fas,
■ Ach Koonelaki, koonelaki,
■ Xeelo poo tha toh fas,
○ Messa sto xeno, perivolaki
○ Treepes ya-tee treepas.
■ Messa sto xeno, perivolaki
■ Treepes ya-tee treepas.
● Ask students what the hardest line was and go over that line
● Now, we’re going to sing the entire song together
○ Recite entire song twice
● Now, instead of singing it out loud, we’re going to sing it in our heads, and if you have to
you can mouth the words. Make sense?
 ○ Use Audiation
● Was there any part that we forgot?
○ Review any part that was forgotten
● Let’s sing the song again in our heads
○ Audiate song
● Do we feel like we are pros? Let’s sing the song out loud now as a class! I’m not going to
sing with you this time!
○ Have students recite Koonelaki on their own
● Great! Now I want everyone to bring their drums to their dots

Activity 2

● What we’re going to do now is sing along to the video and play the rhythms on the
drums, but we’re going to have someone who is the bunny hopping around the outside of
the circle, and when the song is over they will pat someone on the head and try to make it
all the way back around the circle without the person they tagged catching them, but
here’s the catch, both people have to hop like a bunny! If they make it to the spot before
being tagged, the person chasing will ahve to hop around the circle again
○ Repeat this game for about 10 minutes
● Now, as I promised, I will tell you guys what all these words are in English!
● Give students translation
○ Ah bunny, bunny, wood that you will eat,
○ In the strange scent, because you make holes.
● When we translate songs from other languages, sometimes the words don’t line up like
they do in english, because some languages structure sentences differently than we do
with English

Close

● Great job today, everyone! Next time we might get to work with a few more instruments!