Prepare Lesson Plan #1 for the Elementary Music Class

Teacher Name___Abby Giles_____________________

Standards Being Addressed:

MU: Pr6.1.1a With limited guidance, perform music for a specific purpose with expression.

MU: Pr4.2.1b When analyzing selected music, read and perform rhythmic patterns using iconic
or standard notation.

MU: Cr3.2.1a With limited guidance, convey expressive intent for a specific purpose by
presenting a final version of personal musical ideas to peers or informal audience.

Materials of Instruction: “Miss Polly”

Phrase 1:

Phrase 2:

Phrase 3:

Phrase 4:
Song Analysis Table:
Tone Set N/A
Range N/A
Rhythm Set eight eighth notes, four eighth notes
quarter note, quarter rest quarter note,
quarter note two eighth notes
Form ABAA

A Song’s Pedagogical Use Table:

Melody
Rhythm Students will master the skill of eighth
note and quarter note rhythms together,
specifically focusing on the difference
between quarter notes and eighth notes
Other Students will use body percussion and call
and response to learn this
Other Info:
This is a children’s song from the United States
Lesson Sequence (lessons may have more or less activities as appropriate):

Entry Activity/Transition:
1. Introduce the song by turning on a beat and chanting it once.
2. Ask students to raise their hand and tell one thing that they noticed about the song.
Activity #1 Objective: 1st grade students will recite the nursery rhyme, “Miss Polly,” in duple
meter with accurate rhythm.
1. Recite the poem once for the students.
2. Instruct students to first listen to me and then repeat what I say when my fingers are
pointed at them.
a. Teacher: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick.” (do the motion of
rocking a baby)
I. Students repeat “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick.” Assess
and repeat at least one more time and more times if necessary.
3. Echo second two bars, repeating two to three times.
a. Teacher: “So she phoned for the doctor to come quick quick quick.” (Perform
the motion of pretending you are talking on the phone)
I. Students: “So she phoned for the doctor to come quick quick quick.”
4. Using the echo method, put the first phrase together with the words and actions.
a. Teacher: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, so she phoned for the
doctor to come quick quick quick.”
I. Students: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, so she phoned
for the doctor to come quick quick quick.”
II. Repeat one or two times as necessary.
nd
5. Echo 2 phrase
a. Teacher: “The doctor came with his bag and his hat, and he knocked at the
door with a rat tat tat tat.” (Perform the motion of knocking on the door when saying
the words “rat tat tat tat.”)
I. Students: “The doctor came with his bag and his hat, and he knocked at
the door with a rat tat tat tat.”

6. Using the echo method, put the first two phrases together with words and actions.
a. Teacher: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, so she phoned for the
doctor to come quick quick quick. The doctor came with his bag and his hat, and he
knocked at the door with a rat tat tat tat.”
I. Students: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, so she phoned
for the doctor to come quick quick quick. The doctor came with his bag and his hat, and
he knocked at the door with a rat tat tat tat.”
II. Repeat as necessary.
rd
7. Echo the 3 phrase
a. Teacher: “He looked at the dolly and he shook his head and he said Miss Polly
put her straight to bed.” (Perform the action to pretend that you are sleeping when you
say, “straight to bed.”)
 I. Students: “He looked at the dolly and he shook his head and he said
Miss Polly put her straight to bed.”
II. Repeat as necessary.
8. Now that students know the first three phrases, put them all together with the words
and actions by echoing.
a. Teacher: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, so she phoned for the
doctor to come quick quick quick. The doctor came with his bag and his hat, and he
knocked at the door with a rat tat tat tat. He looked at the dolly and he shook his head
and he said Miss Polly put her straight to bed.”
I. Students: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, so she phoned
for the doctor to come quick quick quick. The doctor came with his bag and his hat, and
he knocked at the door with a rat tat tat tat. He looked at the dolly and he shook his
head and he said Miss Polly put her straight to bed.”
II. Repeat as necessary until students make minimal mistakes (less
than 2 mistakes).
9. Echo the final (4th) Phrase.
a. Teacher: “He wrote a pad for a pill pill pill. I’ll be back in the morning for my
bill bill bill.” (Make the motion of pretending to write when you say “wrote a pad”)
I. Students: “He wrote a pad for a pill pill pill. I’ll be back in the morning
for my bill bill bill.”
10. Using the echo method, put all of the phrases together with both words and actions.
a. Teacher: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, so she phoned for the
doctor to come quick quick quick. The doctor came with his bag and his hat, and he
knocked at the door with a rat tat tat tat. He looked at the dolly and he shook his head
and he said Miss Polly put her straight to bed. He wrote a pad for a pill pill pill. I’ll be
back in the morning for my bill bill bill.”
I. Students: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick, so she phoned
for the doctor to come quick quick quick. The doctor came with his bag and his hat, and
he knocked at the door with a rat tat tat tat. He looked at the dolly and he shook his
head and he said Miss Polly put her straight to bed. He wrote a pad for a pill pill pill. I’ll
be back in the morning for my bill bill bill.”
II. Repeat as necessary, at least 2 or three more times.
11. Have students fill in the blank rhyming word by still using nonverbal cues and
actions.
a. Teacher: “Miss Polly had a dolly who was”
I. Students: “sick sick sick”
b. Teacher: “So she phoned for the doctor to come”
II. Students: “quick quick quick”
c. Teacher: “The doctor came with his bag and his hat, and he knocked at the
door with a”
III. Students: “rat tat tat tat”
d. Teacher: “He looked at the dolly and he shook his head and he said”
IV. Students “Miss Polly put her straight to bed.”
e. Teacher: “He wrote a pad for a”
 V. Students: “pill pill pill”
f. Teacher: “I’ll be back in the morning for my”
VI. Students: “bill bill bill”

Assessment: Can students recite the whole nursery rhyme “Miss Polly” with accurate
rhythm and beat?

Transition/Closure: Great job learning the rhythm and beat to “Miss Polly” today,
class! In our next class period, we will be learning some really cool body percussion!

Activity #2 Objective: First grade students will perform body percussion to accompany “Miss
Polly” with accurate rhythm and steady beat in 4/4 meter.
1. T will review the poem with students through doing call and response. For call and
response, T will say half of the phrase and then ask the students to repeat it back
while patting the steady beat.
2. T will stop S from patting, and ask the students to watch what they do. T will pat
beats on 1 and 3, and rest on beats 2 and 4.
3. T will ask students to join in.
4. Class will recite poem while patting on beats one and three.
5. Once students successfully do this, T will again ask them to watch what they do, and
this time they will demonstrate both patting and clapping together.
6. T will ask students to say the poem with them by clapping and patting throughout.
7. T will say, “Now watch what I do.” T will start by snapping 3 quarter notes,
simplifying the snapping rhythm, and will emphasize saying, “rest” on beat 4.
8. T will invite S to join in on the snapping.
9. S will recite the poem while doing this body percussion.
10. T says, “Now we’re going to change it up a little bit, so watch carefully what I do, and
then join in when you are comfortable.” T will snap the rhythm correctly, changing
the quarter notes that they previously demonstrated into eighth notes.
11. Once the students have successfully mastered the snapping, T says that they are
going to put it all together, and the class will perform the rhythm as notated.
12. They will put the words and body percussion all together.
13. The teacher will assess and evaluate as needed.

Assessment: Class will perform body percussion and lyrics all together up to tempo.

Transition/Closure: Good job today everyone! Today, the rhythm that we learned is
called body percussion.

Activity #3 Objective: First grade students will demonstrate the steady beat of the song,
“Miss Polly,” by walking around the circle in time.
1. Introduction to the activity:
T: “Let’s start class by getting into a circle, and then I have something important to tell
you. First graders, do you remember what was wrong with Miss Polly’s dolly?
 S: Respond
T: You’re right, the dolly was very sick. And, even though the doctor came and gave Miss
Polly’s dolly a pill, her dolly still needed time to recover. So, today, we’re going to all
pretend like we are holding Miss Polly’s dolly. Be very gentle with your baby. We are
going to rock the dolly to the beat of our song. Are we going to say it softly or loudly so
that we can rock the dolly to sleep?
S: Respond
T: Let me demonstrate how we rock the dolly, and I want you to all sing quietly so that
my dolly can fall asleep.
2. Teacher demonstrates rocking the baby while students sing, “Miss Polly,” with
assistance.
3. T: This time, let’s all rock our babies together with the beat while singing softly.
4. T and S rock their dollies and sing all together.
5. T: Nice job, 1st graders. This next time, I want you to show me that you don’t need my
help to sing to your dollies.
6. T: “Are your dollies asleep? Mine is. This time, we are going to keep rocking our dollies,
but I am going to pick a first grader who has been singing well and doing a good job of
rocking their dolly to walk around the circle while rocking their dolly. When you are
walking, try to walk with the steady beat of the song. And remember to not let your
dolly wake up while you are rocking! If you are not walking around the circle, continue
to rock your baby and sing softly.”
7. First graders take turns walking around the circle.

Assessment: Can first graders rock their dolly along to the steady beat? Can they walk with the
steady beat around the circle?