Ding-ding-ding-ding da-ding-da-ding. Three times. That’s what the fox said.

I was given an all-singing-and-dancing fox by some friends just before Christmas – and – BING lesson plans for  the last day of class music teaching before the end of term were there.

Here’s a youtube clip of a similar fox in action, and here’s a youtube clip of the original mad, mad video.

So, for Year 1 and 2, I sat them round in a circle and set the fox going. Once they had recovered, I wondered if they wanted to see it again. Silly question, of course they did.

“Well, as this is supposed to be a music lesson, we’d better concentrate a little bit. I’m going to ask you how many times does he go “What does the fox say?”. It took a couple of plays, and a suggestion that they count on their fingers before we got the right answer; 5. By this time they were getting to know the whole song, and after a few more listens (good job the batteries were fresh) we were there;

What does the fox say?

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-da-ding-da-ding. (Three times)

What does the fox say?

Pow-pow-pow-pow-pow-ker-pow. (Three times)

What does the fox say?

Happy-happy-happy-oh. (Three times)

What does the fox say?

Yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yipee. (Three times)

What does the fox say?

So then we chose appropriate percussion instruments for each of the “verses” and for the “what does the fox say” line, and played along. Then we played without the fox. Then we all put the instruments down, stood and walked round ten places (that took a bit of sorting out) and did it again. And again. Once we had exhausted the possibilities, I used the fox song to get everything tidied away;

“Instead of playing when it is your turn, come and put your instruments gently and neatly into the basket”

Still some time left; so, now the call was clear, I told everyone to stand in a space, on their “magic spot” as I didn’t want them charging off everywhere. I said they could choose any part of the fox song. When they heard “their” bit, they could move and dance, but the rest of the time they should stand still. We would be able to see who chose what by watching who moved when. I warned them to move quietly, or they wouldn’t be able to hear. Off went the fox again, and so did the children. Then I asked them to choose a different part of the song. By now I was allowing Very Good Children to start the fox.

Finally, it was time to go, so this time, when they heard “their” bit of the song, they had to line up.

So, structure, form, listening with attention to detail and recall, timbre, rhythm, playing instruments with control, moving expressively to music, following music signals… oh, and they were all singing along by the end too.

Well done, Fox!