The Barnyard Song

Some introductory information to get you started!

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Before You Begin

Welcome to Emsona!

The overarching aim of this introductory activity is to spark curiosity and gather essential aural experience. The Barnyard Song introduces new rhythm patterns and melodic contours for learners to experience from a sensory point of view. These elements will be presented more formally in later learning activities.

TEACHER GUIDE

LEARNING EXPERIENCE

LYRICS

Introduction

The aim of this activity is to memorise the lyrics of The Barnyard Song, in preparation for learning the melody.

LYRICS (for printing)

VISUAL LEARNER GUIDE (colour)

VISUAL LEARNER GUIDE (black & white)

Learn the Lyrics

This introductory activity presents a performance of The Barnyard Song by an ensemble including violin, guitar, piano and voice in an audio-only form. Without visual stimulation, learners can focus fully on the sonic musical experience of listening. This will be the first time learners will hear the familiar lyrics married to the melody in a fun arrangement that includes many changes of key and tempo! These musical time and pitch elements will be taught more formally in later activities - but for now, just enjoy the listening experience.

Listen and Enjoy (audio)

This activity uses a performance of The Barnyard Song by an ensemble of violin, piano, guitar, and voice as the inspiration for the creation of something new. Each learner will create an illustration to accompany the lyric page to add to their Music Journal.

Create a Music Journal Entry

This video presents The Barnyard Song, in a video rendition. Learners can enjoy watching and listening while preparing for the next step - learning the melody in five different keys!

Listen and Enjoy (video)

LEARNING EXPERIENCE - Verse 1 (Cat)

LEARNING EXPERIENCE - Verse 2 (Hen)

LEARNING EXPERIENCE - Verse 3 (Pig)

LEARNING EXPERIENCE - Verse 4 (Cow)

LEARNING EXPERIENCE - Verse 5 (Dog)

Learn the Melody

Fun with the Melody

Have fun expressing the musical pulse with a ball by learning to time the simple bounce-catch action in time with the music. This activity challenges learners to learn this elemental ball skill with both hands. Learners will also be prompted to change hands on the count of 8 – an added element to make the challenge even more fun!


CORE: Express the Musical Pulse with a Ball (count 8)

The 2nd in a series of bounce-catch ball skill activities, this challenge reduces the count from 8 to 4 requiring added concentration and eye-hand co-ordination to negotiate switching hands while remaining in time with the music.

CORE: Express the Musical Pulse with a Ball (count 4)

This activity introduces learners to 3 sets of code words to further their understanding and awareness of the division of the musical pulse into 2 equal things. Three sets of code words are introduced: quick-quick and slow; short-short and long; 2-things and 1.

Q: How can I use code words to help me feel the division of the musical pulse into 2 equal things?

CORE: Introduction to Rhythm Code Words

This introductory music literacy activity introduces the 1-line music staff in preparation for learning to notate simple melodic phrases. The focus of this first step is to understand how to position notes correctly in the spaces above and below the 1-line music staff.

WORKSHEET (for printing)

1-LINE STAFF (for printing)

LEARNING EXPERIENCE 1

LEARNING EXPERIENCE 2

CORE: Position Notes Correctly in the Spaces of the 1-Line Staff

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.emsona.com/student/courses/31147/watch?lesson_id=571524" style="background-color: rgb(106, 252, 194); color: black; padding: 15px 30px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; font-size: 18px; border-radius: 6px;">Get Started!</a>DescriptionThis enchanting learning unit invites young learners into a musical barnyard adventure where five friendly animals come to life through song and story. Beginning with gentle recitation and discussion, children discover the characters and narrative at their own pace, building listening skills and comprehension naturally.Through echo-back techniques and role-based team activities, learners gradually memorize the lyrics while developing verbal confidence and collaborative skills. The cumulative structure, where each verse adds a new animal while reviewing previous ones, strengthens sequential memory and attention to detail.Audio and video performances introduce the melody in a rich ensemble arrangement, allowing children to experience how pitch and tempo changes create excitement and emotional expression. Creating personal illustrations for their Music Journal connects musical experience with visual creativity, deepening engagement and personal meaning.Complementary activities introduce foundational musical concepts through joyful movement and play. Ball-bouncing exercises develop coordination while internalizing steady pulse and rhythm subdivision. Music literacy begins gently with simple staff notation activities, building confidence in reading and writing music.Throughout the unit, learners experience music as a multisensory journey that celebrates imagination, teamwork, and self-expression while laying essential foundations for future musical growth.Learning Outcomes<ul><li>Learners will develop active listening skills through focused attention to recitations, songs, and musical performances</li><li>Learners will strengthen memory and sequencing abilities by mastering cumulative lyrics presented in forward and reverse order</li><li>Learners will build collaborative and communication skills through team-based recitation, role-playing, and sharing creative work</li><li>Learners will experience musical elements including melody, rhythm, tempo, and timbre through multisensory engagement</li><li>Learners will express creativity and personal connection to music through illustration and journal-making activities</li><li>Learners will develop foundational music literacy and physical coordination through notation exercises and rhythmic movement with manipulatives</li></ul>Notes and TipsLearning Sequence: Be patient with the challenge of remembering animal order both forwards and backwards. Use the visual learner guides provided to support memory development. Practice asking "Which animal comes after?" and "Which animal came before?" to reinforce sequencing.Listening Focus: When introducing audio performances, encourage learners to listen with eyes closed to create mental images. Notice that each verse modulates to a higher key, creating subtle changes in tone quality, and tempo gradually increases to build excitement. No formal understanding of keys is expected at this stage.Echo-Back Technique: Create flexible team structures for echo-back practice, including teacher-to-class, half-class divisions, small groups, or partner pairs. Break lyrics into short, manageable phrases for successful repetition.Ball Skills Development: When practicing bounce-catch coordination, begin without actual balls by miming actions and making bouncing sounds by patting knees. Build skills gradually through the five stages, allowing time for coordination and multitasking to develop naturally. Remember that patience and laughter support positive learning.Music Notation Introduction: For staff notation activities, learners can either use printed materials or create their own one-line staff with blank paper and a ruler. Use counters as manipulatives before transitioning to pencil work. Allow learners to create exercises for peers as an engaging extension activity.Classroom Environment: Throughout all activities, maintain an uplifting, pressure-free atmosphere that celebrates curiosity, creative thinking, and individual progress. Encourage learners to describe observations in their own words without expectation of technical accuracy.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.emsona.com/student/courses/31147/watch?lesson_id=571524" style="background-color: rgb(106, 252, 194); color: black; padding: 15px 30px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; font-size: 18px; border-radius: 6px;">Get Started!</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.emsona.com/paywall" style="background-color: black; color: rgb(106, 252, 194); padding: 15px 30px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; font-size: 18px; border-radius: 6px;">Not a Member? Join Today!</a>

A delightful cumulative song introducing young learners to rhythm, melody, and memory skills through playful animal sounds and storytelling, building musical awareness while fostering creativity and confidence.

Course content

The Barnyard Song: Gathering Experience

Adele O'Dwyer