Lesson Plan:
My Paddle
Objectives:
1. Students will identify through standard notation that “My Paddle” is call and response
without hearing the song beforehand.
2. Students will perform “My Paddle” as a canon as well as maintain the correct expression
throughout the different musical lines.
Standards:
Pr.5.2.a - Perform music for a specific purpose with expression and technical accuracy.
Re.3.2 - Demonstrate knowledge of music concepts and how they support creators'/performers'
expressive intent.
Materials:
- Sheet music for “My Paddle”
- Paddles (enough for everyone – could even be drum sticks)
My Paddle
Words and music: Source:
Margaret Embers McGee, 1918 Edward Bolkovac and Judith Johnson
150 Rounds for Singing and Teaching
New York: Boosey and Hawkes, 1996
2
4
My pad dle's keen and bright, flash ing with sil ver,
Fol low the wild goose flight, dip, dip, and swing.
2. Dip, dip, and swing her back, flashing with silver,
Follow the wild goose track, dip, dip, and swing.
Verse 2 from Peter Blood, Rise Up Singing
Can be sung as a canon after 2 measures.
Sequence:
Activity 1: Show students the song “My Paddle” and have them identify the form of the piece.
1. Teacher: “Are you ready to learn a new song! I need help figuring something about this
song before we start singing it though…”
2. Teacher will put “My Paddle” up on the projector.
a. Teacher: Can you tell me what form this is? I just can’t figure it out!
b. Students: It is call and response!
c. Teacher: Wow! You guys are so smart! Can you show me why it is call and
response?
3. Students will go up to board and draw arcs over phrases to show that the form is call and
response.
Activity 2: Students will learn how to sing “My Paddle.”
1. Teacher will teach the students “My Paddle.”
a. Teacher: Repeat after me!
b. T: My paddle’s keen and bright
c. S: My paddle’s keen and bright
d. T: Flashing with silver
e. S: Flashing with silver
f. T: My paddle’s keen and bright, flashing with silver.
g. S: My paddle’s keen and bright, flashing with silver.
h. T: Follow the wild goose flight
i. S: Follow the wild goose fight
j. T: Dip, dip, and swing!
k. S: Dip, dip, and swing!
l. T: Follow the wild goose flight, dip, dip, and swing!
m. S: Follow the wild goose flight, dip, dip, and swing!
n. T: My paddle’s keen and bright, flashing with silver. Follow the wild goose flight,
dip, dip, and swing!
o. S: My paddle’s keen and bright, flashing with silver. Follow the wild goose flight,
dip, dip, and swing!
2. Teacher will ask questions about song to make sure that students understand.
a. T: What is keen and bright?
b. S: My paddle!
c. T: And who are we supposed to follow?
d. S: The wild goose!
Activity 3: Students will perform “My Paddle” as a 2-part canon.
1. Teacher will have students in 2 different groups and have one group as boaters with
paddles and the other as geese.
2. Have students sing through the song together
3. Have the geese sing and then have the group that has the boaters join in when the geese
start singing, “Flashing with silver.”
4. Once students are able to sing the 2 parts together, have the geese fly around the room
together and have the group with paddles follow the group of geese as they paddle as they
sing the song.
5. Have the groups switch.
Assessment: Teacher will observe as the students as they perform “My Paddle” with correct
form and expression even with different melodic lines occurring at the same time.
