Title Bought Me A Cat

Cultural Origin
Source K- 2- Hein, Mary Alice & Lois Chosky, The Singing Book, Second
Leve. USA, Cotati, California 94928. Renna/White Associates. P.O.
Box 446 Pg. 28 1983.
3- 5- 2017 Michael Kravchuk
CSP:
Tempo: Quarter
note=
96
Tone Set K- 2, D R M S Scale K-2 GM (Tetratonic)
3- 5 D R M S L 3-5 CM, B-flat M (Pentatonic)

Rhythm K-2 ♩ ♫ Quarter Rest Meter 2/4

3-5 ♩ ♫♪Dotted Quarter Note, Quarter Rest Form additive
Game/activity: (Depending on the age group)
Before doing any activity, have the students talk about their favorite animal on the list. Then, talk
about the different sounds they make. Also, can have students talk about other animals that are
found within the barn yard. Have them, start to think about the sounds they make.
1. Have pictures of the animals and the students can color them in, then when it comes to singing
the song. The students will sing along with the song and each animal they are singing about, they
can hold up the picture.
2. Have the whole class stand in a big circle and start by singing the song together, so they can
hear what it sounds like. Then, have them clap the rhythm. Then, have them sing and clap
together. So, they can understand where rests are and what the rhythm is. Once, that seems
solidified, have the students break up into two groups and one group class, while the other
group sings. Then switch roles.
3. Depending on class size, you can pick a # of animals to sing about. Hypnotically, you have 20
students and so you will have the students narrow down the list two four animals, having group
size of 5. Then, have all the students sing about the cat together, then each group will break up
and sing their verse about another animal, then all come together and finish the verse about the
cat. (This one will have to base on #2 because they will have to understand the structure of the
song and how it works as a whole) In this one, you can add instruments, they think sound like
their animal. And play the instrument, while singing the song.

Pedagogical Analysis:
Melody: I can teach the students about the solfege that relates to each note they are

playing/singing

Rhythm: K-2 I could have them clap straight eights to understand the subdivisions that make up

quarter notes or rests. Or really focus on the rests and what they offer to the piece.

3-5 I could explain the subdivisions of all the notes. Then, having them clap it, to have a further

understanding.

Other: Explain through the process of how repeats work

Form: It will be important to have the repeat and show them the importance how
adding a new part every time with similar rhythms with different animals. The
composer used form to further the listeners experience of engraining what the
animals do.

Rhythm: They will be introduced into different rhythms and have a song to connect
it with. That each word makes up a rhythm and it helps understand the rhythm and
words, while relating with animals and animal sounds they are familiar. The
composer used the rhythm to have a simple rhythm they can remember later from a
song they remember.

Melody: It is a catchy melody that will stick with the students and help them build a
library of songs in their minds. The composer used the melody to engrain what the
sound the animal makes.

Harmony: There wouldn’t be chord structures to produce a strong harmony. But

when having them sing with the instruments may help produce more of harmony.
The composers does not include harmony making it possible for students to
harmonize in their own way.

Timbre: I think timbre would be difficult to have young children do this, but I think
that by having them sing in different ways and showing them what to not do, then
they will be able to work on what they want to produce. This piece can help do that
with how they sing in different ways for each animal. The composer used timbre in
ways to emphasize what sound the animal makes.

Texture: The song is monophonic because it is sung by one person. The composer
uses texture, so students can focus on singing in tune and knowing sound the animal
makes.

Expression: They could act differently with each animal they sing about, and it can
help them express themselves with how they feel. The composer doesn’t make it
certain of what expression was meant when composing but they make it possible
that students will be able to form their own expression when singing it.

Additional Considerations/Reasons to Perform this Piece: This piece will help

the students become more involved with classroom setting and work with others in
large and small ensembles. Each student will be able to participate and feel involved.

The Heart Statement: The students will be able to connect with this piece through
melody that helps them remember the catchy tune helping them remember the
animals they sang up in the song in class.

Background information about the genre:

The term “folk music” started in the nineteenth-century to explain age-old and
anonymous music. It is passed down through families and other social groups. It is
usually found through oral traditions. Folk music is usually found in the lower-class
population. The performers were amateurs and folk songs were literally known to
all members of a community. The origin is rarely known to its community. The
songs can be changed as they are passed along. They can be changed into things that
work with the cultural area they are apart of. Since it is orally translated, it can be
performed in anyway the society wants to change it.

Background information on the piece:

Unsure of the origin of I bought me a cat. You can find this piece in different forms
from different composers. Pete Seeger, Aaron Copland arranged the piece. There are
different forms of the song that uses different animals. You realize that it
accommodates to the area it is in. In a few forms of the song, they say, “I bought me a
wife”, you can find now that would not be very appropriate for the time we live in. In
different versions of the songs, you can find it switching in different meters. In the
versions for young children, it is in one meter. There is many different versions that
are in different key signatures.

Introducing the Piece

I would clap a rhythm to the students and they would repeat it back. I would do that
on the rhythms I have printed. After we have gone through the couple I have. Then, I
can ask them if they have heard this rhythms before and where. Then have them
share with their neighbor something it reminded them of.

Affective Outcome:
Students will think about their favorite animal or animal they have at home and the
sounds they make.

Strategies
1.Kinesthetic- Have the students walk and dance around the classroom to the beat
of the rhythm and then when they hear an animal sound, they stop and freeze with
whatever movement they were doing. Then, have them continue walking and
dancing after the animal sounds have stopped.
2. Visual- Have the students color pictures of the animals that are included in the
song, then when they are singing the song, they can hold up the picture that relates
to the animal they are singing about.

Assessment
1. Journal assessment
I will have the students draw in the journal about the animals we are singing about
in class. Then, have them have talking bubbles of each sound the animal makes.
They can journal about how they feel when performing or why they love the animal
so much. They could have them doing a comic strip and it be acted out by what each
animal does.

Skill Outcome:
Students will be able to sing in tune with pentatonic scale

Strategies
1. Auditory- Sing call and response
2. Kinesthetic/ Visual- Teach the students solfege with a visual sign or worksheet
with it on for each student to have but then have them kinesthetically do the
symbols with their hands to engrain it. when we sing, they can use solfege to use it
for the song we are working on and other future songs. Then, only show them, a
pentatonic to relate to the song we are working on.To further engrain solfege in
their minds and hands for an older group of kids (4th or 5th), I will take 10-15
minutes of class by having the students stand in a line and I will sign them a couple
of solfege symbols, then they will have to sing it back with correct syllables and
pitch. If they don’t sing it correct back to me, they would get a second try. Then, they
will go to the back of the line. It will also show them proper audience behavior.

Assessment
1. Paper-and-pencil test
I will have them write out a pentatonic scale from a given pitch. This would be for
4th or 5th grade level. I can give them staff and they would make a song with the
pitches from a pentatonic scale. This wouldn’t show if they can sing in tune, but it
would show they understand what a pentatonic scale is. I wanted to do performance
for this section, but the performance assessment worked better for the improv.

Knowledge Outcome:
Students will demonstrate being able to improv on a given rhythm.

Strategies
1. Visual- Giving certain colors for rhythms and show them to the students, After,
they have shown they can execute the rhythms given when show the colors relating
to it, have the students take the colored rhythms and have individuals or groups of
students perform for the classroom how they were able to improv on the given
colored rhythm. If you do groups, you can have students each take a section and
have everyone perform all together their own each part and have them understand
how they all can work together, and it still be the same song but a similar structure
but more enhanced with the improv.
2. Auditory- We can count the rhythms, or I can clap the rhythm and they clap it
back to me.

Assessment
1. Performance Assessment
There will be a couple bars written out on the board showing the given rhythm.
Then, the students will be on an instrument or clap the rhythm. After we have the
basic of the rhythm, then we will go around in a circle and each student will improv
on the given rhythm. I will be recording this, so I can go back and review how each
student did.

Recommended Recordings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyh81PF16ME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXd2ebvwNss

References