Infant Music at Home 21
A Song from the Caribbean | Singing: Sunshine in my Heart
Enjoy these structured musical activities that we have prepared especially for you to continue your learning at home...
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1. A Song from the Caribbean
Listen and learn the song Yellow Bird on BBC Teach – a song about a yellow bird in a banana tree with a Caribbean style.
What to do
- Follow the link and listen | Head over to the BBC Teach website and listen to the words – find out why the yellow bird is so sad.
Go to BBC Teach
- Make a story | If this was the beginning of a story about the Yellow Bird, what might happen to him next?
- Carry on listening | Next, listen to the same song played by a band from the Caribbean. [The button link below will take you to another BBC Teach page for 'Anansi and the Moss-Covered Spider. Scroll down to the Listening music section (just above resources)]
Go to BBC Teach
- Compare | Is this faster or slower than the cartoon version?
- Dance | Move your arms like wings of a bird in time to the music. Can you keep a steady beat when doing this?
- Observe | The instruments in the picture are called steel pans. These are what you can hear. How do they make you feel?
Teaching notes
- Steel Pans | The main instruments featured in this piece of music are the steel pans. The steel pan is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. It is made out of metal -traditionally an empty oil drum - and is struck with wooden beaters to make a sound.
- Explore | You could explore with a map where the Caribbean islands are in relation to where we live and draw a picture of the Yellow Bird flying from there to visit us where we live. It might find it very cold!!
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2. Singing: Sunshine in my Heart
Join in with Rachel and learn this happy song about friends being together - don't forget to smile!
What to do
- Watch and follow | Listen and watch the video, follow Rachel and simply copy what you see and hear. You can always rewind if you want to do a section again.
- Performance | When you have finished the song, can you add any of the Makaton signs and perform it?
Teaching notes
- Clear words | Many of the words in this song end with the letter 'T' - street / meet / sweet / heart. Can you encourage your singers to make this sound clearly?
- Rhythmic additions | See if your pupils can multi-task by adding the marching arms to the steady beat in the 3rd section PLUS the 3 hand claps.
- Remember | This is a song about friendship - you may find it helpful to discuss with your class how it feels to be with your friends