Impuku Nekati - Game Version
Goals
Sing a folk song from South Africa.
Play a game using loud and soft dynamics
Materials
Felt or paper mouse
Instructions
Sit in a random formation on the floor.
This South African song is about a cat and a mouse. Translation: Hear the mouse and cat: "nyeow nyeow nyeow."English Translation: The mouse and cat are crying. The mouse and cat are crying. They say, "yeow, yeow." They say, "yeow, yeow, yeow." They say, "yeow, yeow." They say, "yeow, yeow, yeow."
Teach the song by rote, echo-singing one phrase at a time, then two, and so on until secure.
Demonstration game: Designate a student to be the "cat," who covers eyes with hands. Hide the mouse in plain sight. Instruct the cat to search for the mouse by roaming the room listening for clues from the music (loud=closer) (soft=farther away). Play song and adjust the volume louder or softer to guide the cat toward the mouse. Repeat song as necessary until the mouse is found --applause!
Prep for a cappella game: Hold mouse behind your back and instruct students to sing the song softly (p) as you slowly bring it into view. As you move the mouse closer to your front, students sing gradually louder (f). When the mouse is directly in front of you, students sing their loudest (remind them to sing tunefully without shouting). Now, move the mouse slowly away from your front toward your back and students sing gradually softer again.
A cappella game: Same as the demonstration game, except the loud/soft clues come from the students' own singing voices as they sing the song repeatedly until mouse is found --applause!
Play as many times as desired.
