Watch out for the Water Witch! Students love to play the game inspired by the song “Unk, Unk, Unk” from Music for Children Vol. 1. Continue learning throughout your classes by spiraling this piece into the older grades through barred instrument and recorder play

Music

• “Unk, Unk, Unk,” Music for Children Vol. 1, pg. 12 #13

Objectives

• Introduce Low F on Soprano Recorder
• Improvise using 6 notes (C, D, E, F, G, A)

Movement Game

Students (S) will only sing “Water witch, water witch, pull me down the well”. Teacher (T) sings the rest.

• T teaches song by rote, S echo
• S sing “water witch” portion, T demonstrates the “witch’s song” using voice and body percussion.
  • Unk Unk Unk. I was fair and young. I now dwell in this well. Unk Unk Unk.
• Play freeze game.
  • While singing (repeated) S moves around the room.
  • At the end of the 2 times the S freeze in their place. T sings their portion looking for S. who is moving. If a S. is caught moving they are “turned into a toad” and have to go playthe steady beat on a “lily pad (drum)”
  • Game continues until time is out or there is 1 S left.
• Play again but this time when a S gets “out” they also become a “Witch” singing and improvising body percussion along with the T
• Play again but this time when a S gets “out” they move to barred instruments set up in C Pentatonic and improvise their own melody to the “Witch’s Song”
• Extensions:
  • S then identifies So-Mi and work to transfer to pitched instruments
  • S keep beat on pitched instrument bordun
  • Allow S to become the witch, T can still sing part of if S feels comfortable doing solo they can solo during the “Witch Song”
• Accompaniment:
  • Soprano – out/in
  • Alto – trickling water

Recorder

• Warm Up reviewing Do-based hexatonic scale.
• Show iconic notation on the board for 1st Water Witch phrase:
  • Water Witch, Water Witch
  • S play this phrase, T sings 2nd phrase
  • S play 1st phrase, T plays 2nd phrase
• Repeat the process to learn 2nd phrase
• Put phrases together for S to play the entire thing
• Play game as before, moving with Recorders in hand. When S “turn into frogs” they then begin to play the melody while the class is still singing and moving.
• Once all S are “out” have S try to play the “Witch song/Unk Unk Unk” using various body percussion. Repeat process with Do-Based hexatonic choices.
• Perform in the elemental form of students’ choice:
  • A – Children’s Song
  • B – Witch’s Song Improvisation
• Add other orchestration as desired.

Click here to download Allison’s slide deck

Click here to download a pdf of Allison’s lesson