YEAR 5 AND 6 MUSIC AUTUMN TERM CYCLE A
About this unit:
In this unit the children will become aware of voice by creating their own Victorian
street cries with use of percussion instruments. They will be introduced to some
Victorian composers and identify their unique styles. The children will also use the
medium of rap to perform a poem from the era.
Vocabulary:
Street cries
Rap
Composers
Musical elements
Resources:
‘Oliver’ the movie
Elgar and Mendelsohn
Poem from Victorian era
Core Tasks:
1) To create and perform own Victorian street cries developing their use of voice.
2) Compose a rap using a poem as stimulus.
Expectations
When carrying out the type of activities and tasks in this unit:
Most children will be able to:
Create their own Victorian street cries using the video ‘Oliver’ as stimulus. They will be
able to perform a poem as a rap using percussion as accompaniment.
Less able children will be able to:
Begin to create their own street cries, closely following the ideas from the film ‘Oliver’.
They will also be able to work with a group to produce a poem as a rap.
More able children will be able to:
They will confidently compose their own street cries using own knowledge of the
Victorian era and wide use of percussion instruments. They will also create their own
poem based on the era to use as a rap.
Year 5 and 6 Music Cycle A Autumn Term
Learning Objectives
To create and
perform own
Victorian Street
cries. Develop use of
voice.
To introduce
Victorian composers
and identify
individual styles
To compose a rap
using a poem as
stimulus
Possible Teaching Activities
 Brainstorm ‘Victorians’ and discuss how
life was different then.
 Listen to a modern day recording of
street cries and children to perform
their own imagining they are selling on a
market stall of their choice. Use these
ideas to adapt to Victorian Street
sellers.
 Listen to short piece from ‘Oliver’ and
discuss how can perform street cries
(link to drama and movement). Perform
whole class with movement around the
room.
 Watch ‘Oliver’ video and put together
street cries with background
percussion of horse’s hooves etc. (use
of untuned percussion).
 Listen to Elgar and Mendelssohn and
discuss the elements of their music, eg
the beat, instruments, style.
 Attempt to accompany a track using
percussion, discussing where and when
to play and why. Discuss the rhythms
used and get children to identify
certain rhythms e.g. crotchets, quavers
etc.
 Children can either make their own
poem or choose one from the Victorian
era and work on performing it as a rap.
They should think about voices,
percussion and overall performance
style.
 Record onto tape.
Learning Outcomes
To perform Victorian
Street cries and
accompany with
percussion instruments.
To understand the
elements of the music of
certain Victorian
composers
To compose and perform a
rap using a poem as
stimulus.
YEAR 5 AND 6 MUSIC SPRING TERM CYCLE A
About this unit:
In this unit the children will look at a variety of different music from all over Europe
and create musical interpretations of Spanish Flamenco music, compose a song about the
European countries and also create some Greek music.
Vocabulary:
Flamenco
Continent
Resources:
Examples of Flamenco music
Cards with names of European countries
Examples of Greek music
Core Tasks:
1) To produce a composition interpreting Spanish Flamenco music in small groups
2) To compose a song about the countries in Europe in small groups
3) To compose in the style of Greek dancing music using a range of instruments
Expectations
When carrying out the type of activities and tasks in this unit:
Most children will be able to:
Identify the styles of Spanish and Greek music and interpret it in their own way using
tuned and untuned percussion instruments. They will also be able to write a song or rap
using Europe and its countries as a stimulus.
Less able children will be able to:
Begin to show an awareness of the elements of Spanish and Greek music and contribute
to a group composition. They will also create ideas towards the composing of a song or
rap with Europe as a stimulus.
More able children will be able to:
Clearly identify the features of Spanish and Greek music and use this to compose a
piece of music representative of this style. They will also confidently compose a song or
rap using Europe and its countries as a stimulus. These children will show confidence in
notation their composition using symbols.
Year 5 and 6 Music Cycle A Spring term
Learning Objectives
To be introduced to the
styles and elements of
Spanish music, e.g.
Flamenco. To compose
and perform using
percussion instruments in
a similar style.
To compose a song using
percussion relating to the
idea of all the countries
in Europe.

To be able to
identify how time
and place can
influence the way
music is created.
Possible Teaching Activities
 Children to listen to examples
of Spanish Flamenco and guitar
music. Discuss elements of style
and record. Pick out
instruments that could be used
to create a similar sound.
 Children to work in small groups
to create a short piece of music
in a similar style and perform to
the class.
 Discuss Europe and record all
the countries in the continent.
Children can choose to either
compose a piece of music for
each country or fit together or
to write a song or rap about
Europe. Children must work in
small groups and choose
appropriate instruments.
 Their compositions should be
notated in some way. Using
symbols to represent sounds
each group should record their
song to be used for display.
 Record compositions on tape to
play back to the class for
appraisal.
Listen to Europe CD.
Guess the country of origin from types
of instrument.
Watch video of Irish dance.



Be able to listen,
with attention to
detail, and
respond to music
heard.
Be able to
improvise and
develop rhythms.
Be able to develop
control and
rhythmic
accuracy.
Look at how the movements are linked
to the music.
Listen to traditional Spanish music
(Gypsy Kings or similar). Compare this
to modern Latin influenced music (Ricki
Martin or similar).
In groups, using clapping and stamping
develop an ostinato rhythm based on
Spanish music heard.
Learning Outcomes
To compose and perform a
piece of music in a
Spanish Flamenco style
using percussion
instruments.
To compose, perform and
notate a piece of music or
song about all the
countries in Europe,
showing individual style
and musicality.

To record
rhythms using
ta/te notation.
Record on large paper using ta/te
notation.

To be able to play
untuned
instruments with
control and
rhythmic
accuracy.
Look at the untuned instruments Which
might be used in Spanish music?

Be able to develop
control and
rhythmic
accuracy.

To record
rhythms using
ta/te notation.


To be able to play
untuned
instruments with
control and
rhythmic
accuracy.
Choose some untuned instruments to
use in compositions.
Using ostinato from last week break
group into two. One group to use
ostinato clapping/stamping rhythm
whilst the other group produces a
counter rhythm using untuned
instruments.
Record opposite rhythm using large
sheet of paper.
To practise, rehearse and refine
compositions.
Perform compositions to the group.
If possible tape compositions.
To develop
confidence in
performing.
YEAR 5 AND 6 MUSIC SUMMER TERM CYCLE A
About this unit:
In this unit the children be introduced to and examine the changes in music since the
1930’s. They will look at a number of different styles throughout time and attempt to
compose music representative of these styles. They will be composing both songs and
instrumental pieces.
Vocabulary:
Electronics
Synthersize
Backing track
Core Tasks:
Resources:
A variety of music e.g. 60’s rock,
70’s funk and 80’s electronics
1) To produce a piece of mainly instrumental music representative of seventies funk
style
2) To compose a rap, focusing on specific lyrics, in the style of a 1990’s rap tune.
This will broaden their sense of performance.
Expectations
When carrying out the type of activities and tasks in this unit:
Most children will be able to:
Listen to and identify the features of a variety of styles of music and create a similar
style using the instruments available. They will also be able to compose a rap with
credible lyrics in the style of the 1990’s.
Less able children will be able to:
Begin to identify the key features of different styles of music and explain why they
differ. They will also be able to contribute to composing lyrics for a rap.
More able children will be able to:
Clearly identify the key features of the different styles of music since the 1930’s and
confidently compose pieces of music representative of these styles. They will
confidently and successfully write lyrics upon a theme for a rap in 1990’s style soul and
rap.
Year 5 and 6 Music Cycle A Summer Term
Learning Objectives
To look at and
examine musical
changes since the
1930’s
To compose and
perform a piece of
music in the style of
Possible Teaching Activities
 Listen to a variety of music since the
1930’s e.g. sixties rock, seventies
funk, eighties electronics etc.
 Identify and record elements of each
style. Children should choose their
favourite era of music and write a
paragraph describing why using
musical description to express.
 Listen to a variety of seventies dance
music and identify the elements and
instruments used. With the use of
Learning Outcomes
To become aware of all
styles of varying music
since the 1930’s
To study and compose a
piece of music in the
style of seventies dance
seventies dance and
funk.

To listen to and
reproduce a rap track
from the 1990’s using
percussion
instruments




keyboards, backing tracks and
percussion instruments children
should work in small groups to
compose their own dance track. Each
piece should include some very simple
and basic words to accompany the
music.
Children should practice and perform
their piece to the class. Composition
to be recorded and played back to
the class for appraisal.
Listen to a variety of rap music and
identify the elements. Choose one
track and study the words and their
meaning. Children as a whole class
should practice and perform the
track.
Using the ideas from the original
track children should then attempt to
write their own rap. Children should
think about the meaning of their
words and how they should be
accompanied.
Practise and perform to the class.
The rap will then be recorded and
played back to the class for appraisal.
music.
To study and recreate
and rap. To write words
thinking carefully about
their meaning. To
perform and appraise.
.