Call and Response Songs
Jump to section:
Aim: How can we sing songs together through call and response?
Summary: Students explore call and response songs through singing.
Standards: US 1, 6; NYC 1, 2, 3
Grade: Kindergarten
Concept: Form, Singing
Artistic Process: performing, listening, responding
Materials: echo song
Time Required: 15 minutes
Instructions
- Warm up by singing a simple call and response song with students.
- Explore the definition of a call and response song with students. I’m going to “call” or sing a phrase and you will respond by singing it back to me.
- Sing a well-known echo song with students. You may use this as an example:
Download Teacher Worksheet: Sample Song "Che Che Kule" (PDF) - Perform the song again and have students take turns being the soloist/leader.
- Create movements to indicate when the soloist is singing and when the group is singing. (Example: Hold up one hand when the soloist sings, and hold up both hands when the group sings; walk when the group is singing, and freeze when the soloist sings, etc.)
- Listen to another well-known call and response song. This time, use a song that is not an echo, but has a different response. You may use this as an example:
Download Teacher Worksheet: Sample Song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" (PDF)
Assessments
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.