Erin Dixon

Experience Design
Song-based, icons
Mango Walk, Jamaican Traditional

**(Stop before measure 9)

1. Rationale​​:
The purpose of this design is to begin to introduce concepts to students early on in their
music education. Specifically larger concepts such as the discussions of genre as an
obstacle, elements of these different styles, and the culture behind each of them.
Expanding on these thoughts more VA standard K.9 specifically states that the music to
be explored and evaluated “culturally“ should be either patriotic or seasonal. The music
explore throughout this experience design is patriotic to the Caribbean region and will
encourage discussion of the styles found in this region, specifically reggae. This is
extremely important to the personhood of our learners to ensure that they are receiving
a well-rounded music education. This experience will also serve to introduce the
musical element of syncopation early on, so that it comes easier when necessary. The
syncopation explored is taken from the recommend rhythms taught throughout this
grade level. It is recommended that this grade level receives comprehension of quarter
notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests. This experience aims to do so by giving students
opportunities to understand this concepts based off of Jerome Bruner’s research on
early childhood development and iconic notation by combining this approach with
methods of movement inspired by Weikart and Dalcroze.
2. Understanding Statements​​:
Students will be able to understand the concept of syncopated rhythm. Specifically the
common rhythm of “ti ta ti ta” in a 4/4 pattern song. Students will begin exploration of
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Experience Design
Song-based, icons
different musical elements, such as rhythmic features, standing for key elements in
certain styles of music. Students will have the opportunity to understand this rhythm in
ways represented aurally, kinesthetically, and visually via the iconic and symbolic
notation of tas and ta tis through the learning of Mango Walk. Lastly, students will begin
to develop an understanding of music as styles rather than genre. Specifically, the
origination of the reggae style in regards to where it originated from as well as some of
its key musical components.
3. “I can” statements/standards:
-I can read and understand the rhythms of ta and ta ti via both traditional and
non-traditional notations. (VA K.1)
-I can respond to music (specifically the steady beat) via movements both locomotive
and non locomotive by engaging in the circle dance (VA K. 6)
-I can discuss cultural aspects of the reggae “style” by exploring musicians, rhythms,
and instrumentation. (VA K.9)
4. Materials​​:
-Icons:

Quarter note/ta: “walk/man” Eighth note/ta ti: “man-go”

**Man-go would have a vertical, dashed line dividing it into two
-An actual mango
-Stretchy band
-Map
-Small instruments (shakers, etc.)
-Ribbons
5. Detailed Process​​:
Teach Mango Walk (6 min)
-Begin with inviting students to join sitting in a circle in which a mango is sitting in the
center
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Experience Design
Song-based, icons
-Perform Mango Walk twice with either ukulele or guitar
-Invite students to sing in the next round only the words “go mango walk”
-Continue by adding in the phrase “my brother did a tell me”, then “steal all the ​number
‘leven”
Short game​ (5 min)
-Quickly explain that one student will stand on the inside of the circle holding the mango
and walk around to the beat while the rest of the class sings. The student will pass the
mango on to the person he ends in front of on the phrase “number ‘leven”. On this
phrase, however; the student is able to add in their own rendition of “number ‘leven” by
creating their own phrase such as “steal all the chicken nuggets”
-Before moving on, ask students “what do you think this song is about?” Evaluate
responses and eventually make clear that the song is about the workday of a Jamaican
farmer
Iconic Notation (15 min)
-Invite students to look at the board (assuming that there is a projector available, if not,
print out icons).

-Show each icon. “Whenever we see this we’ll know it stands for “walk”. When ever
we see our mango, the first half will stand for “man” and the second will stand for “go”.
-Give a few easy examples, then have them get a little more challenging

(r) (adding in the concept of quarter rest)

(r) (adding in the concept of eighth rest)

(concept of syncopation, “go man go walk”)

-Last slide will be the concept of syncopation, “go man go walk”, however; it will first
sound as “go walk go walk”.
-Invite students to speak and clap and say the lyrics again in rhythm
-”Go mango walk sounds like go walk go walk doesn’t it? So this guy (motion to the
symbol for walk) can actually mean more than one thing. What if we call him “ta”
instead so that we don’t get him confused? If we’re calling him ta then we should
probably call our mangos something else too. We’ll call them “ta ti”s instead.
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Experience Design
Song-based, icons
-Refer back to the power point. Have the iconic notation paired next to the symbolic
notation and go through each example again, pausing to repeat and review as
necessary.
Circle dance (15 min) “I can see clearly now…”
-”Alright, everyone stand up and stretch a little, when your done be ready to listen”
-Lay stretchy band in the middle of the circle. ”Repeat after me right 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 left 2
3 4 5 6 7 8. (they repeat) right 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 left 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (they repeat) in 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 out 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (they repeat) bright, bright bright sunshiny day (stretch arms up and
out on the word bright, 3 step turn to the right on sunshiny day)”
-After this has been done a few times (determined by the confidence of the class) add
on physical movements to the right, left, in and out
-Continue these steps throughout Weikarts process: say and do, whisper and do, think
and do
-Press play and complete the circle dance with stretchy band.
-After it has been completed, ask for two helpers. Hand one a rainstick to be played
whenever the group says negative words such as rain, pain, or dark clouds. Hand
another a tambourine to be shaken on positive words such as bright or sunshine.
Perform the circle dance again. Switch helpers and perform again as time allows”
Cultural discussion (10 min)
-Invite students to sit down and ask them “What do you know about this song.” or
“What does this song remind you of”. Listen and discuss with students before making
clear the following: Written by Johnny Nash, an American reggae composer, in 1972.
- Ask “What is reggae, where is it from, what do you know about it, etc.?” Listen and
discuss with students before making clear the following:
➔ Style of music (such as rock or pop)
➔ Originated in the late 1960s in Jamaica, an island in the Caribbean, just like our
song Mango Walk did
➔ Influenced by jazz and blues but distinct in it’s own instrumentation (guitar,
drums, congas, etc) and relaxed groove
➔ Spread to the many regions of the world and led to many fusions of the style, as
we see in Johnny Nash’s “I can see clearly now”
➔ Rhythms are famous for their unique syncopation, which is essentially off-beat
rhythms, just like our rhythm we found in “go man go walk”
-”Let’s clap and sing the rhythm of I can see clearly now”
Erin Dixon
Experience Design
Song-based, icons

-The rhythm found in the second measure of this example shows how the go man go
walk rhythm is similarly found in I can see clearly now. Point this about by asking “does
anyone notice similarities between this song and our Mango song? Let’s clap the
rhythm here. Let's speak the rhythm “go man go” then symbolically “ti ta ti” Revert back
to slides as needed for review.
Further exploration (6 min)
-”Alright grab either an instrument or a ribbon from the circle. I’m going to play some
examples of songs in the reggae style and you are going to move and play however
you’d like to the steady beat.”
-Examples to include Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, etc.
Assessment (3 min)
-Invite students back to the circle. Explain that you have a penny and that a student is
going to give it to someone else while your eyes are closed. Then, I will ask ___do you
have the penny? Then they will respond in the same rhythm as “ti ta ti ta” Oh, no I dont
OR Oh yes I do. (See assessment portion below) If time allows ask students if they
would like to do either the circle dance or the passing game one more time.
6. Assessments​​: (other than consistent evaluation and observation throughout
this experience, this chart specifically corresponds to the assessment feature
of this lesson plan listed above)

Student’s Name 1 2 3

Jimmy x

Haley x
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Experience Design
Song-based, icons
1: The student did not speak in the rhythm and when the rhythm was demonstrated
again they were still not able to do so.
2: The student spoke the rhythm correctly with the exception of one or two of the
durations
3: The student spoke the rhythm completely correct.
7. Adaptation​​:
- Color: There is already some representation of this adaptation in this
experience design being that the icon for ta is black and the icon for ta ti is
orange (mango). When moving from iconic to symbolic notation, however; this
could be transferred by having quarter notes be black and eighth notes be
orange.
- Shape/Size: Size of either the iconic or symbolic notations can be changed if
necessary. The mango in the beginning activity offers opportunity for students
with tactile needs to express them. But, the mango could likely be too large and
heavy for some students. Have the option of something lighter such as a shoe,
or smaller such as a toy mango in the place of the real one if necessary.
- Pacing: Many of these activities planned leave plenty of room to either be cut
or expanded upon. Pay attention during the execution of the design and note if
anything is taking longer than expected and needs to be extended for the sake of
pacing. On the other hand, some extensions (such as the repetition throughout
the circle dance) can be taken out completely if students are becoming bored.
That being said, if discussion cause students to become fidgety, have the
opportunity of moving to reggae music available early on.
- Modality: Though students do have the opportunity to clap the rhythms,
students could also have the opportunity to move in a way that feel right to them
by stepping to the rhythm. This could also help with anxiety from sitting down.
Iconic notation can also be used throughout “I can see clearly now” in order to
clearly seam the transfer from one song to the next visually. Students could also
have the opportunity to tap the rhythm on drums.
8. Extension
This experience offers many opportunities for extensions. If it were to carry into the
next week, you could easily add on the rhythmic notation of a quarter rest since this
experience design did not really focus on this musical aspect. It could also be
expanded by exploring syncopation in other songs of various styles such as country,
pop, etc. Further, the rhythms taught can be further developed through something as
simple as a drum circle in which students first demonstrate their understanding of the
Erin Dixon
Experience Design
Song-based, icons
syncopated, then, have the opportunity to improvise and create their own in various
styles.