Exploring Music: Clef and Stave Cultural and Creative Arts Primary 3 First Term Lesson Notes Week 9

Cultural and Creative Arts Lesson Plan: Drawing of Staff/Stave, The Grand/Great Staff, The Clefs

Subject: Cultural and Creative Arts

Class: Primary 3

Term: First Term

Week: 9

Age: 8 years

Topic: Drawing of Staff/Stave, The Grand/Great Staff, The Clefs

Sub-topic: Understanding and Drawing Musical Staves and Clefs

Duration: 40 minutes

Behavioural Objectives: By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

1. Relate what a staff is.
2. Compare and contrast between the staff and the great stave.
3. Differentiate between the different musical clefs.
4. Draw the clefs and staves.

Keywords: Staff, Stave, Great Staff, Clefs, Music

Set Induction: Begin by showing images of musical staves and clefs. Ask pupils if they have seen these symbols before and where they might have seen them.

Entry Behaviour: Pupils have basic knowledge of music and its symbols from previous lessons.

Learning Resources and Materials:

• Music manuscripts
• Pencils
• Erasers
• Rulers
• Textbooks
• Pictures of staff and grand staff
• Video clip of rudiments and theory of music

Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge: Connect the lesson to previous topics about singing and drawing by explaining how musical notes are written on staves.

Embedded Core Skills:

• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Communication and collaboration
• Pupil’s leadership and personal development
• Citizenship
• Creativity and imagination

Learning Materials:

• Music manuscripts
• Pencils
• Rulers
• Erasers
• Pictures of staff, grand staff, and clefs

Reference Books:

• Lagos State Scheme of Work for Cultural and Creative Arts

Instructional Materials:

• Diagrams of staff, grand staff, and clefs
• Music manuscripts

Content:

1. Introduction to Staff:
   • A staff is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces used in musical notation.
   • Notes are placed on the lines and spaces to indicate pitch.
2. The Grand/Great Staff:
   • The grand staff is used for piano music and consists of two staves, one above the other.
   • The top staff usually uses the treble clef, and the bottom staff uses the bass clef.
3. Musical Clefs:
   • Treble Clef (G Clef): Used for higher-pitched notes.
   • Bass Clef (F Clef): Used for lower-pitched notes.
   • Other clefs include the alto clef and tenor clef, used for specific instruments.
4. Drawing Clefs and Staves:
   • Steps to draw a staff:
     1. Use a ruler to draw five parallel lines.
     2. Space the lines evenly.
   • Steps to draw a treble clef:
     1. Start at the bottom and make a spiral that goes upward.
     2. Loop around to make a swirl in the middle.
   • Steps to draw a bass clef:
     1. Start with a dot on the fourth line.
     2. Make a curve that loops around to the right.

15 Fill-in-the-Blank Questions with Options (a, b, c, d):

1. A staff has ______ lines. a) four b) five c) six d) seven
2. The grand staff consists of ______ staves. a) one b) two c) three d) four
3. The treble clef is also known as the ______ clef. a) C b) D c) G d) F
4. The bass clef is also known as the ______ clef. a) A b) B c) E d) F
5. The ______ clef is used for higher-pitched notes. a) treble b) bass c) alto d) tenor
6. The grand staff is used for ______ music. a) piano b) guitar c) violin d) drums
7. There are ______ spaces on a staff. a) three b) four c) five d) six
8. The bass clef starts with a ______. a) dot b) line c) curve d) triangle
9. The lines and spaces on a staff are used to indicate ______. a) tempo b) pitch c) volume d) rhythm
10. The treble clef looks like a ______. a) spiral b) straight line c) square d) triangle
11. The ______ clef is used for lower-pitched notes. a) treble b) bass c) alto d) tenor
12. A staff is used in ______ notation. a) musical b) literary c) scientific d) mathematical
13. The grand staff combines the treble and ______ clefs. a) bass b) alto c) tenor d) soprano
14. The alto clef is used for specific ______. a) instruments b) books c) dances d) paintings
15. The treble clef starts at the ______ of the staff. a) bottom b) top c) middle d) side

15 FAQs with Answers:

1. Q: What is a staff in music? A: A set of five horizontal lines and four spaces used in musical notation.
2. Q: What is the grand staff? A: Two staves used together, usually for piano music, with the treble clef on top and the bass clef on the bottom.
3. Q: What is another name for the treble clef? A: The G clef.
4. Q: What is another name for the bass clef? A: The F clef.
5. Q: Which clef is used for higher-pitched notes? A: The treble clef.
6. Q: Which clef is used for lower-pitched notes? A: The bass clef.
7. Q: How many lines are on a staff? A: Five lines.
8. Q: How many spaces are on a staff? A: Four spaces.
9. Q: What do the lines and spaces on a staff indicate? A: The pitch of the notes.
10. Q: What is the first step in drawing a staff? A: Use a ruler to draw five parallel lines.
11. Q: How do you start drawing a treble clef? A: Start at the bottom and make a spiral that goes upward.
12. Q: What is the first step in drawing a bass clef? A: Start with a dot on the fourth line.
13. Q: Which musical symbol is used for specific instruments like the viola? A: The alto clef.
14. Q: What kind of music notation uses a staff? A: Musical notation.
15. Q: What clefs are combined in the grand staff? A: The treble clef and the bass clef.

Presentation:

Step 1: The teacher revises the previous topic, which was about types of flowers and drawing them.

Step 2: The teacher introduces the new topic by discussing the musical staff, grand staff, and clefs.

Step 3: The teacher allows the pupils to contribute, sharing their understanding of musical notation and corrects them where necessary.

Teacher’s Activities:

• Show diagrams and pictures of musical staves and clefs.
• Demonstrate how to draw the staff, grand staff, and clefs.
• Guide pupils in drawing these musical symbols in their music manuscripts.

Learners’ Activities:

• Participate in brainstorming sessions about the meaning of staff and staves.
• Work in small groups to identify and describe staves.
• Work in pairs to identify the differences between the staff and the great staff.
• Individually draw clefs in their music manuscripts.

Assessment:

• Oral questions on the differences between staff and grand staff.
• Observation of pupils’ drawings and their participation in activities.

10 Evaluation Questions:

1. What is a staff?
2. How many lines does a staff have?
3. What is the grand staff?
4. Name two types of clefs.
5. What does the treble clef indicate?
6. What does the bass clef indicate?
7. How do you draw a treble clef?
8. What is the first step in drawing a bass clef?
9. How are the lines and spaces on a staff used?
10. What clefs are combined in the grand staff?

Conclusion: The teacher goes around to mark the pupils’ drawings and provides feedback. The teacher also recaps the importance of understanding musical notation and encourages pupils to practice drawing these symbols.

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