Focus
- Making the phrase longer
You will need…
…to be familiar with the words and music of the song. To have hands, voices and instruments ready for the activities.
Before you start…
Talk about what happened last time and how Nigel and Suki have set sail to find treasure.
The tutorial video
Tutorial: There's a hole at the bottom of the sea
Nigel and Suki continue their adventure at sea and Suki tries to catch a stowaway frog!
- Identify how the first line of each verse gets longer.
- Can children spot the lines in the verses which are the same? They are the last three lines.
Follow-up:
- Practise singing the whole of the song from the beginning.
- Discuss the extra thing that is added in each verse - can the children remember what happens each time, as their singing list gets longer and longer?
- Notice the notes of ‘There’s a hole’ go up in pitch (ascend) to start with, then go back down again (descend).
- Talk about the bouncy rhythm of ‘There’s a frog on the bump on the log in the hole at the bottom of the sea…’ It’s jumpy, like Suki’s frog!
Song: 'There's a hole at the bottom of the sea'
Learn with the vocal version of the song.
Then polish your performance with the backing track.
Download / print the song lyric sheet.
Download / print the song music sheet.
Sing with the vocal version of 'There's a hole at the bottom of the sea'
Sing with the backing track of 'There's a hole at the bottom of the sea'
Activity: Singing in turn
The activity is based on the music of the song and focuses on singing fast and slow rhythms.
- The children practise singing the first lines only of each verse, making the musical line longer and longer.
Follow-up:
- Clap a rhythm - eg four one beat claps - then the class copy. Make this phrase a little longer - eg eight one beat claps. The class copy again. What has happened? The musical phrase has got longer.
- Repeat the clapping, this time with four one beat claps. Can the children identify how the phrase is now shorter?
- Repeat again with eight claps. Now it is longer again!
Story: The Fisherman and the Magic Fish - Part 2
Audio with scrolling text
Frederick and Isobel are delighted with their castle…but soon they want more.
Frederick returns to the fish and asks for a palace and for himself and Isobel to become King and Queen…then Emperor and Empress. The fish agrees…but is getting exasperated by the repeated greedy requests.
THE FISHERMAN AND THE MAGIC FISH - PART 2
Frederick and Isobel’s first week in their new castle was wonderful: they had all the things they could possibly want and servants to do all the chores. But there was nothing to do all day except ride round the gardens in a carriage…and even that was getting boring.
‘I want to feel more important,’ said Frederick. ‘If I was King, I could rule the whole land. I could make laws…‘
‘…and everyone would follow our orders,’ added Isobel. ‘Why don’t you ask the magic fish if it will grant us one more wish?’
The next day Frederick rode in the carriage to the sea. The waves had turned from dark blue to dark grey and the wind was whistling as he called out.
‘Oh magic fish swimming in the sea! Hear my call and come to me!’
Straight away, the fish appeared. But this time, it wasn’t smiling. ‘You again, Frederick,’ it sighed. ‘I thought I’d given you everything you wanted?’
‘Oh you have and I’m very grateful!’ replied Frederick. ‘The problem is, I want to feel more important - like a King!’
The fish looked a little sad. ‘Go back home and see what you find,’ it sighed.
When Frederick returned the castle had turned into a great palace with white walls and flags. Soldiers banged drums and played trumpets as Frederick walked into a grand hall.
In the middle were two diamond-covered thrones. And on one of them, looking very queenly indeed, sat Isobel.
As one courtier placed a velvet robe over Frederick’s shoulders, another placed a gold crown on his head.
‘Long live King Frederick!’ everyone cried.
‘Isn’t this exciting!’ said Isobel.
Each day they sat on their thrones, wrote down rules and gave orders. Until, one day, they received a letter…from the Emperor!
‘The letter says we have to follow his orders, said Isobel in surprise.
‘I think it’s time for me to visit the magic fish again,’ replied Frederick.
When Frederick reached the sea, it looked black as night and very stormy. He felt terrified as he shouted out the rhyme - but the magic fish appeared as usual.
‘What do you want now?’ it asked with a scowl.
‘I’d like you to make me Emperor,’ shouted Frederick. ‘In fact, I demand it! I want to be the most important man in the world!’
‘Well then, I must obey!’ replied the magic fish. ‘Go home and see what you find!’
When Frederick’s carriage returned the palace had turned into a vast city. In the middle was a great tower rising high into the sky with two giant thrones at the top. They were so high up, they were above the clouds.
‘I’m up here!’ cried a voice. Frederick looked up, and could just about see Isobel sitting on one of the thrones, with a huge crown that was too big for her head.
He had to climb up a great staircase to join her. ‘Oh, hail! Great Emperor!’ echoed distant voices from below.
Emperor Frederick and Empress Isobel looked down from the tower. ‘Now we really are important!’ sighed Isobel with delight.
‘And really do have everything we could possibly wish for!’ agreed Frederick.
In the stormy sea, the magic fish raised its head above the water. ‘Hmm, we shall see…’ it said, before diving into the depths.
Story transcript. document
Download / print the text of the story
Listening music: 'Sailing by' (composed by Ronald Binge, 1963)
Focus: identifying instruments of the orchestra
- The music is about sailing, like today’s song. What is the style of the music? (It is calm, relaxed and goes at a steady pace.)
- What does it make the children think of? Perhaps a boat sailing across calm waters on a beautiful day…?
- What instruments are playing the slow tune? The strings - the violins, violas and cellos.
- There are also some other instruments - flutes - playing fast, high notes. What does their playing sound like? The wind, swirling around the sails of the boat…?
Resources
Teacher's Notes. document
Information and guidance on using the content
Song sheet. document
Download / print the lyrics of the song
Music sheet. document
Download / print the music for the song
More episodes
1. The big ship sails on the ally-ally-oh. collection
Join Nigel and Suki for a musical sea adventure in search of treasure.
3. My ship rolls over the ocean. collection
Nigel and Suki are caught in a storm at sea and Suki is scared of the lightning.
4. Suki over the ocean. collection
Nigel and Suki row towards Golden Island...and try some fishing.
