Lesson 1: Learning “Camp a Little While in the Wilderness”
Aim: How can we learn to sing “Camp a Little While in the Wilderness” through call and response? Summary: Students will learn to sing “Camp a Little While in the Wilderness” while learning about the style of Old Time music. Materials: Musical Explorers CD or online audio, markers or crayons Time Required: 30 minutes (three 10-minute activities) Standards: GA: MK-2GM.1, MK-2GM.6, MK-2GM.7, MK-2GM.8, MK-2GM.9, MK-2GM.10, SC: MGK-2.1, MGK-2.4, MGK-2.5, MGK-2.6 Vocabulary: call and response, chorus, oral tradition, banjo |
Meet Kaia
- Meet Kaia on SG10.
Learn to sing “Camp a Little While in the Wilderness” with Kaia
- Listen to Kaia sing the old-time song “Camp a Little While in the Wilderness,” Track 16
- This song features call and response. Kaia sings first (the “call”), and then the group sings back (the “response”). Practice call and response with Kaia, Track 17
- Once you have practiced call and response, sing the chorus together. A chorus is the part of the song that comes back over and over.
- The chorus of this song starts with “Then we’ll all journey home.”
Oral TraditionIf you are an old-time musician, you learn songs from other people in your family or your community. This is called an oral tradition. The songs are passed down from generation to generation and are learned “by ear.” Ask students if they have learned any songs from someone in their family or community. Discuss as a class to connect their experiences to the meaning of oral tradition. |
Camp a Little While in the Wilderness |
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(Call:) We’ll camp a little while in the wilderness(Response:) In the wilderness, in the wilderness We’ll camp a little while in the wilderness Then we’ll all journey home Chorus: (Call:) (Response:) (Call:) (Response:) |
[Chorus]
(Call:) (Response:) (Call:) (Response:) |
Explore instruments in Old Time Music
- While different regions in the United States have their own old-time music traditions, Kaia sings a style of old-time music that comes from the region known as Appalachia.
- This cultural region includes the southern part of New York and stretches down to North Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. It includes all of West Virginia, where Kaia lives. Using SG11, identify states in Appalachia.
- One instrument used in old-time is the banjo. The banjo is a 5-stringed instrument that is played by plucking the strings. Using SG12, each student can color/design his or her own banjo just like Kaia’s.
Musical Word Wall
Add call and response, chorus, oral tradition, and banjo to the Musical Word Wall.
PDF Downloads
SG10 ↓ Download File
SG11 ↓ Download File
SG12 ↓ Download File
Musical Explorers Audio Tracks