Aim: How can learning a folk song help us explore traditions?
Summary: Students will explore traditional elements of “Doraji” by singing, listening, and sharing food traditions.
Materials: Musical Explorers online resources
Standards: GA: ESGM2.PR.1, ESGM2.RE.1, ESGM2. CN.1, ESGM2.CN.2; SC: GM.PR.NL-AH.3, GM.RE.NL-AH.6, GM.RE.NL-AH.7, GM.CN.NL-AH.8, GM.CN.NL-AH.9
Vocabulary: gayageum, harmony, namul, piri
“Doraji (도라지)” is one of the most famous Korean folk songs. The song speaks about a mountain root vegetable called doraji. Growing up in East Tennessee, Elena was surrounded by many songs inspired by mountains and mountain life. When she first heard “Doraji (도라지),” Elena loved how the song felt so connected to the mountains, mountain life, and to food, which is why she created her own version of the traditional song that connects both Korean culture and Appalachian mountain songs.
Explore “Doraji (도라지)”
- Listen to “Doraji (도라지),” Track 3.3.
Track 3.3 – “Doraji (도라지),” Song
- Sing the chorus melody to “Doraji” using English chorus Track 3.4.
Track 3.4 – “Doraji (도라지)” English Chorus
- Learn the chorus in Korean, using pronunciation Track 3.5.
Track 3.5 – “Doraji (도라지)” Korean Chorus Pronunciation
- Sing the melody and the Korean lyrics together using Korean chorus Track 3.6.
Track 3.6 – “Doraji (도라지)” Korean Chorus
- The song features two traditional Korean instruments, the piri and the gayageum.
- Listen to Tracks 3.7 and 3.8 to hear each instrument.
Track 3.7 – Piri Demo
Track 3.8 – Gayageum Demo
- View the instruments using SG 22.
- Do these instruments remind you of other instruments you have seen or heard? Which ones and how?
“Doraji (도라지)”
Doraji, doraji, doraji,
In the deep, deep mountains, white doraji
Though only one or two roots I pull
Slowly but surely my basket grows full
Eh-he-ya eh-he-ya, eh-he-ya,
eh-ya-la nan-da ji-wah-ja ja choh-da
Under your spell my heart melts away
Doraji, doraji, doraji,
Shim, shim, san john-eh bek doraji
han-dul buh-li-man keh-oh-do
de-ba kun-i chol, chol, chol da nohn-un-da
eh-he-ya, eh-he-ya, eh-he-ya
eh-ya-la nan-da ji-wah-ja ja choh-da
ol-shi-gu cho-gu-na neh sa-lang-ah
eh-he-ya, eh-he-ya, eh-he-ya
eh-ya-la nan-da ji-wah-ja ja choh-da
ne-ga ne-ga-jang, seul-i sal sal da nok-in-da
Doraji, doraji, doraji,
In the deep, deep mountains, white doraji
Though only one or two roots I pull
Slowly but surely my basket grows full
Discover and Perform Harmonies
- Elena’s version of “Doraji (도라지)” is sung in close harmonies.
- Using the body scale on TG page 20 have students explore singing close and far harmonies.
- How does each type of harmony make you feel?
- Does the harmony make you think of a specific picture or emotion?
- Watch Elena sing close and far harmonies using the video resource below.
Learn About Eating Doraji
Doraji is a mountain root vegetable. Like carrots and potatoes, the doraji vegetable grows underground.
Doraji root is usually cooked and eaten as a namul, which is a way of seasoning vegetables in Korea.
Doraji namul is said to have medicinal qualities for the lungs, which is why it is so popular in the mountains where breathing can be more challenging.
Creative Extension: Our Class Recipe
As a class, generate a list of words that might be used when cooking a recipe e.g., measure, dash, sprinkle, cup…
Brainstorm words that describe what your school day looks like (these will become the ingredients for your class recipe). Suggested prompts:
What do we learn about in school?
Who are your teachers?
What are your favorite things about school?
Brainstorm words that describe your class (these will become how you describe your class dish). Suggested prompts:
How would you describe how you feel in our class?
What are some of the ways we work together in class?
What are some words to describe our class?
Example outcome: “take a dash of reading, a cup of love, a sprinkle of hard work and we have Ms. Smith’s fantastic, sweet, smart and hard working first grade class!”
Follow up questions for social-emotional awareness:
How is our class like a recipe? What do you think might happen if we have too much/too little of an ingredient? How do we get a recipe “just right?” If we had to name our class recipe, what might it be?
Musical Word Wall
Add gayageum, harmony, namul, piri to the Musical Word Wall.
Student Guide(s)
SG 22 – Discover Korean Instruments
SG 23 – Explore the Mountains
SG 24 – Write Your Favorite Recipe
Audio Tracks
Track 3.3 – “Doraji (도라지)” Song
Track 3.4 – “Doraji (도라지)” English Chorus
Track 3.5 – “Doraji (도라지)” Korean Chorus Pronunciation
Track 3.6 – “Doraji (도라지)” Korean Chorus
Track 3.7 – Piri Demo
Track 3.8 – Gayageum Demo
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