Learning experience 8, Activity 1: Action songs Waiata-ā-ringa
Intended outcome(s)
The students could:
- share their group action song and express feelings about performing their own and watching others' action songs waiata-ā-ringa (HPE 1 C1, Dance 1 PK CI, Music 1 CI)
- describe how they see themselves in relation to movement activities (HPE 1 A4)
- use their imagination as they participate in hand and body actions to depict a song (HPE 1 B2, Music 1 UC)
- learn an action song waiata-ā-ringa from memory and sing as a member of a group (Music 1 PK CI UC)
- use personal experiences and imagination to create movements in response to songs (Dance 1–2 DI, Music 1–2 PK UC )
- perform action songs waiata-ā-ringa paying attention to breath, pitch, rhythm, and strategy/theme kaupapa, (Music 1–4 CI UC)
- perform an action song waiata-ā-ringa, singing in tune and in time with each other (Music 2–4 PK CI UC)
- demonstrate an understanding of the tikanga and spirit wairua involved in performing a song waiata (Music 2–4 UC)
- perform an action song waiata-ā-ringa for a particular purpose (Dance 3–4 CI, Music 3–4 CI UC)
- describe what an action song waiata-ā-ringa is and why it is performed (Dance 3–4 UC, Music 3–4 UC)
- learn the movement vocabularies of action songs waiata-ā-ringa (Dance 4 PK)
- experience ways in which messages are expressed through action songs waiata-ā-ringa and demonstrate understanding of this (HPE 4 B4)
Suggested approach
Level 1
Select an appropriate song for the class to learn, for example, 'One Day a Taniwha', 'Noke', 'Kei Hea te Tuna?', 'Whakawhiti Rori'.
Help the class to understand and sing the words. Guide the students to suggest and explore ways each line may be illustrated in movement.
For example:
'One Day a Taniwha'
One day a taniwha, went swimming in the moana.
He whispered in my taringa,
"Won't you come with me?
There's such a lot to see,
Underneath the deep blue sea."I said, "Kaore, kaore, kaore,
I've to haere, haere, haere.
Although I know we could be friends,
My mother waits for me
Underneath the kowhai tree.
Taniwha, haere ra."
Hennephof and McConnell, 1991
Take the first line, 'One day a taniwha, went swimming in the moana.'
- Explore different shapes that could represent a taniwha.
- Explore different swimming styles – dog paddle, overarm, breastroke.
- Decide what shapes/movements will be retained for illustrating this line of the song.
Repeat the above process with each line of the song. As a class, practise the selected movements in sequence with the song as it is played or sung.
Reflect upon the experience of making and performing these movements while singing.
- What movements did you like or find the hardest to do?
- Were you able to change your movements in time with the words of the song?
- Were you able to control your breathing by singing and moving at the same time?
- How well did you sing the tune and stay in time with others?
Level 2
For level 2 students who have had previous experience in making up their own movements to songs as above, a new song may be introduced and groups of students may be asked to make up movements on their own, using hand and body actions to reflect the meaning of the words.
The students practise the singing and the actions together so that the voice, movements, and expressions are co-ordinated well.
Each group performs the action song back to the class.
The students reflect upon the different ways in which each group interpreted and choreographed their action song to the words of the same song. The students reflect upon the musical performance by considering how well they stayed in tune and in time with each other and how it felt to sing together as a community of learners doing exactly the same thing at the same time to make something very special. How well did they attend to tikanga and understand the strategy/theme kaupapa of performing action songs waiata-ā-ringa?
The students brainstorm a variety of feeling words that are listed on the board, for example, happy, angry, confused, comfortable, frightened, and so on.
The students can then choose two words from the list of brainstormed words to describe how they felt when they acted out the song in their group and when they watched other groups. The students can discuss why they think they felt like this. They can then choose one word that describes how they would like to feel when participating in similar activities in the future.
Level 3–4
Introduce the students to live or videoed examples of waiata-ā-ringa. Explore what they already know of this genre of Māori dance and music:
- What are its characteristics?
- How do the movements relate to the words?
- How do the movements relate to the music?
- Why are the men and women in separate rows?
The students learn to sing waiata such as 'Tūtira Mai ngā Iwi'. (A good frame of reference for this waiata is offered in the level 2 social studies exemplar, 'Haere Mai Ngā Manuhiri'.)
Help the students to explore how they can portray the meanings of the words in movement.
In groups of three to five, the students create a group sequence of actions for the waiata to portray the meaning of the words and the structure of the music. Clarify whether or not the students are to do the movements in time with the music and to sing the words as they move.
The students present their waiata sequence to the rest of the class.
The students discuss the differences between the groups' sequences, identifying those aspects of the sequences that they enjoyed or found interesting.
The students learn the customary actions to this song waiata and compare these actions to those that they created themselves.
The students perform the action song waiata-ā-ringa to another class or at a school assembly.
The students research (from local iwi or hapū) actions that they use to portray this song waiata-ā-ringa and compare similarities and differences.
The students can discuss the cultural values in the song and reflect on how some of the messages in the song affected their feelings and in what ways the action waiata-ā-ringa activities contribute to their sense of self-worth. The students should understand the kaupapa of performing waiata-ā-ringa, the strategy/theme tikanga, and importance of making the best quality musical performance by learning to sing in tune and in time with each other and the spirit wairua of singing as a community.
For more ideas see: