Ask students to think about fun with their family.
Does your family ever have musical fun? Many years ago, families in the Appalachian mountains would have fun when someone played a musical instrument. Everyone could hear it, and people liked to sing along or even dance to the sounds of the instrument. In Kentucky, the dulcimer was often in instrument in a house. You could sing or play with it in your lap. (Teacher should demonstrate if one is available, or use an autoharp if one is available). One very famous family used the autoharp, along with other instruments and became well-known as a family of musicians. Show students the photo of the Carter Family.
Sing Crawdad Man, Frog Went-a-Courtin' or I Bought Me a Cat with instrumental accompaniment (preferably dulcimer, autoharp or guitar)
You can show students the pictures of these instruments found at the end of this lesson on page 4. The Old Time songs the Carter family liked to sing were often songs everyone enjoyed singing.
For recreation, music needed to be loud enough for dancing or moving around while you could still hear the music. Fiddles were much louder, and easier to hear.
Play DLA recording Old Joe Clark
Have students clap to the music as they listen to an excerpt of 30-60 seconds.
Form a circle including all students and lead a dance of circling to the left and then back to the right while holding hands. Use the "B" part of the song to reform the circle and clap hands, then rejoin hands and circle left, then right again.
Tell students this singing game came from the old days when everyone played singing games in their homes or in the yard at work bees, such as corn-huskings, molasses stirrings or quilt-making. Instruments, were sometimes used, but weren't needed, since everyone sang to provide the music.
Ask students what the Old Joe Clark activity and the Old Roger or Chicken and a Chicken singing game (played in lesson 2) have in common.
What is the same? What is different? Students discuss the use of the instruments in providing the music for clapping and dancing; and discuss the singing game for playing and singing without instruments. Show photos (or actual instruments) of fiddle, mandolin and banjo. Photos can be found at the end of this lesson on page 4. These instruments became well known as Kentucky musical instruments. The most famous Kentucky music is called Bluegrass music.