Westward Ho Pitch Leading

Are you looking for a fun Pioneer Day Song (master list of songs!) to teach to your Primary children this year? Try teaching Westward Ho (archives), it’s a unique and fun song that the kids will have fun learning. This Westward Ho Pitch Leading activity will help the children quickly pickup the melody.

Find TONS of Pioneer Day Singing Time Ideas here!

Westward Ho! Pitch Leading

Sing through Westward Ho once, before introducing this activity. This will give you a fresh start and focus before beginning this interactive movement.

Post the pitch leading charts on the board. Ask the children what these dots might represent? What do you see? Yes, they represent the notes!

Can you help me lead the music? Hold your hand horizontal and move it up and down following the pitch as you sing through the song.

Ask the children what patterns the noticed in the movement of the music. Some things they might notice might include:

• Some of the notes repeat 3 times in a row
• Sometimes we hold a note out in the same spot
• There’s a spot where the notes jump from the very top down to the very bottom note, then back up pretty high again.
• Sometimes the notes go down, down, down, like stair steps.
• There are different colors – Yes! What might the represent? Each color represents one line of the song.
• There’s one section that repeats – You’re right, what do we sing during that part? Let’s sing it again and find out! (Westward Ho)

Extension Activities:

• Scramble the pitch leading chart up on the board and see if they can put the 4 or 8 pages back in the correct order.
• Invite each class to take a turn to come up front and help lead this pitch leading activity as everyone else can follow along.
• Instead of a choppy melody try moving your hand smoothly between each note and sing the same way. How does changing this one thing change how the song feels? Why might the composer have decided to use a choppy style with distinct notes?
• Divide the Primary room into two groups and alternate singing by colors. Then rotate which group sings which part.
• Change your volume with the rise and fall of the notes. Sing loud the higher the notes and lower the lower the notes.

For another fun similar activity, head over to see this Pioneer Games singing time activity!

Westward Ho Pitch Leading Printable Song Helps

This free in-post printable includes a black and white pitch leading chart in the condensed format.

This activity has extended printables including first letters for the 2nd and 3rd verse, larger format, and action words. You’ll find these bonus files included in the Westward Ho packet in my shop.

Here’s another fun Pioneer Day song teaching activity, go see this Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked Letter Maze activity!

What other fun ways will you use this pitch leading singing time activity in your Primary room?