Flying through Windows: The Ti Zwazo Song

Selection:

Activity #1 Singing and Moving (K-3)

1. Play a familiar singing game about flying through windows such as "Go In and Out the Window" or "Little Bird, Fly through my windows."

2. Tell children about the Little Bird from Haiti (Te Zwaro) who is flying to a friend's house.

3. Have children stay in a circle and walk to the beat as they listen to the recording.

4. Invite one child to stand in the center of the circle, representing the bird. As the children listen, the 'bird' flies through 'windows' (raised arms/arches) to a friend's house. When the song ends, the child who is nearest becomes the new 'bird.' 

Activity #2: The Melody of Ti Zwazo (4-6)

1. Have children sing do-re-mi-fa-so to warm up their singing voices (and their ears for listening to the individual pitches and syllables that are featured in the Ti Zwazo melody).

2. Ask children to listen to Ti Zwazo and determine the starting pitch of the song. (A: Mi)

3. As they listen again to the song, ask them to show the melodic contour to the first two phrases. For those who are familiar, challenge children to listen and determine the solfege and handsigns.

4. Without the recording, children can sing the two phrases using solfege syllables:

mi-mi-mi- re-mi- fa-mi- re

re- re- re- do- re- mi- re do

5. With the recording, children can sing the solfege while showing melodic contour or handsigns for the individual pitches of the two melodic phrases.

Designed by Rita Klinger