South and West Africa

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  1. Subjects >
  2. Music >
  3. Key stage 2 >
  4. Year 5 >
  5. South and West Africa

Important update!

The Key stage 2 Music units have been updated for 2026–2027. Both updated and previous versions will remain available, allowing flexibility to choose between them.

 

Explore the Music, Long-term plan for 2026–2027  to preview updated units. Additional units will be added as they become available.

Unit outcomes

Pupils who are secure will be able to:

  • Sing using the correct pronunciation and with increasing confidence.
  • Play a chord with two notes, remaining in time.
  • Maintain their part in a performance with accuracy.
  • Play the more complicated rhythms in time and with rests.
  • Create an eight beat break and play this in the correct place.

Suggested prior learning

Blues

 

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Lessons

Lesson 1: Shosholoza a cappella

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Lesson 2: Playing Shosholoza

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Lesson 3: The Shosholoza show

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Lesson 4: Drumming away to Africa

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Lesson 5: Eight-beat breaks

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Key skills

  • Recognising and confidently discussing
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Key knowledge

  • To know that songs
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Key vocabulary

a capella

break

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Equipment list

Equipment needed across all lessons in this unit.

This list does not include equipment which is usually readily available in the classroom (e.g pencils, A4 paper etc)

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Full equipment list for the subject

Quantities marked × will update. Items without quantities are unaffected

  • Percussion instruments ×30

  • Djembes (traditional African drums) and/or any other drums you have access to
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Related content

    Resources

Unit resources

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Music

Knowledge organiser: Music Y5 – South and West Africa

Aimed at pupils, a single page which gives key facts and definitions from the unit "South and West Africa".

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Music

Vocabulary display: South and West Africa

A display version of the vocabulary from the unit South and West Africa.

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Subject resources

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Cross-curricular opportunities

None relevant to this unit.

Build on the learning

Composition to represent the festival of colour (Theme: Holi festival)

 

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