Lesson 1: Snail and mouse
Moving expressively in response to music and demonstrating a contrast in speed using bodies and voices.
Learning objective
To use voices and bodies expressively, while exploring tempo.
Success criteria
I can move my body in different ways when music is played.
I can use my voice to start to reflect different music speeds.
I can use my body to start to reflect different music speeds.
Before the lesson
Watch
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Watch
- 4075 views
Lesson plan
Before starting this unit, you might want to check that children can recall:
How to engage different voices (speaking and singing).
How to follow ‘my turn, your turn’ to learn a rhyme or song.
Before starting this unit, you might want to check that children can recall:
How to engage different voices (speaking and singing).
How to follow ‘my turn, your turn’ to learn a rhyme or song.
Invite the children to sit in their own space. Explain to the children that they will hear two pieces of music and once they have heard them, they will move their bodies according to the music.
Play the Audio: Slow (up to 00:15).
Ask the children to stand up in a space, play the audio again and ask them to move around the room in a way that reflects the music. Observe their movements and offer praise for those who move according to the music they hear (for example, moving slowly or calmly).
Next, play the Audio: Fast (up to 00:15).
Again, ask the children to move according to the music.
Invite the children to sit down and encourage them to think about the differences between the two audio tracks they heard (mainly, one was fast and one was slow). Take feedback on the children's observations.
Play the two audio tracks again and ask a small group of children to demonstrate their movements to the two audios to the rest of the class.
Ask the following questions:
Invite the children to sit in their own space. Explain to the children that they will hear two pieces of music and once they have heard them, they will move their bodies according to the music.
Play the Audio: Slow (up to 00:15).
0:00
0:00
Ask the children to stand up in a space, play the audio again and ask them to move around the room in a way that reflects the music. Observe their movements and offer praise for those who move according to the music they hear (for example, moving slowly or calmly).
Next, play the Audio: Fast (up to 00:15).
0:00
0:00
Again, ask the children to move according to the music.
Invite the children to sit down and encourage them to think about the differences between the two audio tracks they heard (mainly, one was fast and one was slow). Take feedback on the children's observations.
Play the two audio tracks again and ask a small group of children to demonstrate their movements to the two audios to the rest of the class.
Ask the following questions:
Why did you move like that?
How did the music make you feel?
Can you think of anything that moves fast or slow? (Answers could include; slow: tortoise, snail; fast: mouse, cheetah, car, etc.)
- What animals could the two pieces of music represent? (Audio: Fast could represent mice or animals that move fast. Audio: Slow could represent snails or animals that move slowly.)
Moving like a snail and mouse
Explain to the children that the two pieces of music could represent two animals: a mouse and a snail. Display slide 1 of the Presentation: Snail and mouse in the garden.
Display slide 2 of the Presentation: Snail and mouse in the garden to the children and explain that you will share some movements for them to mimic while they hear the audio from the start of the lesson.
Invite the children to stand up. Ask them to move like the mouse rustling through some leaves, saying "Crunch" quickly while playing the mouse audio button.
Then, ask them to move like the snail rustling through some leaves, saying "Crunch" slowly while playing the snail audio button.
Ask half the children to sit down and repeat the activity with the half stood up. Invite feedback from the children sat down as to what they noticed about the movements and sounds (the snail movements were slower than the mouse). Repeat with the other half of the class.
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