ALEX Learning Activity

  

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Kristy Lott
System:Jefferson County
School:Clay Elementary School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 1768
Title:
I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Digital Tool/Resource:
Music Video - I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

Students will explore musical sounds using instruments found in the classroom to create a sound story for the song "I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly." Students will choose instruments to represent the different animals in the story. When the story is sung or spoken, they will play their chosen instruments whenever they hear their assigned animal.

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Arts Education
ARTS (2017)
Grade: K
Music: General
1) Explore and experience music concepts.

Example: Explore musical sources freely, using found sounds, electronic sounds, or sounds from voice or instruments found in classroom, remembering to use both sound and silence.

Unpacked Content
Artistic Process: Creating
Anchor Standards:
Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Process Components: Imagine
Essential Questions:
EU: The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings that influence musicians' work emerge from a variety of sources.
EQ: How do musicians generate creative ideas?
Concepts & Vocabulary:
Rhythm
  • Steady beat
  • Long/ Short
  • One and two sounds per beat
  • Silent beat
Melody
  • High and low
  • Pitch set: So, Mi
  • Musical alphabet
Harmony
  • Accompaniment/ no accompaniment
Form
  • Like and unlike phrases
  • Echo
Expression
  • Speak, sing, shout, whisper
  • Solo/ Group
  • Unpitched percussion
  • Flute, trumpet, violin, piano
  • Loud/ Soft
  • Fast/ Slow
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette
Skill Examples:
Performing
  • Chant, move, play, and sing grade level skills.
  • Echo simple rhythmic patterns.
  • Echo a three-pitch melodic pattern using the correct syllables and hand signs.
Creating
  • Perform an improvised rhythmic pattern within a framework of four beats.
  • Perform an improvised melodic pattern on a pitched percussion instrument set to the pentatonic scale within a framework of four beats.
  • Improvise short songs and instrumental pieces using a variety of sound sources, including traditional or classroom sounds, body percussion, and sounds produced by electronic means.
  • Explore musical sources freely using found sounds, electronic sounds, or sounds from voice or instruments found in classroom, remembering to use sound and silence.
Reading/ Writing
  • Create a visual representation of sound.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Respond to a musical call or question with an age- appropriate musical answer.
  • Evaluate peer performance to determine steady beat/no steady beat.
Learning Objectives:

Students will explore the sounds of various classroom instruments and choose sounds to represent specific animals in the story.
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

The students will explore musical sounds by choosing instruments to represent animals.

  1. Divide students into small groups. 

  2. For each group, provide an assortment of classroom instruments. 

  3. Assign each group an animal from the song, "I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly".

  4. Encourage students to try out each instrument and decide which instrument best represents their animal. Emphasize that it does not have to sound like the animal. Warning: This will get very noisy!

  5. Once each group has decided on an instrument, ensure that each student has an instrument to play or share in the group.

  6. Sing or say the last verse of the song and let students practice playing when their animal is sung or spoken.

  7. Play the video, sing, or speak the song and direct groups to play as their assigned animal is sung.

  8. If time allows, assign each group a different animal and have them choose a different instrument to represent their new animal.
Assessment Strategies:

Observe students playing their chosen instruments whenever their assigned animal is mentioned in the story or song.
Advanced Preparation:

Familiarize the students with the story. Talk about each animal represented. If using the video, pull up the video and have it ready to play for students.
Variation Tips (optional):

Have students create a movement to represent each animal if you do not have instruments. Or, have students choose something in the classroom that they can use to make a sound. For example, tapping a book with a pencil.
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: