Abstract Melody Maps (O)
This activity is for children ages 8 to 11.
Beforehand Preparation
Listen to the song. Figure out some squiggles or doodles representing each phrase of the song. If the phrases are similar, make the squiggles similar. If there is a large leap in the melody, make a squiggle that reflects that. Put your finished squiggles up on a poster board.
Display the poster board at the front of the room.
Activity
Ask the children, "What do you see?" "What do you notice?" Receive their answers. (Often they will say it looks like a mountain, a car, or a dog. Sometimes they will say it looks like a bunch of squiggles! <grin>)
Ask the children what these squiggles have to do with the song. Sing the song and trace the squiggles with your hand as you sing. Receive their answers.
Ask the children to trace the squiggles with their hands in the air as you sing the song once again. Ask questions like, "Why does the line go up here?" "Why does this line twirl around and around?" Receive their answers.
Sing the song a third time asking the children to once again trace the lines with their hands. Before you sing, ask questions like, "What words go on this zigzag line?" "What words goes with this dot?" This gives them a "task" to focus on as they listen to the song for the third time. Sing the song, tracing the squiggles. Receive their answers.
Ask the children to sing the song with you as you trace the squiggles.
Extender
Have some of the major words of the song printed on 3x5 cards. Put them out of order up at the front of the room. After you have sung the song three times or so (and followed the squiggles), ask the children to figure out where on the squiggle map each of these words go. Tap a child on the shoulder to go up and choose which word goes first as you sing the song. Continue tapping children on the shoulder to put the words in order on the map as you sing. Check with the children and ask if the words are in the correct order once you have finished singing.
Have the children sing only the words on the squiggle map while you sing the rest of the words in the song. Switch and have the children sing the words that are not on the map while you sing the words. (Great for inner hearing.)
Benefits of the Activity
Children this age are intrigued by figuring out codes. Great for active participation in the learning process (See Chapter One). Great for the logic and visual intelligence learners (See Chapter Five). Great for hooking words into the phrase of the melody line to increase language skills (See Chapter Two).
This activity is for children ages 8 to 11.
Beforehand Preparation
Listen to the song. Figure out some squiggles or doodles representing each phrase of the song. If the phrases are similar, make the squiggles similar. If there is a large leap in the melody, make a squiggle that reflects that. Put your finished squiggles up on a poster board.
Display the poster board at the front of the room.
Activity
Ask the children, "What do you see?" "What do you notice?" Receive their answers. (Often they will say it looks like a mountain, a car, or a dog. Sometimes they will say it looks like a bunch of squiggles! <grin>)
Ask the children what these squiggles have to do with the song. Sing the song and trace the squiggles with your hand as you sing. Receive their answers.
Ask the children to trace the squiggles with their hands in the air as you sing the song once again. Ask questions like, "Why does the line go up here?" "Why does this line twirl around and around?" Receive their answers.
Sing the song a third time asking the children to once again trace the lines with their hands. Before you sing, ask questions like, "What words go on this zigzag line?" "What words goes with this dot?" This gives them a "task" to focus on as they listen to the song for the third time. Sing the song, tracing the squiggles. Receive their answers.
Ask the children to sing the song with you as you trace the squiggles.
Extender
Have some of the major words of the song printed on 3x5 cards. Put them out of order up at the front of the room. After you have sung the song three times or so (and followed the squiggles), ask the children to figure out where on the squiggle map each of these words go. Tap a child on the shoulder to go up and choose which word goes first as you sing the song. Continue tapping children on the shoulder to put the words in order on the map as you sing. Check with the children and ask if the words are in the correct order once you have finished singing.
Have the children sing only the words on the squiggle map while you sing the rest of the words in the song. Switch and have the children sing the words that are not on the map while you sing the words. (Great for inner hearing.)
Benefits of the Activity
Children this age are intrigued by figuring out codes. Great for active participation in the learning process (See Chapter One). Great for the logic and visual intelligence learners (See Chapter Five). Great for hooking words into the phrase of the melody line to increase language skills (See Chapter Two).
