We had such fun yesterday in the snow at school . It was a beautiful sunny day, and the snow was a lovely 'dry' powdery texture. As you can see from the photographs, there was lots of exploration to be done. I loved the sense of wonder they children exhibited as they investigated.
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As we continue to consider 'music all around us' we felt it might be an appropriate time for the children to both create and play their own instruments using everyday objects. We first watched a short video clip of a trio of child musicians; one playing the banjo, one the violin, and one the guitar. We talked about what we could hear and noticed that each of the instruments had strings which the musicians plucked in order to produce musical sounds. We looked at a real guitar and the children saw that it had a hole cut into it, with strings positioned over the hole. We then showed the children a couple of stringed 'instruments' we had prepared, made out of shoe boxes and rubber bands. The children had fun playing the home made guitars, experimenting with the sounds they could make by plucking the rubber band 'strings'. The stringed 'instruments' are now in class for children to experiment with whenever they choose. Later on in the week, we watched a clip of another instrument, the maraca. In the clip we watched, the musician demonstrates a surprising number of ways this simple instrument can be used to create different sounds. Then it was time for the children to make their own maracas. I first showed the group the plastic bottles we had collected, along with a variety of different items that they might choose to put inside to produce sound, including beans, rice, corn and pasta. I demonstrated how to put the different 'ingredients' inside, before putting the lid on tightly and then shaking so we could hear the different sounds that each item made. We tried singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' while I shook the homemade maraca in time to the music. The children were then invited to each create their own instrument. First they experimented with putting a handful of one item inside their bottle to hear what it sounded like, and then repeating with each of the others. Each child then chose the item, or combination of items, that they most liked the sound of, before trying out their new maraca. Finally, each child chose a coloured piece of tissue paper to wrap around their bottle and paint over with glue, resulting in beautiful looking instruments. Now the collection of maracas are in the classroom, and can be used when we are singing, during music lessons and can also be used to keep the beat when reading books that include a rhythmic pattern, such as 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear' or 'Incy Wincy Spider'. As I mentioned last week, this week saw the introduction of our new inquiry, music inspires and is inspired by thoughts and feelings. More information about this inquiry can be found by clicking on the 'Unit of Inquiry' tab at the top of this blog. We began with a little musical provocation. We played the audio only to a trailer (or preview) of the musical STOMP. We did not show the movie, so the children only heard the sound through the speakers. We then went through a, slightly adapted, thinking routine whereby each child shared what they could hear, what they thought about the audio clip and then how it made them feel. (The original thinking routine is 'see, think, wonder', but this slightly adapted version made more sense under the circumstance.) I noted down their responses as they gave them. Doing this not only means we can refer back to them at a later date, but also gives a sense that the children's thinking and ideas are important. The children said they could hear:
They thought:
The music made them feel:
The children were then invited to draw a picture of what they thought they could hear, or what they thought might be happening. The pictures they drew were of drums, people dancing, and people clapping. The following day we once more played the clip of the STOMP trailer, but this time we showed the images as well enjoying the audio. The children were fascinated to see that the music was made in unconventional ways. Brooms, basketballs, empty garbage bags and sticks are among the many items used to create music to which the STOMP artists dance. I would encourage you to look at the clip yourselves at home, and talk with your child about what they can see and hear. After watching several times, the children were invited to explore a range of everyday objects and to make their own music using them, as can be seen below. This learning engagement was very popular, and we have been interested to note that some children are finding everyday objects when outdoors, and using them to make music of their own accord. It is for sure something we need to continue to allow the children to experiment with as the inquiry progresses. This exploration of commonplace items meant that when, later in the week, we took the children outdoors to see what kind of everyday 'music' we could hear, we found they were much more aware of ambient sounds such as birdsong, creaky doors, the sound of feet shuffling through leaves, and the sound of a broom sweeping the ground. Below you can see some of the items we found which on our walk. You can support your child's learning at home by paying attention to the sounds around you, taking the time to bring attention them and talking about what you hear. It would also be helpful if you found time to simply enjoy listening to music together, whether when out and about in the car, or at home.
At the end of the week we will take a break from our current Unit of Inquiry. We will re-visit it at several points throughout the rest of the school year, as we feel it is important to continue to touch base on how our health and well-being shape our relationships, learning and growth. Most recently, as you know, we have focusing on ways to become happy and healthy, taking our cues from the 10 Keys to Happiness as set out by the Action for Happiness initiative. So far we have looked at
We then tried a mindful eating exercise. The children were told they were going to be like Spiderman, who has super-senses. To make it interesting, we used a single chocolate chip as the food of choice. I demonstrated how to first look carefully at the tiny piece of chocolate, examining its shape, colour and size. Then I brought it to my nose and smelled it. Finally, I showed how to chew it slowly and mindfully to really savour the taste. When it was time for the children to eat mindfully, again we were impressed by how seriously they took it; first looking, then smelling and finally tasting slowly, purposefully and mindfully. Of course it was exciting because it was a tiny piece of chocolate, but this activity can also be very effectively done with a raisin, as it has an interesting texture to look at and feel with both the hand and the tongue. This morning we continued our journey of being 'aware' of the world around us by going for a walk outside. We took time to look up into the branches of the trees above us, and notice the beautiful colours of the autumn leaves. The children were then asked to collect leaves that were of interest to them, whether due to their shape, their colour or their size. We also made sure to notice what it felt like to walk through the thick carpet of leaves, and also what it sounded like when our feet crunched and swished through them. When we got back to the classroom, the children were asked to draw a picture of themselves and then use the real leaves we had collected to create a collage, as if the leaves were falling down around them. It would be most beneficial to the children if families are able to take time to encourage them be aware, or mindful, in some small way. This could be through mindful eating, or simply taking the time to stop and really notice the colours on a tree or flower, or to smell the bubbles in a bubble bath before stepping in, for example.
One focus related to language and literacy for Owlets/PS1 is to 'Describe people, places, things and events that are familiar'. This week we chose to use the opportunity of the children's monthly self-portrait drawing to focus on this learning goal. We began by singing the ever-popular Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes song; in doing so naming many body parts including facial features. We made sure to speed up in the final round, for extra fun! We then passed around a mirror for the children to peek at their own faces. Each child was asked to share what they could see. There were a variety of responses including:
It was then the children's turn to draw their own faces. They very much enjoy looking at their faces in the mirror, and often practise making different facial expressions, before deciding on which one they would like to capture in their drawing. By looking closely at their reflections in a mirror each month, children examine their eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, eyebrows, ears, eyelashes and hair, and notice how they fit together to make the face. On this occasion especially, they were first encouraged to talk about and describe what they could see in the mirror, before then being asked to draw. Once the children begin drawing their monthly self portrait, they are given no prompting by adults. In this way over a year the drawings tell the story of each child's developing motor skill development, as well as their increasing attention to detail. This week was so beautiful on campus. The temperature was perfect, the autumn light was just gorgeous and all the trees appeared to be doing their best to change colour and shed their leaves in one week. It made for fabulous outdoor play sessions. One particular day the children arrived outdoors to find a giant pile of leaves had been left for them to explore. It truly looked to be a joyous experience, jumping in the leaves, running through them and throwing them in the air to let them shower down. Most of the children explored the leaf pile on this day, however, it was hard to get many photographs because of the constant movement! Many thanks to Ms Nadia for the pictures below which although do not show every child, do give a sense of the fun that was had. |
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