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The Orchestra of Animals

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Lesson Plan

Animal Symphony Lesson Plan

Students will be able to identify and describe various animal sounds, understand basic musical concepts like pitch (high/low) and timbre (sound quality), and engage in imaginative play by mimicking animal sounds.

Understanding different sounds and how they relate to music helps develop critical listening skills, creativity, and a foundational appreciation for the diverse world around them, both in nature and in art.

Audience

Kindergarten Students

Time

45-60 minutes

Approach

Through interactive slides, discussions, and a story, students will explore animal sounds and musical ideas.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Speakers (optional, for animal sound examples), Who's Making That Sound? Slide Deck, My Favorite Animal Sound Discussion Guide, and The Noisy Farm Orchestra Story Reading

Prep

Review Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: What Do You Hear?

5 minutes

  • Ask students: "What sounds do you hear right now?" (e.g., chairs, voices, outside noises).
    - Introduce the idea that animals also make many unique sounds, just like instruments in an orchestra.

Step 2

Introducing the Orchestra of Animals

15 minutes

  • Use the Who's Making That Sound? Slide Deck to introduce various animal sounds and connect them to musical terms.
  • On each slide, play the animal sound (if possible) and discuss its characteristics: Is it high or low? Is it smooth or rough? What makes it unique?
  • Teacher Note: Emphasize 'pitch' (high/low) and 'timbre' (the unique sound quality).

Step 3

My Favorite Animal Sound Discussion

10 minutes

  • Transition to the My Favorite Animal Sound Discussion Guide.
  • Facilitate a class discussion about students' favorite animal sounds and why they like them. Encourage them to mimic the sounds.
  • Ask questions like: "If your favorite animal sound was an instrument, what would it be?"

Step 4

The Noisy Farm Orchestra Story

15 minutes

  • Read The Noisy Farm Orchestra Story Reading aloud to the class.
  • Encourage students to make the animal sounds as they appear in the story.
  • Discuss how all the different animal sounds come together, just like instruments in an orchestra.

Step 5

Cool-Down: Our Class Orchestra

5 minutes

  • Ask students to silently choose an animal sound they learned today.
  • Go around the room, having each student make their chosen animal sound softly, creating a
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Slide Deck

Welcome to the Animal Orchestra!

Get ready to explore a world of amazing animal sounds and discover how they make music!

Welcome students to the lesson. Ask them to close their eyes and listen to the sounds around them. Lead into the idea of animal sounds.

Sound Detectives!

We're going to be sound detectives today!

Can you guess who's making these sounds?

Introduce the concept of a sound detective. Explain that we'll be listening carefully to identify animals by their unique sounds.

Chirp, Chirp!

What animal makes a chirp, chirp sound?

It's a bird!

Birds often make high sounds. Their sound is light and quick.

Play a bird chirping sound (if possible). Ask students: Is this sound high or low? What makes it special?

Mooooo!

What animal makes a mooooo sound?

It's a cow!

Cows often make low sounds. Their sound is long and rumbling.

Play a cow mooing sound (if possible). Ask students: Is this sound high or low? How is it different from the bird's sound?

Meow!

What animal makes a meow sound?

It's a cat!

Cats can make high and low sounds. Each cat's meow sounds a little different, like a special voice!

Play a cat meowing sound (if possible). Ask students: Can a cat make both high and low sounds? What makes a cat's meow unique?

Woof, Woof!

What animal makes a woof, woof sound?

It's a dog!

Dogs can make many sounds, from low growls to high yips. A bark is a quick, sharp sound!

Play a dog barking sound (if possible). Ask students: How is a bark different from a meow? Does it sound happy or excited?

Ribbit!

What animal makes a ribbit sound?

It's a frog!

Frogs usually make low, gurgling sounds. Their sound is often bumpy or rough, like a cool instrument!

Play a frog croaking sound (if possible). Ask students: Is this sound smooth or rough? Does it sound like it's coming from water?

Our Animal Orchestra!

Every animal has its own special sound, just like every instrument in an orchestra has its own unique voice.

Thank you for being amazing sound detectives!

Summarize the lesson by reminding students that every animal has a special sound, just like every instrument in an orchestra has a unique voice.

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Discussion

My Favorite Animal Sound Discussion

Let's talk about the incredible sounds animals make!

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your favorite animal sound that we talked about today or that you know?






  2. Why do you like that sound so much? What makes it special to you?






  3. Can you try to make your favorite animal sound? (Encourage students to mimic it!)






  4. If your favorite animal sound was an instrument in an orchestra, what kind of instrument do you think it would be? Why?






  5. What are some other animal sounds you know? Are they high or low? Are they smooth or rough?
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Reading

The Noisy Farm Orchestra Story

Once upon a time, on a bright and sunny farm, all the animals decided to form an orchestra! But instead of trumpets and violins, they would use their very own special sounds.

First to practice was Daisy the Cow. She took a deep breath and let out a long, rumbling “Mooooooo!” (Teacher: Encourage students to make the sound!)

Next came Pippin the Pig. Pippin loved to play in the mud, and his sound was a happy, snorting “Oink, oink, oink!” (Teacher: Encourage students to make the sound!)

Then, Clucky the Chicken stepped forward, flapping her wings. Her sound was a quick, cheerful “Bawk, bawk, bawk!” (Teacher: Encourage students to make the sound!)

Woolly the Sheep was a little shy, but she bravely added her soft, gentle “Baaaaa!” (Teacher: Encourage students to make the sound!)

Quackers the Duck waddled up, ready to join. Her sound was a loud, happy “Quack, quack, quack!” (Teacher: Encourage students to make the sound!)

Honk the Goose stretched his long neck and let out a very important “Honk!” (Teacher: Encourage students to make the sound!)

Suddenly, Whisker the Cat, who had been napping, woke up and stretched. She added a purring “Meeeeeowww” that was both high and low. (Teacher: Encourage students to make the sound!)

And from the doghouse, Barkley the Dog gave a friendly “Woof, woof!” (Teacher: Encourage students to make the sound!)

All the animals listened. What a wonderful, noisy orchestra they had! Each sound was different, some high, some low, some rough, some smooth. But together, they made the most joyful farm symphony anyone had ever heard.

From that day on, the farm was filled with music, all made by the wonderful animals and their unique sounds! The end.

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The Orchestra of Animals • Lenny Learning