Portrayal of Nature

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Activity: Listening to music

Target Grade Level: 4 or other grades

Anticipated Length of Lesson: 10 minutes

Classroom Topic: Global Awareness - Nature is Everywhere

Musical Objectives: At the end of this activity the students will:

-Identify phenomena of nature while listening to music.

Musical Concept:

-Louder and louder

-Soft and tranquil

Musical Skills: Listening to music

Materials Needed: Recording of song

Lesson Sequence

1. Anticipatory Set: How many of you have ever been in a rainstorm? (Thunder.) What is the loud noise that you hear? We are going to listen to a piece of music by Beethoven. Does anyone know who Beethoven is? (A famous composer.)

2. Play the recording to the children. Tell the children they will hear instruments that sound like thunder.

3. Have the children raise one hand quietly as they hear the low stringed instruments; depicting the rumbling of thunder in the distance.

4. Have the children raise two quiet hands as the music gets even louder.

5. Have the children stand up quietly when the instruments play the loudest (the timpani and brass.)

6. Have the children sit down quietly when the storm stops and the music becomes soft and calm.

7. Closure: What kind of music did we hear today? Was it loud? Was it soft? How did it make you feel? Were you happy or scared? Well, music can do many things to us. It can make us feel happy or it can make us feel sad. The next time you listen to music, listen for the different types of instruments being played and how the music makes you feel; happy or sad.