Bears Level: Key Stage 1 - Creative music

The FOUR Bears (timbre, texture, dynamics, pitch)

An integrated music and drama performance piece for an assembly or concert, this is an flexible project that will need several sessions. You can adapt it according to the experience of the children involved.

New Vocabulary:

• Motif, meaning a fragment of music, a tune or a sound that represents someone or something (eg a bear).
• Still Image, a drama convention in which the actors 'freeze', making a photograph-like, still representation of a situation or emotion. (Remind the children about playing Bear Statues - it's a bit like a group statue.)

First, work on the drama element of the performance by putting the children into groups of four to practise their still image for each part of the story. (Have some teddies available to make up numbers if necessary!)

Next, allocate music corner time for every group to have a turn at making up a motif for each bear. Use the pentatonic set of five notes C, D, E, G and A only. (IF possible, remove the other bars from the instrument.) After their turn at making up musical bear motifs, pair that group with an actor group to practise co-ordinating the story, music and still images.

For an actual performance, choose children to tell the story; one group of four 'musicians' with tuned instruments (or sharing a large xylophone); and several 'actor' groups of four children. The story is below and there's also a pdf download at the start of the unit.

The FOUR Bears Story

Once upon a time, there were four friends and they were all bears. Their names were:

• Big Bear - one musician plays Big Bear's motif (low pitch, loud)
• Tiny Bear - one musician plays Tiny Bear's motif (high pitch, quiet)
• Busy Bear - one musician plays Busy Bear's motif (fast and jumpy)
• Lazy Bear - one musician plays Lazy Bear's motif (slow and sleepy)

One day, when the bears were exploring in the forest, they came across a little house. They all looked through the window. At a signal from you, the musicians play very quiet, random sounds on their instrument.

The bears sat down outside to eat their picnic. Lazy Bear was tired so he lay down for a rest. Play Lazy Bear's motif.

After a while, Big Bear crept into in the house and found … a piano. He played a tune while the other bears listened. Play Big Bear's motif.

Next, Tiny Bear went in the house and played a tune on the piano. Play Tiny Bear's motif.

Busy Bear went in the house and danced around excitedly. Play Busy Bear's motif.

Soon the bears were all so tired that they lay down quietly, curled up and went to sleep ... all except for Lazy Bear who suddenly woke up and wondered why the other bears were so tired! Play Lazy Bear's motif.