More Maestro the Dog Stories Level: Early Grades - Listening, appraising & movement

Listen Again

Now that the children have played the things that Hannah played using the keyboard or the piano, they will be interested in listening again to the sounds that Hannah made so this is a good time to replay the video. The listening will be much more focused this time.

Whale Music

Did the children know that whales sing to each other? Sounds move about four times faster in water than in air and it's the way whales talk to each other, sometimes across long distances. The children can listen to whale song here:

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The Whale Choir (pitch, timbre, structure, texture)

This is a fantastic opportunity for the children to experiment with making all sorts of 'Whale songs' using creative vocalisation. Work out with the children a hand-signal system whereby you can 'conduct' them as they improvise a whole piece of music by choosing high sounds, low sounds, clicks and whistles. Next divide the group into two: one group is the whale 'choir' and the other group, using floaty scarves, is the 'swimming whales' who move in imitation of the sounds. Perfect for a performance piece as part of an assembly or play about conservation of endangered species!