<h3>Which bear? (pitch, timbre)</h3><p>Show the children and demonstrate the sound of three completely different-sounding instruments, each representing a different bear eg low-pitched drum for Daddy Bear, shakers for Mummy Bear and finger cymbals for Baby Bear. Next demonstrate or explain what the children have to do when they hear each 'bear':</p><ul><li>Daddy Bear: make a big star shape, standing tall</li><li>Mummy Bear: sit down</li><li>Baby Bear: curl into a ball</li></ul><p>All the children walk round the room into a space, as you sing-song three times: <em>Which bear will it be? </em>Then everyone has to stop, listen, and make the right shape.</p><h4>Quick and Slow Bears (tempo)</h4><p>All walk round the room into a space. This time the teacher plays a single instrument at a slow, medium or quick tempo - to do this, try saying to yourself: slow ... slow ..., walking-walking, running-running-running-running. The children move at the speed of the playing. If the sound stops, they become a 'frozen bear', completely still until the sound begins again.</p>

<h3>Walking Like a Teddy Bear (pulse, structure)</h3><p>You could teach this activity using the <em><a href="https://music-playtime.com/member/topics/ourselves-and-our-friends/key-stage-1/songs-and-chants">first me then you</a></em> method and then introduce a teddy bear for demonstrating the movements, or you could simply do it and have the children join in and copy you. The way in which this begins to teach structure is by linking each line with a different movement.</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <ul class="simple lyrics">            <li>Walking like a teddy bear</li>            <li>Touch the ground</li>            <li>Wave your arms</li>            <li>Jump in the air</li>            <li>Walking like a teddy bear</li>    </ul>                                                                

Walking like a teddy bear (pulse, structure) - Video

<h3>I am Bear (rhythm)</h3><p>Just for fun (and why not?). This music is in the style of a <em>rap</em>. </p>                                                                                                                                                                                

I am a bear (rhythm) - Video

<h3>A Dog Called Bear Music (texture, dynamics, tempo)</h3><p>The children will have worked out, we hope, that the dog really was a bear! The children need to identify the emotional themes of the story. Let's say the children identify the themes as: </p><ul><li>Feeling happy</li><li>Feeling sad</li><li>Feeling angry</li><li>Feeling loving</li></ul><p>Ask the children whether they think the music in the video describes being happy, angry or sad (limiting the choices often produces the best work). Explain that they are going to make music that shows how Lucy and Bear are feeling! </p><p>First put out a few instruments on the floor. The children sit in a circle around the instruments and you play: <a href="https://www.music-playtime.com/member/topics/ourselves-and-our-friends/early-years/introductory">Have you brought your singing voice?</a> focusing on happy voice, sad voice and angry voice. Then ask a three, individual children to choose an instrument to play in a happy, sad and angry way. </p><p>Next, in small groups, the children experiment with playing instruments together (so the texture will be thicker) - group 1: happy, group 2: sad group 3: angry. If you do this with the whole class, you'll need an extra adult in the room and plenty of space to spread out the groups. Alternatively, you can have one group at a time visiting the music corner while the other children get on with different work. </p><p>Once the children have practised playing, you can read the story while the children make the music. You'll need to indicate to each group when to play at the appropriate time in the story.</p>                                                                                

A dog called Bear - Video

<h3>Walking Like a Teddy Bear (pulse, structure)</h3><p>You could teach this activity using the <em><a href="https://pango.education/lesson/184750/Ourselves & Our Friends Level: Key Stage 1 - Songs & chants">first me then you</a></em> method and then introduce a teddy bear for demonstrating the movements, or you could simply do it and have the children join in and copy you. The way in which this begins to teach structure is by linking each line with a different movement.</p>                                                                <div class="video">    <div class="embed">                    <iframe class="lazy_embed" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/384797117?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;color=A2D6BD" allowfullscreen="">            </iframe>            </div></div>                                                                <audio class="lazy_av" controls="" controlslist="nodownload">    <source src="https://rippleeducation.blob.core.windows.net/media/Walking_like_a_teddy_bear.mp3" type="audio/mp3"></source></audio>                                                                <ul class="simple lyrics">            <li>Walking like a teddy bear</li>            <li>Touch the ground</li>            <li>Wave your arms</li>            <li>Jump in the air</li>            <li>Walking like a teddy bear</li>    </ul>                                                                <h3>I am Bear (rhythm)</h3><p>Just for fun (and why not?). This music is in the style of a <em>rap</em>. </p>                                                                <div class="video">    <div class="embed">                    <iframe class="lazy_embed" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/382925030?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;color=A2D6BD" allowfullscreen="">            </iframe>            </div></div>                                                                <h3>Which bear? (pitch, timbre)</h3><p>Show the children and demonstrate the sound of three completely different-sounding instruments, each representing a different bear eg low-pitched drum for Daddy Bear, shakers for Mummy Bear and finger cymbals for Baby Bear. Next demonstrate or explain what the children have to do when they hear each 'bear':</p><ul><li>Daddy Bear: make a big star shape, standing tall</li><li>Mummy Bear: sit down</li><li>Baby Bear: curl into a ball</li></ul><p>All the children walk round the room into a space, as you sing-song three times: <em>Which bear will it be? </em>Then everyone has to stop, listen, and make the right shape.</p><h4>Quick and Slow Bears (tempo)</h4><p>All walk round the room into a space. This time the teacher plays a single instrument at a slow, medium or quick tempo - to do this, try saying to yourself: slow ... slow ..., walking-walking, running-running-running-running. The children move at the speed of the playing. If the sound stops, they become a 'frozen bear', completely still until the sound begins again.</p>

Bears Level: Early Years - Listening, appraising & movement

Year 1

Year 2

Music

Walking like a teddy bear - Song

Music Playtime has been created by a Key Stage 1 and Early Years Music education specialist. The schemes are built in recognition of the fact that most primary teachers are not music specialists. Access the knowledge and the ideas you need to feel confident teaching music.