Science in Theater & Music
Objectives
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
1) Recreate puppets based off of their assigned giraffe and use them appropriately in theater
2) Understand the different adaptations of the giraffe over time
3) Experiment with rhythms on different musical instruments
4) Perform a suggested rhythm
5) Understand the meaning behind their assigned song and apply it when asked
1) Recreate puppets based off of their assigned giraffe and use them appropriately in theater
2) Understand the different adaptations of the giraffe over time
3) Experiment with rhythms on different musical instruments
4) Perform a suggested rhythm
5) Understand the meaning behind their assigned song and apply it when asked
National Standards
Standards for Music
Content Standard 1: Singing, alone or with others, a varied repertoire of music
Content Standard 2: Performing on instruments, alone or with others, a varied repertoire of music
Content Standard 3: Improving melodies, variations, and accompaniments (when the students are experimenting with their instruments)
Standards for Theater
Content Standard 1: Recording improvisations based on imagination
Content Standard 2: Acting by assuming roles and interacting with improvisations
Content Standard 4: Directing by planning classroom dramatizations
Content Standard 1: Singing, alone or with others, a varied repertoire of music
Content Standard 2: Performing on instruments, alone or with others, a varied repertoire of music
Content Standard 3: Improving melodies, variations, and accompaniments (when the students are experimenting with their instruments)
Standards for Theater
Content Standard 1: Recording improvisations based on imagination
Content Standard 2: Acting by assuming roles and interacting with improvisations
Content Standard 4: Directing by planning classroom dramatizations
Introduction to Giraffes in Science
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Teacher -"Mr. Giraffe" Poem copies by Brenda Wilson -YouTube Video -I will introduce giraffes into the science curriculum by passing out the poem, "Mr. Giraffe", by Brenda Wilson to every student
-I will read the poem aloud to the students, and I will pose these questions to them: -"Why do you think giraffes have long necks?" -"Do you think giraffes have always had long necks?" After the discussion, I will tell the students that we are going to watch a video on how giraffes got long necks |
Discussion of Different Adaptations of Giraffes
-Teacher will tell the students that animals change over the years in order to survive in their environments
-I will explain to students that:
-A long time ago, giraffes may not have been spotted, had long necks, or had a tongue that can grab on to tree leaves and branches
-Over the years, giraffes had to adapt or change in order to survive in an environment with animal enemies, taller trees, and more difficult to reach food
-There are different changes that giraffes went through in order to live. These include: their neck size, their tongue, and their fur
-Their necks grew so that it would be easier for them to reach leaves of tall Acacia trees, which other animals cannot reach. This is their food they eat.
-Their tongue changed and become more tough and longer. They now have a prehensile tongue. This means that their tongue is long and can grab objects. This way the giraffes can eat food by taking out thorns and branches from it.
-Their fur changed over the years into a checked, spotted pattern. This way giraffes can hide when young with camouflage from their enemies.
I will tell the students that we will be putting on a puppet theater with songs that the children will perform based on their giraffe. Students will either have an adapted giraffe or a historic giraffe before it adapted. Students will be split up into two groups: non adapted giraffe and adapted giraffe
-I will explain to students that:
-A long time ago, giraffes may not have been spotted, had long necks, or had a tongue that can grab on to tree leaves and branches
-Over the years, giraffes had to adapt or change in order to survive in an environment with animal enemies, taller trees, and more difficult to reach food
-There are different changes that giraffes went through in order to live. These include: their neck size, their tongue, and their fur
-Their necks grew so that it would be easier for them to reach leaves of tall Acacia trees, which other animals cannot reach. This is their food they eat.
-Their tongue changed and become more tough and longer. They now have a prehensile tongue. This means that their tongue is long and can grab objects. This way the giraffes can eat food by taking out thorns and branches from it.
-Their fur changed over the years into a checked, spotted pattern. This way giraffes can hide when young with camouflage from their enemies.
I will tell the students that we will be putting on a puppet theater with songs that the children will perform based on their giraffe. Students will either have an adapted giraffe or a historic giraffe before it adapted. Students will be split up into two groups: non adapted giraffe and adapted giraffe
Activity One: Creating Giraffe Puppets
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Teacher -Yellow socks (medium, & knee high) -Google Eyes -Permanent Black Markers -Brown "Extra Fluffy" Pipe Cleaners -Yellow, Orange Felt -Brown & black construction Paper -Brown Puffballs -Finished Product for Modeling -Ear Tracers -Hot Glue Student -Scissors -Glue "Stickies" -Pencil -I will break the children up into two different theater groups (less adapted giraffes and current, adapted giraffes)
-I will pass out the materials needed for the children to make their sock puppet based on their they are going to have long necks or short necks -The students will cut out pieces of brown construction paper like the spots and they will have glue spot "stickies" that they will put on the backs of their spots so that they will stick to the sock correctly. Students will less adapted giraffes will not put spots on their giraffe -Next, the students draw two black dots for the nose of the giraffe where their fingers will lay. -Following this, the students will trace their their orange and yellow parts for the ears, and they will cut them out -Students with less adapted puppets will make short black tongue with construction paper. Students with more adapted giraffe will cut a hole where the mouth is for their finger. They will be wearing a black glove that will act as a tongue that will be able to grab on to things. -They will bring the remaining materials (the thick pipe cleaners, the puffy balls, the cut out ears, and the googly eyes) to be hot glued onto their puppet -They will let it dry |
Different lengths of socks for different length of neck adaptations (medium and knee length):
Example of completed adapted giraffe puppet
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Activity Two: Creating Music for Puppets
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Teacher -Musical instruments: (triangles, maracas, tambourines, and rhythm sticks) -Copies of both the non-adapted and the adaptive giraffe -Students in the two different groups, will take their giraffes that they created and they will create their own opening dialogue of the play describing how they look as giraffes.
-The students will be given two different songs that will be sung by their puppets. One will be about the non adapted giraffes' struggles and the other will be able the adapted giraffes' triumphs. -The rest of the children in the group will be provided with instruments. The instruments will include: a triangle, maracas, a tambourine and rhythm sticks. -I will show them how the different instruments make sounds, and the students can experiment with the rhythms -The students will work together on memorizing the song, while the others work on creating the beat to 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' -If the students have a difficult time on a beat, I will help them -The two sets will meet and will sing the song to the beat the students produce |
Non-Adapted Giraffe Song Adapted Giraffe Song
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Activity Three: Performance of Puppet Songs
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Teacher -Puppet Theater Table (similar to one on the right) -A copy of both of the songs -Instruments for the children (triangles, maracas, tambourines, and rhythm sticks) Student -Their puppet or their instrument -Their song or beat memorized -The students will perform an opening improvisation about their giraffes
-Then, they will sing their songs using their puppets -The first group (the non-adapted giraffes) will perform their song/music -The second group (the adapted giraffes) will perform their song/music -At the end, I will ask the students -"What are some ways the giraffe changed over time in order to live in his environment?" |
Sample puppet theater
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