The Great Selkie

A medieval ballad telling the story of the selkie, or were-seal. Read about it in Ballad Lesson Plans.

The Sea King’s Daughter

The Sea King’s Daughter is a lesser-known fairy tale from a Russian ballad. In the story, a young musician descends to the home of the Sea King and plays for a wild party — which, he learns, sets the seas raging and endangers the ships above. He marries the Sea King’s daughter, but doesn’t live happily ever after. His mother in law tells him that if he kisses his bride, he will never return to his home on land, so the musician resists the mermaid’s charms and wakes in his own bed. The story does have a happy ending, since the musician marries a new bride and has children and lives happily ever after, but he does sometimes think of the mermaid. He even thinks he sometimes sees her yearning sadly after him.

Aaron Shepard’s  The Sea King’s Daughter: A Russian Legend is a fine picture book version. Hear the author pronouncing the names at the link, so you can read it aloud with confidence. You might also like Shepard’s reader’s theater script for this story.

Art

• Enjoy a couple of illustrations from Aaron Shepard’s retelling of this story:
• Sadko
• The Sea King
• The illustrator is Gennady Spirin. The links above are PDF files, and could be printed out for use in your classroom.
• Have students illustrate the story themselves, spending some time researching sea creatures so they can draw them accurately.
• Make mermaid puppets, with patterns and cut outs from Phee McFaddle or Marilyn Scott Waters. Students might prefer to design their own!

English

• Compare this story with that of The Little Mermaid. The idea of having to choose between the sea and the land and the sad yearning of the mermaid are similarities, but there are many differences.
• You might also like to compare this story with the tale of The Selkie Wife. The story is available in a printable version with activities in The Arctic Triptych, or read Mara Freeman’s retelling. 
• Having examined some love stories involving sea creatures and land creatures, ask students to write their own. You can read another version at Storybird. Students might like to proofread it for the author, and also to create their own Storybird collaborative stories.

Social Studies

• This is a Russian story — see part of a puppet show version in Russian below. Sur la Lune has a longer version called Sadko  from Old Peter’s Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome. The story is also the basis of Rimsky-Korsokov’s opera Sadko. Given that this is clearly a popular Russian story, why might it be so little known in the United States, compared with other Russian stories such as Peter and the Wolf?

• Storynory has another version of the story of Sadko, complete with the sound of Sadko’s instrument, the gusli. This instrument is reminiscent of the harp, the zither, or the dulcimer. Have students research these instruments and compare them.
• Learn about Russia. Here are some great online resources:
• National Geographic Kids Russia
• A PDF about Peter the Great, from the wonderful Time Warp Trio
• A Core Knowledge lesson on Russia for 5th grade
• A pattern for a felt matryoshka (nesting) doll would also make a great bulletin board in paper. Zakka Life has a template and instructions for a matryoshka card which we think would make a terrific shape book. Have students cut it from construction paper and write facts about Russia as they learn them.
• Make some ponchiki, Russian doughnuts, if you’re brave. Get help from the lunch ladies or use a closed electric fryer and make sure kids don’t get near the hot oil.
• Compare mermaid stories from different countries.

My Name is Handel Lesson Plans

Picture it: a long, narrow barge sailing down a river, with an orchestra playing on it, on its way to surprise the king. It sounds like something from a fairy tale, but it really happened. George Frideric Handel wrote some special music for King George I, hired 50+ musicians, and took it to him in this very special way.

As it happened, the new King George had been Handel’s employer in Germany and had given Handel a year’s leave of absence to learn English in London. However, Handel ended up staying in England for three years — until his former employer became king, in fact. Concerned that there might be some awkwardness about his having skipped town, Handel wrote his “Water Music” and brought a bargeful of music alongside King George’s boat in hopes that the king would be understanding — or at least distracted.

My Name is Handel tells the story of  how Handel became a favorite English composer, even though he was born in Germany. The London Philharmonic plays Handel’s beautiful music beautifully, and the narration tells the story not only of Handel’s sojourn in London, but also of Handel’s opera Rinaldo. There is a discussion of Handel’s music, plus a song that begins “My name is Handel,” complete with a singalong version, and a recording of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah. There is also an alternative explanation of Handel’s lengthy visit to London.

Along with the recording there is a nicely illustrated pamphlet with a  lot of useful resources:

• a brief biography of Handel
• the composition of an orchestra in Handel’s day (check out Artsedge’s Perfect Pitch interactive activity to learn about the orchestra at different periods of time)
• drawings of the churches where Handel played, including the one where he was buried, Westminster Abbey
• sheet music to “My Name is Handel”
• information about the harpsichord and organ, instruments which will be less familiar to students than the piano
• a timeline of the trip of “Water Music” down the river
• information about transportation at the time

Handel had an interesting life, and the “Water Music” episode is certainly very interesting. Handel, Who Knew What He Liked is our favorite book about Handel for kids, unfortunately out of print, but you might be able to find it in your library.

The entire recording fills a complete academic hour, and you won’t want to listen just once straight through during music class and be finished. Here’s a suggested lesson plan for using My Name is Handel in your classroom.

Day 1:

• Ask whether anyone is familiar with the Hallelujah Chorus — many will be, if only with the opening bars. Ask whether anyone knows who composed it.
• Listen to the story. Ask students to tell their parents about this unusual event.

Day 2:

• Read a little more biographical information about Handel to older students. You can hear some more music at that link, too. Ask students to retell the story of “Water Music.” Ask older students to research the question of why Handel really went to London and decide which story they find more convincing.
• Have students draw the barges on the Thames. Visit Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant and Barges to get an idea of what these boats might have looked like. Once students have finished their designs, have them fold the paper so that the bottom of the barge is on the fold, and cut out the boat. Partially close the ends of the barge with tape, and let the boats sail on a river of blue plastic wrap. Play “Water Music” while students work on their boats.

Day 3:

• Listen to the section called “About the Music.” Have students create word cards for the special musical terms they learn, such as “overture.” Individually or in groups, students can write definitions to match the new words they’ve learned. Have older students practice note taking.
• Learn and sing the song “My Name is Handel,” using the singalong track. This will help student recognize the “Hornpipe” from “Water Music.”

For older students, consider these writing prompts:

• Handel had money troubles throughout much of his life, and the businesses he was associated with failed a number of times. Yet he was an exceptional composer and a hard worker, and he had many opportunities and successes in his lifetime and continues to be one of the most celebrated musicians in the world. Write some business or financial advice for Handel.
• The story goes that the King of England, upon hearing Messiah  for the first time, was so moved that he stood up during the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Since no one was allowed to sit in the presence of the king unless he was sitting too, everyone in the audience had to stand up as well. Many people still stand during this piece of music. What pieces of music make you feel that way, and why?
• A Diamond Jubilee Pageant is planned on the River Thames for June 3rd, 2012. This is part of the celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. Read the information about how to register your boat for this event, and write an essay explaining why your (perhaps imaginary) vessel should be considered.

Wild Child: Sounds of Africa

When you listen to the track “Serengeti” from Wild Child, you’ll be invited to close your eyes and imagine the Serengeti, with zebras and lions. “Sunrise in the Jungle” lists a wonderful assortment of African animals. “Rita the Cheetah” is in first person, bragging “I’m bigger than anything you’ve ever seen! I’m Rita the Cheetah, the fastest cat in the land!” There’s a lot of information in this song and in many of the others as well. “The Mysteries of the Nile” has history and geography. “An Elephant in the Congo” is another first person song, with a message about elephant endangerment that fits perfectly into the jazzy song. “Drumming with the Animals” has a great section with call-and-repeat of animals’ names. This song also has instructions to raise hands, hold hands, etc.

I was glad to hear the traditional south African lullaby “Thula Baba,” too. The harmonies are very pretty, and it’ll make a good “settle down” song.

The whole album has an environmental focus, though it’s more obvious in some songs than in others. Nancy Doan, the founder of Recess Music, says,  “Of all the creatures on Earth, the animals of Africa are some of the most threatened in our world.  When I think of the children of future generations, I’m struck by how sad it will be if they never have the possibility of seeing an elephant or a tiger or a hippo in its natural habitat.  I believe that Mother Nature intended for ALL of Earth’s inhabitants to share our green planet with one another.”

This focus makes Wild Child a good choice for Earth Day and other environmental literacy lessons.

The music has a somewhat retro pop sound overall, but with strong influence from traditional African music and a nice selection of nature sounds.There are lots of different voices, including some children, and lots of instruments. You may recognize some of the voices here, including Jack Grunsky and Kathy Lowe. There are songs at different tempos, from calming nap music to energizing rock. All of them are danceable and singable.

Kids will love singing along and dancing to this recording. Here are some ways to enjoy it in your classroom:

• Play it for creative movement and relaxation during jungle units.
• Enjoy it when studying about Africa, and compare with traditional African music.
• Race to “Rita the Cheetah.”
• Use “An Elephant in the Congo” for elephant units, and also for discussions of endangered animals.
• Use “Drumming with the Animals” for morning gathering or after lunch music, following the movement instructions and having kids repeat the animal names along with the children’s choir.
• Have students listen closely for the names of all the animals they can hear.
• Listen for animal calls and cries as well.
• Listen to identify musical instruments. You might need to do some research to identify all of them.
• The songs can be enjoyed as a glimpse of a day, from sunrise to full moon and back to sunrise again, so why not use them in this order to organize classroom routines?

This is a nice, well-balanced CD for early childhood and younger elementary classrooms, and it should be useful for a variety of instructional and classroom management tasks as well.

Beethoven’s Wig Sing Along Piano Classics

Beethoven’s Wig: Sing Along Symphonies has a lot going for it. It’s funny, informative, and musicians can enjoy it, too. Funny songs are sung to the tunes of a range of excellent classical music — and the pieces also are played “straight.” The result is an introduction to classical music to delight kids. All adults who know “Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit!” — and especially those who found Wagner a lot easier to enjoy because they were familiar with that phrase — will get the point of this kind of witty introduction to music which many people find inaccessible.  Beethoven’s Wig 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies was just as good, and now Beethoven’s Wig: Sing Along Piano Classics brings us a new selection of piano music with the Beethoven’s Wig treatment.

“Mozart’s Sonata in C’s gotta lot a la de da,” a central claim in the recording of “Mozart’s Sonata in C,” is really funny, but a listener will remember the piece, and get the concept, too. Multiple singers and a piano allow an actual performance of the whole piece, as it really sounds — but with words that help kids (and adults) remember it. Listen to the fine recording of the Sonata played in its original form afterwards, and see if students can identify the sections that were sung with “la de da,” deedle dee,” and “blah.” If students are old enough, look at sheet music, too, and see whether they can identify some characteristics of the different phrases.

“Voyage to the Moon,” which is Debussy’s “Claire de Lune” arranged with the sound of a moon shot liftoff, is a wonderful example of the musical use of dynamics, and really quite beautiful. Cowell’s “Amiable Conversations,” which many adults find hard to enjoy, is presented in the form of a conversation on whether it’s music or noise — an excellent introduction to a study of different kinds of music, or of more experimental forms, or even of the nature of art and music in particular.

We like this resource for music, of course, but also for analysis of the words. “Mozart Makes Kids Smart,” sung to Mozart’s “Alla Turca,”  has a marvelous assortment of synonyms. Have kids listen closely to catch as many words for “smart” as they can — good practice in intensive listening.

“Poor Uncle Joe,” a ditty about Uncle Joe’s worn-out car set to Chopin’s “Funeral March,” would be quite good for rhyming, what with Joe’s car that won’t go and therefore needs a tow. Kids will love to sing along, and will probably march lugubriously down the hallways chanting “Poor Uncle Joe’s got a car that doesn’t go.” They’ll try to get the bass line, in, too, but we don’t think they’ll be able to get their voices that low.

“A Piano is Stuck in the Door” brings ragtime to a funny story with Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer.” Have student listen for the story and retell it. Then compare the music with other genres of music on the album.

You can even use some of these songs in other subjects. “I Like Art,” “Voyage to the Moon,” and “The Pony Express” could introduce your topics in a fun and memorable way.

You can understand all the words easily, but the lyrics are printed in the accompanying booklet so you can prepare word cards or really have a singalong.

The most important part, of course, is that the music be presented in ways that are true to the composers’ intentions. It is. Richard Perlmutter is a fine musician. If you want to save the versions with lyrics to use as mnemonics or just for fun, you can still take the instrumental versions quite seriously.

Make Your Own Musical Instruments

Musical instruments made in the classroom won’t sound the same as the kind you can buy, but there are lots of good reasons for making them anyway:

• Creating instruments helps students understand how musical instruments work in a way no other experience can.
• Every child can have an instrument to play, something you can’t always achieve within a school budget.
• Class-made instruments work quite well in lessons about rhythm, to help students remember information through chanting, or as art projects supporting your lessons.

For the youngest students, start with the classics.

Make your own drums

Every container with an open space inside has the potential to become a drum. Have students bring oatmeal containers, margarine tubs, cookie tins, and other sturdy containers from home. The cylindrical oatmeal boxes are my favorite, because it’s easy to decorate them effectively. You can download a print-and-color page to wrap around your oatmeal container at Jan Brett’s website, or you can have students measure, plan, and design their own.

See our lesson on Cherokee Water Drums, too.

Make your own rasp

Many Native American groups traditionally used musical rasps. Typically carved from wood, these instruments are played by rubbing a stick across the ridges to create a rasping percussive sound.

The easiest way to make one is to use Bordette. If you use it on your bulletin boards, you can put the scraps into service in this way. Otherwise, pick a color you like — there are plenty of colors and patterns to choose from, and one roll will make rasps for the whole class. Cut strips about 8″ long. Glue them onto cardboard for extra sturdiness, or leave them as is so you can store them easily, rolled up in a container. If you roll them, you can store them inside your oatmeal box drums. Play your paper rasp with a pencil.

 Make your own shakers

Jan Brett has decorations for shakers, too. You can make shakers from water bottles, as she does, or from any small container with a tight lid. We used to love film canisters for this; baby food jars may be the best new alternative. Put in a handful of rice, dried beans, or popcorn kernels. Shake them for a nice sound.

Make your own rainstick

 Make your own tambourine

Have students decorate paper plates. Put one plate down on the table and put a handful of dry beans or popcorn kernels onto it. Lay a second plate on top, sandwiching the beans or kernels inside. Staple all around. Alternatively, you can punch holes all around the edges of both plates and have students tie the plates together with ribbons or yarn — great for dexterity work, and very festive if you leave tails of ribbon hanging from the tambourine.

Check these links for some more ideas:

• You can find step-by-step directions for making instruments from recyclables at this site: Bash the Trash We’re not sure how they will sound, but it looks like a lot of fun.
• Artsedge has science/music lessons involving building instruments as experiments in acoustics.
• Rhythmweb has a bunch of ideas and links.
• Egyptian Instruments No instructions, but we think you can use the descriptions of these traditional Egyptian instruments to make your own versions of these ancient soundmakers.
• Mudcat Instruments will link you to instructions for lots of musical instruments.
• Check out this school site for a gallery of some more ambitious projects.

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