FOLLOW

Musically Montessori: Three of the Best Free Music Resources For Outer Space Fun!

LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE A FASCINATION WITH SPACESHIPS, ASTRONAUTS, AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM, SO WHY NOT BRING THAT FASCINATION TO THE MUSIC CIRCLE? Here are some wonderful FREE resources to go along with a song/activity that my little music groups simply love!  

As you probably already know, nowadays I am a music specialist and so I go into many different classrooms and make music with the children there. My activities are derived from my experiences over the years when I was a Montessori Primary teacher and also from my Orff-Schulwerk music training that I received in the mid 1990's. 


ORFF-SCHULWERK CURRICULUM: 
"WE'RE ORFF!"
For several years now, I have been using some wonderful resources from Bushfire Press, including  a curriculum called "We're Orff" from Tamara O'Brien. Tamara is a world renowned Orff-Schulwerk practitioner and also a professional score-writer for the screen. You can learn more about Tamara at this link: Tamara O'Brien Youtube

Fortunately for all of us, Tamara's iBook & music curriculum is now available to download instantly. And, the first lesson is FREE! The song from this lesson is one of the favorites with all of my groups. The melody is very lively and beautiful. As well, it happens to be a Pentatonic song, so it is easy for children to sing and for older children to play on a pitched instrument! So, I created some free activities to go along with this lovely song and to have follow up Montessori-style "shelf works" for the children in your music circles.

You can learn more about Tamara's music curriculum, "We're Orff" and how to get this free resource at this link: Bushfire Press Downloads



This little song is from a nursery rhyme, "Flying Man" and Tamara has put it to music. Here are the words to the song.

THE SONG


I teach the children this song, by using the Orff-Schulwerk method of teaching a song. You can see how to do this in action in my eCourse, "Musically Montessori, First Twelve Weeks: Lesson 4" And, Tamara O'Brien demonstrates this way of teaching a song in her free iBook lesson mentioned above. 

HOW I DO IT, 
MONTESSORI-STYLE
I decided that I would introduce this activity in a way that is compatible with the reality-based approach of the Montessori schools where I teach music.  So, my "flying man" is an astronaut! 

It may be helpful to introduce the song by showing the children a visual of an astronaut flying through the air. Here is a great photo from my free resource that you can find at my Subscriber's Freebie Collection or at my FaceBook page on "Montessori Magic Friday" 9/1/2017. 


Photo from Adobe Stock

When we sing the song, I use a prop.  I show the children my toy foam space ship/ rocket and I move this prop up high so that the children can all see it. Then, I say: "Do you think this is a real spaceship? Do you think it is going to shoot fire from the back and fly all over the room?" The children usually laugh about this question, but I always want to make sure they know it is a "prop" and I'm not going to really blast it off! 

Then I say, "Let's pretend that there is a man inside this toy spaceship and he will go flying up in the sky!...Ready, set, sing."



Foam rocket at Amazon HERE.



VARIATIONS
After we've sung the song once through, then we change it a little.  We sing "flying girl..." then "flying boy..." then, the children offer their own ideas like "flying baby"! Last week, the children came up with "flying princess..." and there have been some very cute ideas from the children that we all enjoy singing. 





I have also added a second verse to the song. I found a copy of this nursery rhyme and there is a second verse, so we are nowadays singing 2 verses  to the song. You can learn the second verse when you download my free resource, "Flying Man Classroom Song Book". 

This is an instant download with pages that you can copy off and place in a little binder for your book corner.  I have discovered over the years when I was a Montessori classroom teacher, that the children love these binders of songs that we sing at circle. They love "reading" them and they would often bring them to me to read during story time!



I have also created an mp3 music download for you that is my version of the song with both verses. 




CLICK HERE TO ACCESS 
MY SUBSCRIBER'S FREEBIE COLLECTION



If you haven't yet subscribed to my newsletter email list, you can do that by filling in the quick form on the sidebar of this Blog! When you subscribe, you will immediately receive the password for my Freebie Collection in your welcome email!

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST


PERFORMANCE PIECE
Last Spring, one of my lower elementary groups performed this song at our end-of-the-year musical. The children first played the rhythm of the song on their rhythm instruments, without singing. Then, they played their rhythm instruments along with singing the song. Simple, but very sweet. Another of the older groups played the song on their glockenspiels, since it is a fairly simple melody to play. 

And, Tamara's lesson plan (the free resource above) offers a lovely performance piece using Orff style instruments.

BONUS ACTIVITY

I found this picture at Pixabay, (free photo site)  and  I thought it would be fun for the children to color in a face on the astronaut and make a stick puppet for singing the song at circle time. 


1. Download the picture HERE 
2. Make copies on heavy cardstock, one for each child in your group
3. Invite the child to color in the face they would like to sing about (flying boy,  flying girl, etc)
4. Cut out the astronaut face and attach it to a craft stick so it is a "Puppet"! 

LOOKING FOR MORE SOLAR SYSTEM 
AND OUTER SPACE MUSICAL FUN?

This part of the Montessori curriculum has always been such a big hit with my groups, I have created lots of Musically Montessori resources on this theme! 

I invite you to check them out:



I am so happy to have you visiting my Blog today and I hope that you got some valuable ideas for your group. Please take advantage of all these wonderful FREE music resources!


Photo from Pixabay

Blast off!


Advertising Disclosure: Magical Movement Company may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. Thanks for your support! 












SHARE:
Next PostNewer Post Previous PostOlder Post Home
BLOGGER TEMPLATES BY pipdig