Animals!

It was all about animals this week. The kids have been researching animals in science time and afterwards have been making connections of animals and music. 

Monday and Tuesday we watched some clips from Carnival of the Animals video. With some introduction and prompting, the kids came up with great connections between the animals they were watching and the music they were hearing. 

The rest of the week was really just going step by step in our plan. I've been impressed with how the students have caught on to relating sound to animal characteristics. They really get a chance to use their knowledge about the animals creatively. I'm hopeful this will reinforce what they are learning about their animals and make it a more meaningful experience. The students seem to be excited to do the project and I have observed some creative thinking on their parts. 

This unit took a LOT of activities. If I ever do a similar project again I wonder if it might be possible to streamline it a bit... I feel like what we are doing is successful but it does feel a little like throwing stuff up against the wall and seeing what sticks. On a positive note, I think Rachel would be able to teach this entire unit on her own without any trouble if she chooses to use it in the future. (I hope she is feeling the same way!)