- guitar
- musical instrument
- pluck
- sound
MA Standards:
Speaking and Listening: SL.PK.MA.2 Recall information for short periods of time and retell, act out, or represent information from a text read aloud, a recording, or a video (e.g., watch a video about birds and their habitats and make drawings or constructions of birds and their nests).
Head Start Outcomes:
Language Development/Receptive Language Attends to language during conversations, songs, stories, or other learning experiences.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 12 Listen to, recite, sing, and dramatize a variety of age-appropriate literature.
Watch Together: “Violet’s Music” (BTL show)
ELA Focus Skills: Active Viewing, Story Comprehension, Vocabulary
Tell children they are going to watch Between the Lions “Violet’s Music.” Have the book on display and allow children to recall events in the story before you begin viewing. Set a focus for children as you ask them to listen to the different sounds Violet makes with all her musical instruments.
Before You Watch
Ask children to stand up and play a pretend guitar with you. Have them move around as they pluck the strings. Ask, Have you ever played a real guitar before? Have you ever seen someone else play a real guitar? Can you describe the sound it makes? Tell children they are going to watch Violet play her guitar.
As You Watch
- During the introduction, invite children to sing and pretend to beat a drum along with Lionel.
- Ask children to listen for the sounds the musical instruments make. Pause the video and ask, What instrument is that? What does it sound like? What does he/she do to make the sound? Have children repeat some of the sounds.
- Invite children to join in when the characters dance.
After You Watch
Encourage children to make connections from the story to their own lives. Ask questions such as:
- What did you think of the show? What instruments did you like best?
- Say, The lion family is very proud of the way Violet kept making music even when she was alone. She did not give up. Tell children of a time when you didn’t give up on something. (riding a bike, writing a journal, playing an instrument, etc.) Ask, Is there something you kept working on and didn’t give up on?
- Invite children to sing “All Day Long” with you. Give them toy guitars, or have them pretend they are playing a guitar as they sing.
All Day Long
(from Between the Lions "Violet's Music")
I’m going to play my guitar
All day long.
I’m going to play my guitar
All day long.
I’m going to play my guitar
All day long.
All day long!
Additional Verses
(Substitute the names of other instruments, for example,)
I’m going to play my drum / All day long.
