Basic Preschool Music Lesson

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Here is a basic 30 minute preschool music lesson plan I like to follow, suggested activities, and other ways you can use each of the activities. Most of the songs in this lesson are from Music Togethers Family Favorite’s collections that can be accessed on YouTube, Spotify, or Pandora. I highly recommend Music Togethers teacher training.

Listening

I like to have music playing while the children come into class and find their spots to sit. They will copy basic body percussion and small movement from their seats. The music we listen to when they enter class has a concept we will be working on or will be used in the weeks to come with other activities such as instrument playing, improvising, singing, or large movement.

Hey Diddle Diddle

We used this as a listening piece as to start class. The lesson will have several songs that emphasize clapping on the off beat. Children tend to feel a subdivided beat easier so I’ll go between feeling the subdivided beat and the off beat with my movements while listening.

You may also choose to use this song to work on dynamics or as an instrument play.

Focus

Focus simply means an activity that is seated and focusing on a musical concept. This particular lesson is focusing on keeping a steady beat at different levels so this activity will follow suit with that.

Biddy Biddy

Find your head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Start by keeping the beat on each of those body parts for a whole verse of the song. Next keep the beat your head for half of the verse and move to your shoulders for the second half. Keep the beat on your knees for half then switch to your toes. Follow that with moving the steady beat from head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Then lastly move the subdivided beat from your head, shoulders, knees, and toes.

On another week I would use this as a large movement activity working on keeping both a steady and subdivided beat in my feet. I would also add times to freeze in the middle of the verse once moving feet to the beat became consistent.

Large Movement

It is important to work on keeping the beat seated, with instruments, and moving with your feet. Make sure each class has an opportunity for large movement or dancing.

Sandpiper

The sandpiper can run, play, and fly. Keep the beat in your feet and then run, play, and fly in and out with the sandpiper.

On another week you might come up with other ways for the sandpiper to move or other animals, how they move, and what that movement sounds and looks like.

Instrument Play

Playing instruments is an extension of keeping the beat in your body. Make sure to go over the rules for using each type of instrument with your students, but then allow for plenty of creativity as well. I ask my students how they think it’s ok and not ok to use each type of instrument. I let them know my expectations. Then when I hand them an instrument I allow them to explore with it until I direct the class to begin the activity. During many instrument activities I model ways to play the instrument, but also accept and include fun ideas from the students as well. The play along time at the end of each class is another great time for students to explore playing with what we have worked on during the more formal instrument play.

Stick Tune

The built in directions in this song are fantastic for guiding students to follow directions and also allowing creativity at the same time. Notice the song doesn’t say exactly how to play, clap, or wiggle, but it does give defined times to do all of those actions.

Other ways to use this song would be as a large movement, replacing, “Lets all click our sticks today,” with, “Let’s all jump around today,” and other large movement ideas.

Focus

After some fun large movement and instrument play it’s time calm back down a little and focus again. This is a great spot for a book if you like using books to teach music.

Little Blue Car

If you remember from the beginning our focus for this lesson is working intentionally on steady bead and off beat. We will move our bodies like we are driving, flying, biking while seated, then clap to the beat during the refrain.

This is also a fun large movement and instrument play song. You can use it as a focus on improvising by changing the vehicle to other vehicles, animals, or other directions.

Play Along

Music Together lessons always include a play along time and I love including this opportunity in all of my preschool classes. The play along is a time for children to choose an instrument and explore what they’ve worked on during class with it. In a typical preschool setting I put out several bins of non-pitched percussion instruments in the center of the room. When students hear the music begin they may get up and choose an instrument to play. If they want to switch instruments they must put the one they have back in the correct bin and then they may switch to any other available instrument. When the music ends the instruments must be put back in the correct bin and everyone returns to their seats. I sanitize and put the instrument bins away after the Goodbye song.

At the beginning of each school year I take a few classes to go over all of the different instruments and how the play along time works. If the children get out of hand the play along time stops and that privilege is lost for that week and maybe the next one as well.

This lesson focused on keeping a steady beat and playing on the off beat so the play along music is a fun way to encourage working on the same concepts.

Ritual

I enjoy having a set way to begin and end class. My preschool students know to always expect to come into class listening and following, and that the Goodbye song will always indicate that class is done. Having a good established routine provides structure. When the children know what to expect with the structure of class they can focus more on playing and exploring the musical concepts we are covering instead of wondering what will happen next.

Goodbye Song

Music Together has a wonderful Goodbye Song.

Distanced Music Class Activities

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Making music spaced apart from other humans can be tricky. I believe we are made to make music together with others. Over the last year I have had the privilege of working with other music teachers to create excellent music class experiences for young children on Zoom and outside. While sometimes stressful, it has been fun to work out creative ways to help children meet musical goals while having fun!

Color Scavenger Hunt

A color scavenger hunt is fun on Zoom, outside, or distanced inside. You could change the colors to other instruments, objects, or things around the house as well.

You can adapt any song to go with this activity. Here is how I adapted Skip to my Lou for a color scavenger hunt.

“Can you find something blue, can you find something blue, can you find something blue, can you find something blue?

Show me something blue, show me something blue, show me something blue, you found something blue!”

Repeat with another color. I like to go in rainbow order, it helps me organize what I’m going to sing next. With a smaller class I like to sing what each child found on 5-1 (dominant-tonic), “(5)Mary found a blue (1) scarf.”

Large Movement

I have found quite a few songs that are fun large movement/dance songs that allow you to move and stay in a smaller area at the same time. La Marmotteuse is one of my favorites.

Stand up and bounce to the beat for the first 16 beats.

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 32 beats

Strut (walk) around for 32 beats

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 32 beats

Strut (walk) around for 32 beats

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 48 beats

Freeze - tap your toes for the interlude

Run

Freeze

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 32 beats

Strut (walk) around for 32 beats

Jump, pat, pat, pat (Do 8 times) 32 beats

Strut (walk) around for 32 beats

Stacking to the Beat

In classes where we were able to be close to each other we used to pass an egg shaker or other object around to the beat. Stacking something to the beat is a fun alternative to that activity.

Body Percussion

“Practicing body percussion can lead to improvement in three areas: Physical, as it stimulates awareness of the body, control of movement and muscular strength, coordination and balance; the Mental, as it improves concentration, memory and perception; and Socio-affective, as it helps to build egalitarian relationships and leads to a decrease in anxiety in social interactions.”

Ask children to find their head. Sing Biddy Biddy Bum Bum while patting the beat on your head.

Repeat with shoulders, knees, and toes.

Next start with keeping the beat on your head for the first phrase, move to your shoulders for the second phrase. Move to your knees for the first phrase of the second verse, and toes for the second phrase.

Lastly pat the beat on your head, shoulders, knees, toes to the macrobeat while singing and then try the same to the microbeat (subdivided, or eighth note).

Play Along

The play along is a time for children to choose an instrument to play and explore what they have learned. I intentionally choose a song that will allow children to explore a concept we have worked on in class further. Since stacking blocks to the beat was in this lesson I’m going to choose the Maple Leaf Rag as the play along. It has a great beat to stack blocks to. Any song that has a good beat can be chosen for the play along time. You may be listening to music from different cultures or genres and want to plug that back in during the play along time. This is also a great opportunity for the teacher to observe students rhythmic abilities. I allow preschool students to move in their space while playing their instruments. This helps me assess how they are moving their bodies to the beat as well.

Music Around the Kitchen

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Making music with pots, pans, spoons, and spatulas is so much fun! I encourage you to find kitchen items that you are ok with your child using as drums (or buy some from your local thrift store to use) turn the music up, and make music in the kitchen. Playing with wood, metal, and plastic is a great way to explore timbres, “the quality of tone distinctive of a particular singing voice or musical instrument,” too.

Here are some of my favorite Kitchen songs.

America the Beautiful

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Like the Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful was first written as a poem, then set to music. I was surprised to learn that America the Beautiful was sung to common folk tunes such as Auld Lang Syne before the tune we sing it to today was officially applied to it. Can you sing the song to both it’s official tune and to Auld Lang Syne or another common folk tune?

It’s important to learn patriotic songs. I enjoy Fozzie Bear singing this song as well as the Scholastic book. The Scholastic book linked below has beautiful pictures to go along with the song. I especially love the picture for brotherhood of all of the children playing together. Ask your child what they see in the pictures as you sing the song together.

Mary Wore Her Red Dress

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Mary Wore Her Red Dress is one of my favorite songs. I enjoy using it at the beginning of the year with preschool students. It’s a great way for me to get to know the children, and for the children to sing, keep a steady beat, and improvise.

Ask the student (or your child if you are using this activity at home) what they are wearing that they like today. Simply change the name Mary to the child’s name, change the clothing to what they have told you they are wearing that they like, and pat a steady beat while singing. I like to pat the beat on my shoes if we are singing about shoes, or on my lap if we are singing about shorts, and so on.

This book is a fun way to to do the same activity. It’s fun to identify the colors and find the character wearing what we are singing about.

Tippy Toe and Skating (Staccato and Legato)

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Can you put a staccato and legato beat in your feet? Staccato means, “performed with each note sharply detached or separated from the others.” Legato means, “in a smooth flowing manner, without breaks between notes.” Try tip toeing around the room and then switch to keeping your feet on the floor as you move and skate. Try skating inside in your socks or on paper plates.

Here are some fun songs to try feeling both staccato and legato with.

Rock Passing and Stacking Game

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Obwisana is a traditional stone passing game from Ghana. It is a fun melody to sing while passing egg shakers or rocks. If you are taking a music class on Zoom right now playing a passing game with your young child may be difficult. I found these stacking rocks and they are a lot of fun to stack while singing Obwisana! Can you stack them to the beat? How tall can you make your tower before it falls over?

Here are the wooden rocks I have. I really like them, however some of the rocks are a little small so if your child is young and still puts things in their mouth you may want to try the other brand listed below.

Star Spangled Banner

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Happy Memorial Day! It’s the beginning of a patriotic season of celebrating our Nation and her heroes. Learning America’s National Anthem and other patriotic songs should be essential for all Americans. Scholastic has some beautifully illustrated books to go along with these songs. I understand the meaning of the Star Spangled Banner much better after pairing the words with the beautiful illustrations in the book. It would be fun to make your own illustrations with your children as well!


Music Games: A Tisket a Tasket

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"A Tisket A Tasket" is a nursery rhyme first recorded in America in the late nineteenth century.[1][2] It was used as the basis for a very successful and highly regarded 1938 recording by Ella Fitzgerald. The rhyme was first noted in the United States in 1938[3] as a children's rhyming game. It was sung while children danced in a circle. One of the number ran on the outside of the circle and dropped a handkerchief. The nearest child would then pick it up and chase the dropper. If caught, the dropper either was kissed, joined the circle, or had to tell the name of their sweetheart.[2] An early noted version had the lyrics:

A-tisket a-tasket

A green and yellow basket

I wrote a letter to my mom

And on the way I dropped it,

I dropped it, I dropped it,

And on the way I dropped it.

A little boy he picked it up

And put it in his pocket.”

Here are some fun games you can play with this song after introducing it.

The first one is a Duck Duck Goose style game.

  1. Have the children sit in a circle.

  2. Give each child a “letter" (a piece of paper)

  3. The child who is “it” carries a basket and walks around the circle as the song is sung.

  4. When they hear the words “Lost it” they take the letter from the person closest to them and begin running around the circle while the rest of the song is sung.

  5. The person who’s letter has been taken chases the child who is it.

  6. The child who was it sits in the open spot and the chaser receives the basket and is now it.

  7. You know everyone has had a chance to go when no one has a letter left in their hands.

Here’s a game to explore dynamics with. I like to experience singing voice, talking voice, whisper, and screaming voices before playing this game so the children understand the difference. We only use our soft and loud singing voices for this game.

  1. Give each child a letter (small piece of paper)

  2. The child who is “it” hides their eyes or leaves the room.

  3. One child hides their letter in the room and makes sure everyone in the room knows where it's hidden.

  4. The child who is “it” returns to the room, holding the basket they begin to search for the hidden letter.

  5. Everyone else sings the song quietly if the person who is it is far away and louder as they get closer to the hidden letter.

Everyone Should Sing

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When children hear both male and female voices with regularity they develop a bilingual singing voice in their head (can process both voices).  Children who do not have regular exposure to an adult male voice will grumble instead of sing when trying to sing along with a man, or jump an octave above a mans falsetto voice when trying to sing along.

Dads, you have have a wonderful musical gift to give your kids.  You do not have to sing well.  Just sing.  Sing in the register that feels most comfortable for you.  Sing while doing something you enjoy with your child.  You will help develop your child's musical ear and musical disposition!

Music Together CEO Susan Darrow shares about the importance of singing!

My Favorite Ukulele!

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I love my Makala Dolphin Ukulele! I purchased mine when Jim Hickey (owner of Jim Hickey Music https://jimhickeymusic.com) and I decided to teach a few Music Together/Ukulele classes together a few years ago. I didn’t play it a lot after that until I took a trip to Music Together’s headquarters in New Jersey to work on my Level 2 certification. I needed an instrument to play the Hello and Goodbye songs on and my purple ukulele was the perfect sized instrument to take along. I had such a fun time with my ukulele on this trip that I made a blog for my kids just to show them all of the fun places it went with me, and the fun people we met! You can check it out by clicking on “My Music Together Cert 2 Experience” under the Preschool Music Drop down tab or here http://meandmypurpleukulele.blogspot.com/ if you’d like.

Part of completing the level 2 Music Together certification is to do a project at the end. I decided to see what impact adding more ukulele playing to class, and equipping families to play at home would have. If you click on the Ukulele tab at the top it will take you to a free course on how to play the ukulele with your child. My son helped me make some of the videos. Those are some of my favorite music making memories with him.

If you find yourselves at home a little more right now I encourage you to take time to sing, dance, and learn something new that maybe you’ve been to busy to do before!

Preschool Music Unit Around the World

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I love experiencing music from all over the world with the preschoolers I teach. Filling your lessons with music from many countries also ensures that your students are hearing a wonderful variety of tonalities. Here are a few of my favorite songs and activities we enjoyed this past year. (Click on the song titles tofind them in the iTunes store.)

  • Inany (Australia)

    • Simple body percussion is a great way to experience the beat with this song.  When that becomes easy add a closed circle clapping game or hand jive.

Music of Joy performing at SOTA, Singapore 216

Waltzing Matilda (Australia)

  • This “Waltz” is in 4.  The word waltz in this song means to walk.  Try moving around to the beat.

Video of Slim sitting by a campfire singing Waltzing Matilda, interspersed with shots of a swaggie.

Waltz from Coppelia (Europe)

  • Now try waltzing to this European waltz.  Can you also hear change your movements with the dynamics?

Dance of the Golden Snake (Asia - China)

  • Try small movement seated, or large movement up on your feet, with scarves.  A follow the leader game like a Chinese dragon is fun. Follow the leader around the room and move up and down with the sounds you hear.

Slavonic Dances (Asia-Russia)

  • This is a great instrument play along or large movement piece.  Can you change the way you move or play when the music changes from marcato to legato?

Russian Sailors Dance (Asia-Russia)

  • A fun large movement activity!  How many different ways can you move your feet?  March, tip-toe, run, hop?

A Tisket A Tasket Ella Fitzgerald Jazz (North America)

  • Game time.  Have the students sit in a circle.  Give each one a piece of paper to hold.  The child who is “it” will walk around the outside of the circle until they get to the words, “lost it.”  Then they will take a piece of paper from a child holding one up. The child chosen will chase the one who is “it” to see who can get back to the open spot first.  Giving each child a piece of paper to hold helps ensure everyone gets a turn. 

Star Spangled Banner (North America)

  • I recommend singing this song as a focus activity.  The scholastic book has lovely pictures to accompany the song and help with understanding what you are singing about.

William Tell Overture (North America)

  • Use this piece to learn A,B,and C parts, and how to follow a conductor.  Choose a different movement or instrument for each part. After listening to the song for a few weeks split the class into three groups and cue each group to move or play at the appropriate time.

Funga Alafia (Africa)

  • Drumming along to this song is a lot of fun.

Obwisana (Africa)

  • Try a passing game.  Have the students sit in a line.  Start the egg shaker (or other object) at the beginning of the line and help the students to pass by saying, “Pick it up and put it down” to the beat.  See if you can pass it to the beat all the way down the line. When this is easy add more shakers or items to pass!

Don Alfredo Baila (South America)

  • A fun focus, large movement, or play along song.

Drowsy Maggy (Europe-Ireland)

  • This is a great song for a dance or play along.

La Marmotteuse (Europe/Canada)

  • Jump, pat, pat, pat (repeat this for 16 beats)

Strut or walk (for 16 beats)

Continue repeating the above 32 beats until you get to the middle section of the song.  In the middle tap your toes, then run when the music gets fast. Freeze and go back to the beginning Jump, pat, pat, pat and walking until the end.


Putumayo Kids - La Mrmotteuse

Keep A Steady Beat With Star Wars

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We explored steady beat and dynamics with Star Wars Imperial March today as a play along in Music Together and a listening and small movement activity at Journey Montessori. The Imperial March is in a minor key, but someone had fun changing it to a major key. Enjoy listening to the difference in the two versions of this song with your child. Pat a steady beat while you listen, and change your volume from loud to soft, and back to loud again with the music.


Drumming

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I am beyond excited to begin teaching the Music Together Rhythm Kids class!  Music Together is allowing select centers to offer this new drumming class for four to eight year old children and the adults they are closest to.  The curriculum is designed to expand upon the Mixed Age classes where newborns through four year old children explore and learn music through movement, singing, and playing instruments with the adults who love them.  To give you a quick idea of how a song would develop from birth to early elementary we made a video for you to enjoy.  Check out the descriptions under the video as well.

  Babies would experience this song through feeling the beat on their parents lap, kicking their legs, hearing others sing, and holding and watching the beat in the maracas.

Toddlers may add walking or stomping their feet to the beat, singing parts of the song in tune, and more exploration with the maracas.

Preschool children may be able to sing the full song in tune, keep a steady beat in their bodies and on the maracas, and add new ways to play the maracas or move.

Early elementary school children can take improvising new verses and playing instruments purposefully to the next level.  They can follow where to play on the drum to make the desired sound.  They can also add rhythm patterns on the instrument they are playing as well as verbally.  

I Declare

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Our second Friday with Friends class correlated with Cycle 3 week 4, the Declaration of Independence.  The student's first task was to put a timeline of events in order.  Each group was given a large piece of paper, markers, and this resource from teachers pay teachers.

Since we were beginning with the timeline activity I wrote the answers on the board and they simply had to put their own timelines in order and write the dates on them.  I wanted this to be an activity the students could complete as everyone was arriving.  

After completing the timelines we took turns reading through the full Declaration of Independence.  We did not discuss what the whole document meant.  I gave brief explanations throughout the reading.  I felt like it was good for the kids to read and hear the full Declaration.

I was planning to have the kids work on this scavenger hunt, but after reading the entire Declaration I decided to send the scavenger hunt home with them instead.  I also had spy activities for us to do and I wanted to make sure we had enough time for those.  

The other part of this Friday with Friends was to study the Culper Spy Ring.  We began by reading a Culper Spy Ring theater script together.   You can find that here.

Following that I split the students into two groups.  One group was colonists in New Jersey.  I told them they were having to quarter a British soldier in their house.  They were able to overhear where the British were holding some of the "Rebel" soldiers captive.  Using the Culper spy code book they had to write a note and get it to the "Rebel" soldiers in Massachusetts.  The other group was the Colonial Army.  They had a spy undercover in New Jersey.  Using the Culper spy code book they had to write a note to the Colonists in New Jersey to tell them who their spy was.  

Before the class began one student from each group (New Jersey Colonists and the Colonial Army in Massachusetts) hid a doll.  These dolls where what they needed to get the other group to find.  

Here is a link to the Culper Code Book.

Other Teachers Pay Teachers resources I liked for this study included Revolutionary War Spy Code Activities, Comparing the Declaration of Independence and The Declaration of the Rights of Man, and America Booklet coloring for younger kids.  

The Great American Postcard Exchange

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While enjoying a few school days at the beach late in the Summer I came across an opportunity for our family to join a postcard exchange with other Classical Conversations homeschool families in the United States.  Our home state was already spoken for, but we were aloud to adopt another state.  Out of the handful of adoptable states left my children chose Connecticut.  We decided that we should learn more about our adopted state before sending postcards, so this became our first Friday with Friends class for the school year.

Younger siblings are welcome to attend the class.  Another parents helps lead their activities and supervise playtime. 

Younger siblings are welcome to attend the class.  Another parents helps lead their activities and supervise playtime. 

I always write out the schedule for the afternoon on a large white board.  This helps keep me on schedule, allows the kids to begin working immediately when they arrive, and helps anyone who may get to the class late to jump in on the next activity.  We typically begin with an activity the kids can do in pairs or small groups together.  

For our study on Connecticut they the children began finding facts about the state posted around the house as soon as they arrived.  I found the facts pre-made on teachers pay teachers.  All I had to do was print and laminate them.  (I probably didn't have to laminate them, but I love my laminator!)

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After finding facts we came together as a group to discuss our favorite facts about the state, what the postcard exchange was, and what we would write on our postcards.  We also completed a longitude and latitude activity together which created a dot to dot of Connecticut.

Finally, the time had come to write postcards.  Each child chose a favorite fact about Connecticut and copied it onto 3-5 postcards.  A lot of the kids were also very excited to choose where they wanted to send their postcard, and address it. 

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While the older kids wrote and addressed the post cards their younger siblings put stamps on them.  The younger kids also helped organize the postcards we had received, and colored the states we had received postcards from on a map. 

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We are enjoying receiving postcards from all across the United States.  While Connecticut is not our home state, we now have a greater understading and appreciation of our adopted state.

Start and Stop Music Games to Make Your Day Easier

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A toddler's job is to toddle, walk, and run.  Every day they are working on these fun new large motor skills they have acquired.  While you were probably thrilled when your little one took their first steps, you may now be chasing them and attempting to keep them out of trouble most of the time.  

All of that movement is purposeful, and can be guided.  You can use music to alter the quick speed your child may typically be moving at.  Young children love moving quickly.  Start at the speed they want to move at and then slow it down.  Change your movement to a stomp, march, skip, or large jump.  This simple trick change a terrible shopping trip into a controllable one for you and your little one.  Sing one of your favorite songs and to help guide your little ones movement while you shop.  Ridin' in the Car is as great song for such an activity from this Music Together collection.  You can easily change the words ridin' in the car to marchin' through the store.  You can also switch from duple to triple meter and watch the change in movement that takes place.  (If you are in my Music Together or preschool class we will work on this later in the session).  

Ridin' in the Car is also on Music Together's Family Favorite's CD.  Click the link below to get it!

Start and stop music games are also a favorite of mine.  They can be a lifesaver with a toddler as well.  The game is as simple as it sounds.  You start and then stop!  If you are singing and moving to  Ridin' in the Car then you simply make the car screech to a halt.  This can be quite helpful if your child wants to go fast all the time!  Spin and Stop also is a great song to use from this Music Together collection.  You can change spin to any action you desire.  Run and stop, dance and stop, march and stop, etc.  Spin and Stop is also available on the Family Favorites CD linked above.  

I urge you to find a few start and stop songs that you and your child love so you can pull them out when you need to ease a hard day.  

Exploring Europe

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This Friday with Friends will cover geography from Classical Conversation's cycle 2 weeks 1-7.

This post has the lesson plan and resources that I will use with the Journeyman and Masters level students (outside of community day) so you can use these resources too.   I will add another post after we complete the study so you can see how our event turned out. 

We will begin our study by reviewing cycle 2 geography, weeks 1-7.  I may cut out a large map of Europe from painters paper so we can do this as a big floor game.  I love the huge rolls of painters paper.  They work great for table coverings the kids can color on and any kind of large drawing project.  

 

Next we will find European cities by latitude and longitude.  You can get free map printable's for this activity here:  http://geoalliance.asu.edu/maps/regions

I am planning to use the premade European latitude and longatude cards from here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/44-European-City-Latitude-Longitude-Task-Cards-1329551

However, I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to create your own cards for free too.

Our last project for the class is to make our own edible physical maps of Europe.

To begin we will discuss a little bit about the different types of maps, and what makes the maps we are going to make physical maps.

Here are some tips that will hopefully make making edible maps easier if you plan to do this with a group. 

Prepare the cookie dough and icing before everyone arrives.  Have the dough divided and ready for each child or family to begin.  I also plan to ask each family to bring their own cookie sheet and rolling pin.  That way they can bake, decorate, and transport the large cookie back hope easier.  

It's fun to have green and blue icing, as well as toppings such as Hershey Kisses that look like mountains.  

Trace the map of Europe from your CC trivium table onto freezer paper.  Have each family roll our their cookie dough, place the freezer paper map on top and cut around it.  Remove the freezer paper map and bake the cookie.  Everyone can't bake at once so plan accordingly for the number of people you have involved.  

This family baked the cookie then cut the map.  I have tried both ways and both will work. 

This family baked the cookie then cut the map.  I have tried both ways and both will work. 

Reliving the Renaissance

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This Friday with Friends study correlates with Classical Conversations Cycle 2 Week 6 History.  

This post has the lesson plan and resources that I will use with the Journeyman and Masters level students (outside of community day) so you can use these resources too.   I will add another post after we complete the study so you can see how our event turned out. 

We will start with a Renaissance quest to find information.  I will use this Renaissance quest packet from Teachers Pay Teachers.  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Renaissance-Webquest-An-Art-Exploration-Da-Vinci-Michelangelo-1368431                                                                                                         The student's will gather information by using QR code scanners on phones.

We will discuss Shakespeare by reviewing his life in a comic strip and playing a Shakespearean insult memory game.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/An-Introduction-to-Shakespeare-Shakespeare-Comics-1929671

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Shakespearean-Insults-Activity-Cards-Vocabulary-With-Definitions-2019878

     Last we will Discuss Leonardo da Vinci's ideas for flying machines, and create our own out of straws, chop sticks, and coffee filters.  

Here are two resources to help you present information about da Vinci's inventions.  The first is from Teachers Pay Teachers, the second is a free website.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lesson-for-Kids-Paper-Flying-Machines-Inspired-by-Leonardo-da-Vinci-430457

http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/leonardo-da-vinci-creative-genius#sect-activities