High and Low

My Kindergarteners have been learning about steady beat and musical opposites. We just finished up loud and soft last week, thanks to Aileen Miracle's great bundle!

This week, we began talking about high and low. I love this series by Thorne and Felts! It's not in a print anymore (one copy goes for $2,000 on Amazon!), but if you can find the books somewhere, get them! They are a wonderful introduction to steady beat, loud/soft and high/low.

After our story, we began listening to "Faeries & Giants" from Elgar's The Wand of Youth Suite. Our Spotlight on Music series has a nice listening map to follow in the kindergarten big book. We were able to point to the different pictures when we heard the appropriate music. The students figured out that the faeries had lots of high music, while the giants had deep, low music.

Then, we acted it out! The kids loved this part. First, we practiced in our spots before splitting into 2 groups and moving throughout the room. When it was the faeries' turn, they fluttered with high arms around the room while the giants stood frozen.

When the giants heard their music, they stomped and marched around the room. The faeries were frozen until it was their turn again. So much fun! The students even recognized the loud and soft spots!










Afterwards, we watched a short clip of the "High Low Song." The students stretched high and down low during the song and sang along. Next week, we'll add different classroom instruments to represent high and low. Plus, the colorful ribbon wands will come out for a fun high/low movement activity with Saint-Saens' "Aquarium" from The Carnival of the Animals. 

How do you teach high and low to your students?