Alternate Activity 3: Music as Language
Part of Windows and Mirrors, Grades 4-5
Activity time: 10 minutes
Materials for Activity
- Music in languages other than English, Spanish or French and appropriate music player(s)
- Optional: Lyrics to simple children's songs in languages other than English, Spanish or French
Preparation for Activity
- Learn the words and melody to songs you plan to teach in another language.
Description of Activity
In this activity, children hear (and/or learn) a simple children's song in another language. After children hear a song, invite them to guess its meaning, based on the melody, tempo, voices singing, and mood of the song: Is it happy or sad, reverent or fun? Are children singing to one another, or adults to children? Does it sound as if the singers are counting, or saying people's names? If you choose to teach a song, ask the children to guess its meaning only after they have learned the song.