Art Form: Music

Supplies Needed

Change Sings book

Vocabulary

Ostinato - short repeated pattern

Body percussion - creating sounds using your body (ex. patting your legs, clapping, stomping, mouth sounds, etc.)

Rhythm - pattern of short and long sounds in a musical
composition

Steady beat - a rhythmic pattern that holds a regular pulse

Theme - the message the author communicates through the text

Text structure - how the text is built, or organized

Anthem - an uplifting song identified with a group, body, or cause

Instructions

1. Read the book's full title, including “A Children’s Anthem.” Discuss what an anthem is with your child.

2. Discuss the purpose for reading the book - to find the theme. What message is the author trying to convey?

3. Read through the book once. Discuss the theme. Write a short, meaningful phrase that conveys the theme and can be used for your ostinato, such as “We are the change” (over 4 beats) or “We all want change. Won’t you sing along?” (over 8 beats).

4. Decide on a rhythm for your ostinato. Decide how often you want to perform the ostinato while rereading the text. Will you perform it after every page? Reread the text while performing your ostinato.

5. Make changes, if necessary, to your ostinato pattern. Choose body percussion to add to your performance.

6. Reread the text once more, performing your revised ostinato and body percussion.

Extensions

Record your performance and share it with other family or school members.

Art Form: Music

Supplies Needed

Maybe Something Beautiful book

Vocabulary

Steady Beat - an ongoing, steady, repetitive pulse

Rhythm - long and short sounds

Tempo - speed of the beat

Instructions

1. Read the book. Select a page in the book to reread. This time, read the page one word at a time with short pauses between each word (kind of robotically). Ask
your child how that sounded. Reread the page, but this time, read it rhythmically, finding a natural, sing-song flow. Ask your child how it sounded that time. Which way sounds better? Which way is more interesting? Which way is easier to understand? Explain that speaking words rhythmically can make them come alive and easier to remember!

2. Look at the page that includes the words “As the man drew pictures on the bricks,” (it’s soon after Mira paints on the wall). Tap a steady beat: pat your legs, then clap your hands. Fit the words of the first sentence over 4 steady beats.

3. Do the same for the next 2 sentences (“Soon Mr. Sax joined in”).

4. Read the first 3 sentences on the page rhythmically while you tap a steady beat.

5. Now try repeating some of these phrases at different tempos. Try it faster and slower.

6. Read the story adding your rhythmic speech in the right places.