Grade Level: Any, Depending on Modifications

My Many Colored Days Lesson by Jan Delgado, APS Music Resource Teacher Grade level: Any, depending on modifications

Music Objective: Students will equate assigned instrument sounds to moods and colors Language Arts Objective: Students will recognize mood words and colors to play certain instruments.

Materials: My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss Recording of "Show Your Feelings,” by Kate Kuper, from Alphabeat Chart with the following: # Colors Animal Instrumen Found sounds s ts 1 Red horse tick tap on plastic tubs 2 Blue bird tambourine shake a metal can filled with washers, bolts 3 Brown bear guiro scrape a ridged container 4 Yello bee shaker fill plastic jar with popcorn w 5 Grey owl finger tap a glass jar filled with water cymbals 6 Orang seal jingle bells jingle keys e 7 Green fish triangle tap a suspended pipe 8 Purpl dinosau frog guiro scrape a ridged can e r 9 Pink flaming claves tap 2 sticks together o 1 Black wolf drum hit a large box or plastic container with 0 mallet Cards of the above colors with corresponding numbers written on them. For example: red - 1, blue - 2, etc. A variety of percussion instruments or found sounds (see suggestions on chart)

Teaching Process for all grades: Read the story for understanding. Discuss mood and color Ask, “What color is your mood today? Can you describe when your mood was a very different color?” In the book, Dr. Seuss does not always name the moods depicted by color, and some colors and moods may be unexpected. For example, in the book, the color blue does not depict “the blues,” and purple, which is often uplifting, is just the opposite. Label moods, such as sad, happy, excited, etc. Play recording of “Show Your Feelings” and have students act out the words. This is a fun action song that extends If You’re Happy and You Know It with verses for many emotions. Happy - clap your hands Ashamed - hang your head Mad - stamp your feet Peaceful - sway and smile Scared - shiver and shake Proud - lift your chest Sleepy - stretch and yawn Shy - fold in half Excited - ump up and down Sad- sob and weep Show chart (below), discussing moods and colors Have students pick a color card and sit with their color group. Hand out instruments according to color on chart. Discuss how instruments depict the color, mood, and animals Read the story again, and students play instruments for their color, mood, and animal.

Optional: learn the following song (to the tune of Twinkle) and sing in between every other color: Pink, and orange, and red, and blue,Purple, green, and yellow, too Black, and brown, and sometimes grey, You’d be surprised how many ways I change on different colored days, I change on different colored days

Extension for lower grades: Read the book, acting out the colors and animals using scarves. “On bright red days how good it feels to be a horse and kick my heels.” Students can act like horses kicking their heels with red scarves. Assign different colors to groups of students. Students help choose an instrument that has an appropriate sound for each color. Examples: Red/Horse = Woodblock or Xylophone Green/Fish = Ocean Drum or Metallophone Extension for upper grades: Divide students into 10 color groups. Each group creates a short ostinato Ostinati can come very naturally from the text For example: Black/Wolf “Mad, mad, mad, and loud. I howl and growl at every cloud!” Groups pick an instrument and practice chanting and playing Think about appropriate dynamics and tempo for each color Read story again Groups assigned to each color perform their ostinato when their color appears in the story. At certain points in the story, all can play at the same time. Groups not playing an ostinato can act out the mood with colored scarves For example: While Color group 1 chants and plays, Group 6 acts out the Group 1 color and mood. 2 plays - 7 acts, 3 plays - 8 acts, 4 plays - 9 acts, 5 plays - 10 acts, 6 plays - 1 acts, 7 plays - 2 acts, etc.

Assessment: Did students equate the assigned sounds to their colors and animals?