JCC Music Units, 2013-2014 by Lisa Baydush

Concepts: built the Ark; animals went on two by two; lasted 40 days and 40 nights; after the flood, a rainbow appeared.

Props: rain stick, musical hammer or bag of laminated tools, rainbow ribbons, rain-boa, Arks and animals, megaphone

Tips for Teaching This Unit: 1. Tell the story… Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was a man named Noah. Walking in the park, hearing the wind in the trees (whoosh!), the birds singing (tweet!), the squirrels scampering (scampering sound), Noah heard his name, but no one was there! Use the megaphone, say: “Noah!” God tells Noah: “It’s going to rain; you must build an ark!” (Story puts the songs in context! Children participate in story with motions and repetition.)

2. Noah said to himself, “What’s an ark?” Make sure they know that an ark is a boat! Take out the magical musical hammer and let each child take a turn at “building the ark. Or use bag of laminated tools. Sing Noah Built the Ark. (Don’t give out tools unless you have one for each child… also it takes too long to sing the song if everyone has a different tool.) With 2’s, pull a tool out of the bag and ask them what it is, practice the motion, then sing. With 3’s and 4’s, ask if they can think of tools that Noah might have used, then pull the picture out of the bag and put up for everyone to see. (Grouping, sequencing and rhythm patterning)

3. Use the rain-stick to make rain sounds. Close eyes and listen; what does that sound like? (sensory)

4. Noah took his family onto the ark. He also brought animals on the ark, but he didn’t have room for ALL the animals, so he brought two of each kind. Give out arks and Velcro animals. Sing Good Ol’ Noah. (Sequencing, animal sounds, fine motor skills) After 40 days, the sun came out and Noah opened the door of the Ark and the animals went all over the earth.

5. Take out rainbow boa and hold it over their heads. Ask what it looks like. Noah saw a rainbow in the sky! Then wear it around my neck. Take out rainbow ribbons and give one to each child. Tell the children that the rainbow filled the world with color. Practice fluttering the ribbons in the air over heads. (Gross motor skills)

6. Sing There is a Rainbow. Find the color ribbon and echo teacher with each color. (Color recognition and identification, echoing)

7. Give out rainbow or animal stickers.

Songs: 1. Noah Built the Ark (Allard) 2. Good Ol’ Noah Built an Ark (TTTO Old MacDonald) 3. There Was a Rainbow (Baydush)