Stars

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Sources:
- World of Music 2, Silver, Bardett & Ginn, Inc., 1991 and CD 1-22 (Star Song.)
- If you can not located the above book, then use the fingerplay I wrote: Count the Stars listed on this page.

Activity: Teach a song (or fingerplay)

Target Grade Level: K-3

Anticipated Length of Lesson: 15-20 minutes

Classroom Topic: Global Awareness (Nature is Everywhere)

Musical Objectives: At the end of this activity the students will:

-relate the mood and meaning of a song to the style of performance
-add an instrument appropriate to the song.

Musical Concept: Repetition in music

Musical Skills: Singing and Playing an instrument

Materials Needed:
- Song
- Stars on sticks or straws (or star flannel board / felt story)
- Cymbals

Lesson Sequence

Anticipatory Set: Read the following poem by Sara Teasdale:

The Falling Star
I saw a star slide down the sky,
Blinking the north as it went by,
Too burning and too quick to hold,
Too lovely to be bought or sold,
Good only to make wishes on
And then forever to be gone.

The Falling Star - Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios, & More

Have you ever seen a star shining in the sky? Have you ever tried to count the stars in the sky? Today, I'm going to teach you a song about stars!

Teaching the Song

1. Play the recording. Ask the children: Count the stars that appear in the song! How many stars did you count? (Seven.)

2. Play the recording once more without the lyrics. Okay, now lets sing the song! Each one of you that has a star. Stand-up one at a time; number 1 star, then number 2 star, then number 3 star, then number 4 star, then number 5 star, then number 6 star and then finally number 7 star.

3. We are going to sing the song one more time; but sing it like you are pretending you in the sky with the stars. When we sing: I counted one, I counted... those of you that have cymbals will play them each time we say a number.

Closure: How did you feel when you singing about stars? There is another song that we all know about stars! Can anyone tell me what that song is called? Yes, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". Let's sing that song!

Alternative Version
Since it can be hard to find World of Music, I have created a fingerplay you can use.

1. Say the below fingerplay. Place stars on the flannel board.

2. Have the children say it with you (at least the numbers) as you point to the stars. Have the children put the stars on the flannel board.

3. Have the children count with you. Have some children use the cymbals as eveyone counts the stars.

4. After you have gone up to ten, have all the children count the stars with you.

5. Now, place the felt numbers by the stars. Have the children count with you again as you point to the stars. As everyone counts, you can have more children take turns with the cymbals.

6. Foreign Language Expansion: If you would like the children to learn another language, you can count in that language. Have them repeat after you the numbers.

Count the Stars
by Barbara Pratt © 2011

I counted one star, two stars, three stars up in the sky.
I counted four stars and five stars way up high.
I counted six stars, seven stars, eight stars up in the sky.
I counted nine stars and ten stars way up high.

You can use the below felt board stories to go with this lesson.

Closure: How did you feel when you singing about stars? There is another song that we all know about stars! Can anyone tell me what that song is called? Yes, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". Let's sing that song!

Teaching Tools

1-10 Star Count Felt Board Story / Flannel Board Story Set

This felt set can be used to help children learn to count from 1-5 or 1-10. You can use this set as a Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Felt Set. (All you need to use are the five stars and place each star on the flannel board as you sing each sentence of the song.)
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Note: These stars are ALSO AVAILABLE to purchase as individual felt pieces.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Felt Board Story / Flannel Board Story Set

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URL: http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/education.html