Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Body Sounds

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The objectives stage aims to clearly establish what students are expected to learn and achieve by the end of the lesson. By defining the objectives, the teacher guides both their preparation and the students', ensuring that all classroom efforts align with specific educational goals. This initial clarity helps maximize learning time and the effectiveness of the proposed activities.

Main Objectives:

1. Explore and identify various sound sources, focusing on using the body to produce sounds such as claps and voice.

2. Develop auditory perception and the ability to reproduce simple rhythms and melodies through the body.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage creativity and personal expression through the generation of body sounds.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students with the content they have already studied at home, using problem-based situations that stimulate reflection and the application of knowledge. Additionally, by contextualizing the importance of body sounds, students can perceive the practical and cultural relevance of these skills, increasing their interest and motivation to learn more about the topic.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are in a forest and need to communicate with your friends using only natural sounds and sounds that can be made with the body. How would you communicate?

2. Consider a group of dancers who need to create choreography without music, using only body sounds. Which parts of the body would you use to create different types of sounds and rhythms?

Contextualization

Body sounds are not only a form of entertainment but also an essential tool in many cultures around the world. For example, in some African tribes, people use body sounds as a form of communication, often to imitate sounds of nature. Moreover, in contemporary artistic performances, body sounds are used to add layers of rhythm and melody, without the need for musical instruments. This ability to create music with the body is both a cultural expression and an art form.

Development

Duration: (70 - 75 minutes)

The development stage is designed to allow students to practically and creatively apply the knowledge acquired about body sounds. By working in groups, they develop collaboration and communication skills, as well as exploring artistic expression through the body. The proposed activities are playful scenarios that stimulate imagination and innovation, engaging students actively in the learning process.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Body Orchestra

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop auditory perception and the ability to work in groups, exploring the creation of sounds with the body.

- Description: In this activity, students will form groups of up to five people to create a 'orchestra' using only sounds produced by the body. Each group will choose a different environment (for example, the forest, the city, the sea) and must represent the typical sounds of that location using only their bodies.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to five people.

• Choose an environment (forest, city, sea, etc.) to represent.

• Use different parts of the body to create sounds that evoke the chosen environment.

• Create a sequence of sounds that represent the passage of the day in that environment (morning, afternoon, night).

• Present the 'orchestra' to the class, explaining what each sound represents.

Activity 2 - Dance of Sounds

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Promote creativity and the ability to synchronize movements with sounds, fostering artistic expression through the body.

- Description: Students will create choreography using body sounds as the basis for music. The objective is to explore rhythms and melodies in a presentation that integrates movement and sound.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to five people.

• Choose a well-known song and create a version using only body sounds (claps, snaps, chest beats, etc.).

• Develop choreography that complements the sounds created.

• Rehearse the choreography and the musical performance.

• Present the choreography to the class, explaining the creation process and the sounds used.

Activity 3 - Circus of Sounds

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Promote coordination among group members and imagination in creating a performance that integrates sounds and action.

- Description: Students will create a circus scene using only body sounds to represent the different attractions, such as juggling, acrobatics, and clowning.

- Instructions:

• Form groups of up to five people.

• Decide which circus attractions each group member will represent with body sounds.

• Create sounds that are characteristic of each attraction (for example, juggling sounds, clown laughter).

• Develop a small scene that includes all the sounds created.

• Present the scene to the class, ensuring that each sound is clearly associated with the corresponding attraction.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

This feedback stage serves to consolidate the learning gained by students during the practical activities. By discussing in groups, students have the opportunity to verbalize and reflect on what they learned, which aids in knowledge retention. Furthermore, by hearing their peers' experiences, they can gain new perspectives and insights, fostering a deeper and richer understanding of the topic.

Group Discussion

To start the group discussion, the teacher can ask each group to briefly share their experience and the difficulties encountered during the activities. It is important for students to reflect on how collaboration and creativity were essential for the success of their presentations. The teacher can also lead the discussion, questioning the choice of sounds, how they were created, and what each sound represented in the presentation.

Key Questions

1. What were the main challenges in creating body sounds to represent an environment or situation?

2. How did collaboration with your peers help in the creation of the sounds and the final presentation?

3. What new skills do you believe you developed by participating in these activities?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The conclusion stage aims to consolidate the learning of the lesson, recapping the main points addressed and highlighting the connection between theory and practice. This recap helps reinforce students' memory and understanding of the content, as well as emphasizing the practical and cultural relevance of the skills developed. By the end, students should have a clear perception of the importance and applicability of body sounds in different contexts.

Summary

In this lesson, students explored how to create sounds with their bodies, using techniques such as claps, snaps, chest beats, and voice. They applied these skills in various activities, such as creating a body sounds orchestra, the dance of sounds, and a circus of sounds, representing different environments and scenes. These practices helped reinforce auditory perception and the ability to express artistically through the body.

Theory Connection

Today's lesson connected the theory of body sounds with practice, allowing students to directly apply the knowledge acquired at home. Through group activities, they were able to experience creating music and sounds collaboratively, reinforcing both the theoretical understanding of sounds and the importance of cooperation and communication in a creative environment.

Closing

Understanding and being able to create sounds with the body is a valuable skill not only in the performing arts and music but also as a form of cultural and personal expression. This ability to use one's body as a musical instrument expands the possibilities for communication and expression, which can be applied in various contexts of daily and professional life.