There are so many kinds of sounds in our world. This book is a good introduction to the science of sound. It gives simple examples that many preschool children will be able to grasp.

Materials

• Small boxes and Tupperware’s
• A variety of rubber bands
• A piece of rubber hosing (I had an old hose that broke)
• 2 funnels and duct tape
• Ear phones

Vocabulary

• Vibrating (to shake back and forth very fast)
• Howler Roars (loud howling sound)
• Echolocation (listening to the sound waves or echo to find a location)
• Sonar (a way to send sounds through the water)
• Decibels ( how loud a sound is)

Before reading the story

Go through the five senses with the children.  Point to your eyes and ask what are these?  What are they used for?  Name me something that you see?  Do the ears last.  Tell the children that your story today is about your ears and all the sounds that they can hear.  Introduce the story.

Science/Scientific Knowledge; expands knowledge of and respect for their bodies and the environment.

Reading the Story

As you read, think about the sounds that the book is using.  Do you have a can of pencils that you can have close by to share the sound?  With the children make a quick clap or snap sound with your hands.  Have the children put their hands to their throat to feel the vibration and use your hand to show vibration on the page that talks about the inner ear bones.  On the page where it talks about echolocation, stop and allow the children the opportunity to repeat the word.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

After Reading the Story

Remind the children about what kinds of voices you use throughout the day. Talk about using your whisper voice at rest time, your talking voice during free choice time, and your shouting voice during outdoor play.

Language Development/Speaking & Communicating; progresses in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversation and discussions with peers and adults.

Sounds start in your throat and come out your mouth.  Hum the Alphabet Song with hand on adams apple.  What other sounds can you make using your bodies only? (clapping, clicking tongue, slapping thighs, etc).

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops  increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question,task, or  problem.  AND Creative Arts/Music; experiments with a variety of  instruments.

Discovery

Give the children the boxes/containers and many rubber bands.  Explain that they are to wrap the rubber bands around the boxes/containers to make a guitar like instrument. Let them experiment making different sounds by using loose fitting rubber bands and tight fitting rubber bands over a variety of paper and plastic containers.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods/begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations. AND Creative Arts/Music; experiments with a variety of instruments.

Add stethoscope to listen to your heart.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

Music and Movement

Play the YouTube Listen and Move by Greg and Steve .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j24_xH5uvdA

Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multi-step directions.

Get out the musical instruments today and strike up a band.

Creative Arts/Music; experiments with a variety of musical instruments.

Use a tambourine to play Forward & Backward. Explain to the children that when you shake the tambourine, the children are to move forward. When you strike the tambourine the children are to move backwards. Try shaking and striking at different tempos and for varied lengths of time.

Creative Arts/Movement; shows growth in moving to different patterns of beat and rhythm in music. AND Language Development/Listening & Understanding; shows progress in understanding and following simple and multi-step directions.

Blocks

Put out wooden blocks today and help the children notice the sound they make as the children stack them or knock them over. Do different kinds of blocks make different sounds? Does the sound change by how high the blocks are stacked? Make sure to remind the children of any height stacking rule that you have in place.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and a variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.  AND Physical Health & Development/Fine Motor Skills;  grows in hand-eye coordination in building with blocks, putting together puzzles, reproducing shapes and patterns, stringing beads, and using scissors.

Art

Put music on near the easel today.  Use classical.  See if it effects how the child paints.

Creative Arts/Movement; expresses through movement and dancing what is felt and heard in various musical styles and tempos.

Sand and Water

If the season is right, fill the table with dry leaves today for the children to crunch. If not, find another medium that makes a noise for the children to listen to and experiment with today.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

Add water to the table today and have the children listen to the sounds of it as it pours. Try adding tall containers, funnels taped to pieces of plastic tubing, and metal objects.

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.

Library and Writing

Put out any books on tape that you might have. Show the children how to use the headphones and adjust the volume to hear. Or let the children listen to stories on the computer.

Literacy/Book Knowledge & Appreciation; shows growing interest in in reading related activities, such as having a favorite book read; choosing to look at books; drawing pictures based on stories; asking to take books home; going to the library; and engaging in pretend-reading with other children.

Dramatic Play

Make a sound traveler.  Use a piece of rubber hosing 4-8 feet long. (I used a piece of old hose that had developed a leak).  Attach a funnel to each end with the duct tape.  Put one funnel end in the dramatic center and the other into the center beside (mine happened to be blocks).  A child can then whisper talk to a child the next center over. Make sure to remind them that this is a whisper tube so they do not shout in each others ear. (My class liked to pretend that they were calling the firemen, the pizza guy, or talking to their family at work).

Creative Arts/Dramatic Play; shows growing creativity and imagination in using materials and in assuming different roles in dramatic play situations.

Math and Manipulatives

Put alphabet letters into a box or bag.  The child picks one without looking.  Can the child name the letter they have picked?  Make the letter sound with the child.  Can they think of a word that begins with that letter sound?

Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their name. AND Literacy/Alphabet Knowledge; increases in ability to notice the beginning letters of familiar words.

Outdoor Play

Go outside with a clipboard and have the children sit quietly and listen for a moment.  What sounds did they hear?  Write their responses down and use it to talk about later at lunch. (Cars, birds, insects, the wind, voices)?

Science/Scientific Skills & Methods; begins to use senses and variety of tools and simple measuring devices to gather information, investigate materials, and observe processes and relationships.  Initiative & Curiosity; grows in eagerness to learn about and discuss a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

Transitions

Ask each child to name either a loud sound or a very quiet sound. (This can be difficult for some children but I have had wonderful answers such as a “cat’s purr” and “that thing that broke up my driveway”).

Approaches to Learning/Reasoning & Problem Solving; develops increasing ability to find more than one solution to a question, tqask, or problem.

Resources

Steve Spangler makes a very cool water whistle that you might like to try with older children.