Looking for advice on one of my lessons

[josh751]

I am currently interviewing for PGCE courses (Primary) and on my next interview I have to tell a short story to the interviewers as if they were children and we are allowed to use props.

Well most will come in with story sacks and puppets I plan on bringing in my guitar and teaching them a story through song in the hopes that it makes me stand out.

The story/song has to be geared toward ages 4-8 and I am only allowed 5 minutes so I plan on singing 'She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain..'

I plan on getting pictures printed out and laminated of the subjects of each of the verses and give them to the children (lecturers) and have them hold up the picture that associates to the verse I am singing (for example. When I start singing 'She'll be driving six white horses when she comes' the children will hold up the picture of a girl with six white horses) I also plan on having the key words written at the bottom of each picture (so for 'she will have to sleep with grandma' I will have a the words 'Sleeping with Grandma' at the bottom).

I also plan on starting the lesson by teaching the children to sing the chorus (singing ya ya yippee yippe ya) and every time I start the chorus they have to sing along and for the verse 'she will have to sleep with grandma' I will sing it very softly and have the children sing along with me very softly.

Can anyone provide me with any feedback on this lesson and any improvements or changes they might make?

Thanks for your time

It's a lovely lesson and I like the pictures, but I'm not sure it quite fits the brief as I don't think "She'll be coming..." is really a story. Could you not tell a simple story with more of a plot, and include music as part of it? A bit like Peter and the Wolf, perhaps?

Thanks for your reply, I am only limited to 5 minutes though and I can't find anything that I can apply music to and tells an informative story for that time frame

Really? Loads of songs tell stories. If it's aimed at 4-8 yr olds, then I think your idea sounds a bit low-level. My 7 yr olds would not be challenged by finding the picture of 6 horses and holding it up. It doesn't sound like it fits the brief either - they're asking for a story, not a music lesson. I like the idea of using music, but really think you need a better song - one that tells a story.

Thanks for your reply, Do you have any suggestions for songs I could maybe use? cheers

Just an idea but check out blowin' in the wind on amazon. It looks like a story which incorporates the song lyrics... You could sing the lyric bits and then tell the rest of the story...

I'm not a teacher btw- but I like the sound of what you're doing- but agree that she's coming round the mountain isn't really a story...

All Julia Donaldson stories lend themselves to being sung- you can make up a tune to suit! Monkey puzzle is superb/ use soft toy animals as props and give each a different voice in the story. You could hand props to 'children' for good listening, sitting, joining in etc?

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly, London Bridge is Falling Down, 5 Little Ducks went Swimming One Day, lots of pop songs, lots of ballads.

The song "when goldilocks went to the house of the bears" would work for the lower age. You could bring in size language for the bears, beds etc. it's got very simple chords for guitar.

Lots of stories with lyrics and guitar chords here

www.storytimesongs.com/guitar.html

Sorry on phone and can't do links

I would change the song, composing your own to a familiar story would be ace,
The gingerbread man
What the ladybird heard
Would be my choices, both quite short and have repeated phrases.
You could have the pictures done and then each child holds the picture up as they hear the word (set as a listening task)

But I do wonder if singing a story would work, can you tell it but singing the repeated sections with the guitar? You might need your hands?

Great idea, but I would adapt it slightly. Use a song as a base, but get the children to suggest phrases to go in.

E.g. if using the old lady who swallowed a fly, the children suggest what she swallows each time and you all sing their version together.