Character Focus: Peter

Unit Context

This is Lesson 2 of 9 in the Year 2 unit "Exploring Peter and the Wolf," designed to integrate movement, drawing, listening, and creative expression around the musical and narrative elements of the story. The focus in this lesson is on Peter's character as the brave boy, using music and arts as ways to explore his role and the concept of bravery.

Curriculum Alignment

This lesson is aligned to the NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum: The Arts — Music for Years 1 and 2.

Relevant Learning Objectives from NSW Curriculum:

MU2.1: Respond to and perform music using voice, body percussion and/or classroom instruments.
MU2.3: Explore and use the elements of music in different music styles, including beat, rhythm, pitch, dynamics and tempo.
MU2.4: Use movement to explore and respond to music.
MU2.7: Describe where, why, and how people experience music in daily life and different cultures.
Engage in meaningful music experiences that explore feelings, stories and characters through sound and movement.

Lesson Details

Year level: Year 2 Duration: 60 minutes Number of students: 18 Lesson title: Character Focus: Peter - The Brave Boy Unit: Exploring Peter and the Wolf (Lesson 2 of 9)

Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

Identify the musical theme associated with Peter and describe what it conveys about his character.
Express ideas about bravery through movement and vocal expression.
Demonstrate understanding of how music and physical movement contribute to storytelling.
Participate actively in creating music and movement sequences inspired by Peter’s character.

NSW Curriculum Links

Develop awareness of how the elements of music (pitch, tempo, dynamics) create character and mood (MU2.3).
Use movement and voice to express ideas and emotions in response to music (MU2.4).
Explore the role of music in stories and cultures, and share their responses (MU2.7).

Resources and Preparation

Audio recording of Peter’s musical theme from "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev (e.g., light, lyrical melody associated with Peter’s character)
Open classroom or hall space for movement activities
Whiteboard or chart paper for brainstorming and shared discussion
Paper and crayons/pencils for quick sketching or visualising bravery
Simple percussion instruments (hand drums, shakers, woodblocks) optionally available for improvisation

Lesson Sequence

1. Welcome and Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Teacher-led discussion: Brief recap of the story concept introduced in Lesson 1 (who Peter is and the context in the story).
Body warm-up: Gentle stretches and animal-inspired movements to engage students physically.
Discuss ‘bravery’: Ask the class what they think bravery means. Note a few key ideas on the board.

2. Listening and Musical Exploration (15 minutes)

First listen: Play Peter’s musical theme once without interruption.
Prompt students to close their eyes, listen carefully, and imagine what kind of character the music might represent.
Group discussion: What did the music make them feel or think about? (Prompt with words like “brave,” “happy,” “light.”)
Movement response: Invite students to move around the room as if they were Peter—how would Peter move if he was brave? Encourage movements that are confident, light, or curious.
Optionally break students into pairs or small groups to create a short "Peter movement phrase" inspired by the music.

3. Vocal Expression and Creative Response (15 minutes)

Vocal exploration: Using simple pitch patterns or call-and-response, invite students to "be Peter’s voice" - speak or sing with confidence and bravery in small phrases (e.g. "I am brave!", "I will be careful!").
Improvisation: Using percussion instruments, students take turns creating a rhythmic pattern inspired by Peter’s character and musical theme.
Encourage students to experiment with tempo (fast/slow) and dynamics (soft/loud).

4. Reflection and Creative Drawing (10 minutes)

Brainstorm bravery attributes: Draw on the board characteristics of bravery shown by Peter (e.g., courage, cleverness, kindness).
Drawing activity: Students sketch or colour their own image of Peter showing bravery.
While drawing, students quietly listen to the musical theme again to inspire their artwork.

5. Sharing and Closing (10 minutes)

Invite students to present their movement phrase or vocal expression to the class.
Share drawings and discuss how the music helped them understand Peter’s character.
Summarise the lesson by reinforcing the connection between music, story, and character traits like bravery.
Preview next lesson focus (e.g., exploring another character or the story’s setting).

Assessment and Feedback

Teacher observes student participation and engagement in movement, vocal activities, and discussion, noting their ability to express bravery through creative responses.
Use questioning to gauge understanding of how music conveys character traits.
Informal peer feedback during sharing to build confidence and reinforce learning.
Collect drawings as a visual record of students’ understanding of bravery and Peter’s character.

Differentiation and Support

Provide movement options for students with different physical abilities.
Offer cut-out visual cards with bravery words and images to support vocabulary.
Allow some students to respond through alternative means (e.g., verbal over drawing, or simple rhythmic clapping).

Reflection for Future Lessons

Note which students engaged deeply with the music and movement.
Consider incorporating technology for recording movement or vocal improvisations in future lessons.
Extend bravery theme to interpersonal skills or classroom community building activities in following lessons.

This lesson uses a multi-modal, experiential approach designed to engage Year 2 students in listening, movement, vocalisation, and creative arts, supporting their understanding of musical storytelling and emotional expression in line with the NSW music curriculum for early primary students.

Teaching Instructions