Summer Sound Exploration

Subject Title

Music

Strand

Listening and Responding / Performing / Creating

Strand Units

• Appreciating and Responding to Music
• Performing Music
• Composing and Improvising Music

Learning Outcomes / Content Objectives (From Irish Primary School Curriculum)

• Recognise and discuss simple musical forms and patterns using appropriate musical language.
• Perform short rhythmic and melodic phrases accurately on classroom instruments.
• Create simple rhythmic and melodic patterns using voice and instruments.

Learning Objectives

The child should be enabled to:

1. Recognise sounds associated with summer and identify them using their voices and chime bars.
2. Perform a simple melodic pattern on chime bars accurately as part of a group.
3. Create a short summer-themed melody using chime bars and share it with the class.

Assessment

• Method of Assessment:
  Observation of students’ participation in rhythmic clapping and chime bar playing; listening to individual and group performances; peer and self-assessment at conclusion of activities.
• Assessment of:
  Ability to identify and reproduce sounds; accuracy in performing melodic patterns; creativity in composing simple patterns.
• Where recorded:
  Teacher observation notes recorded digitally on the class music portfolio; peer feedback recorded on class whiteboard.

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Teaching Questioning

Question	Type	Lesson Part
What sounds do we hear in summer?	Lower order (Recall)	Introduction (I)
How can you use the chime bars to show a summer sound?	Higher order (Apply)	Development (D)
Can you change your melody to make it sound more like summer?	Higher order (Create)	Development (D)
How did working in a group help make your music better?	Higher order (Evaluate)	Conclusion (C)
What did you enjoy most about using the chime bars today?	Lower order (Reflect)	Conclusion (C)

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Language Development Opportunities

• Use of key vocabulary such as “melody,” “rhythm,” “pitch,” “pattern,” “texture,” and “summer sounds.”
• Encouraging descriptive language related to summer scenes and sounds during discussions.
• Opportunities for students to verbalise their creative process when composing and performing.

Literacy Development Opportunities

• Reading simple rhythmic and melodic notation visuals on the board or IWB.
• Writing or drawing a simple pictorial representation of their summer sound composition during follow-up activities.
• Using sentence starters for peer feedback such as “I liked... because...”

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Lesson Body

Introduction (10 minutes)

• Stimulus: Play a short audio clip of sounds commonly heard in summer (birds, beach waves, children laughing). Ask students to close their eyes and listen carefully.
• Elicitation of Prior Knowledge: Discuss with the class – “What sounds did you hear? Can you make any of those sounds with your voice or body?” (I)
• WALT: “We are learning to use chime bars to make summer sounds and melodies.” (written visibly for students)
• WILF: “I will listen carefully and play simple summer tunes on the chime bars.”

Development (30 minutes)

• The teacher will demonstrate how to play simple notes on the chime bars, labelling each note with colour-coded stickers to support memory. (D)
• The teacher will explain and clap a short rhythmic pattern that mimics a summer beat (e.g., raindrops or footsteps on sand). Students echo the pattern using their hands or chime bars. (D)
• The teacher will play a simple summer melody on the chime bars. Students listen, then try to play it back in small groups (3-4 students per group), encouraging peer support. (D)
• Students will be guided to create their own short summer-inspired melody with chime bars in pairs, choosing sounds they think represent summer. (D)
• Groups share their melodies with the class, discussing the choices they made for their “summer sound song.” (D)

Conclusion (5 minutes)

• Recap the WALT and WILF with students verbally. (C)
• Guided reflection discussion: “What was your favourite summer sound? How did playing together make your music better?” (C)
• Cognitive piece: Students think quietly for one minute about how summer makes them feel and what sounds they might hear then raise their hand to share one new idea or word. (C)
• Social: Praise group cooperation and encourage listening to others during music-making. (C)
• Transition: Teacher reminds students that next time they will explore singing summer songs using their voices, and they should keep thinking about summer sounds they like. (C)

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Accommodations

Pupil(s)	Reason	Method	Additional Comments
Pupil 12 (ASD)	Sensory sensitivity, need for routine	Use visual step-by-step charts for playing chime bars; allow use of noise-cancelling headphones during listening	Provide clear, calm instructions with reduced distractions
Pupil 23 (Dyslexia)	Language processing difficulties	Use colour-coded notes and rhythm cards; peer buddy support for reading instructions	Offer verbal instructions supplemented by visuals
Pupils 25 & 26 (EAL)	Language acquisition support	Use simple, repeated language; visuals and gestures; pre-teach key vocabulary	Provide bilingual word lists or picture dictionaries if possible
Pupil 4 (Hearing impairment)	Partial hearing loss	Seat pupil near teacher and chime bars; provide visual cues and hand signals	Use face-to-face communication to assist lip-reading
Pupils 24, 9, 17 (High ability maths)	High reasoning ability	Challenge to create complex rhythmic patterns combining time signatures	Encourage leadership roles in group tasks
Pupil 22 (Lower ability)	Processing & motor skills variability	Provide one-on-one support with chime bars; simplified activity steps	Use tactile and visual prompts for guidance
Pupil 15 (Social/Emotional support)	Needs positive reinforcement	Use praise and structured roles during group work; provide calming breaks if needed	Check in emotionally before and after tasks

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Learning Environment

The lesson will take place in the general classroom arranged so that students can be seated in a semicircle for listening and watching demonstrations, with tables grouped for small ensemble work. Space will be allocated for safe use of chime bars.

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Resources / Materials Needed

• Chime bars (1 per student or one per pair) colour-coded for notes
• Audio playback equipment (speakers connected to IWB or laptop)
• Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) for displaying notation and WALT/WILF
• Rhythm and pitch flashcards with images representing summer sounds
• Visual step-by-step charts for instrument playing
• Whiteboard and markers for charting student feedback and assessments
• Noise-cancelling headphones for sensory needs

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This lesson integrates active listening, performing, and composing aligned to the Irish Primary Curriculum for third class, providing a rich multi-sensory experience with chime bars themed around summer sounds to engage 9-year-old students fully.