Submitted by Andrea Cope, Texas
Idea posted May 10, 2006
A Mailing List member recommended "Mortimer (Munsch for Kids)," by Robert N. Munsch, and we've had such fun with it.
I read the story but don't show the pictures. I much prefer imagination. I provide the sound effects with my voice.
I read it again using a xylophone for the steps, tambourine for "BE QUIET," rhythm sticks for "cling clang rattle bing bang," and nesting drums for the slammed door and the fights. We vote on which version was more fun to listen to. There is no contest!
Next, we make a circle. One fourth of the group gets sticks, one fourth gets tambourines, one fourth gets nesting drums, and one fourth gets xylos. I used xylopipes for this. The colored bars made it easy to climb the stairs on a one-octave C scale. Mom walks up at normal speed, Dad runs, and the policemen climb very slowly. I let students gliss for the 17 brothers and sisters, once up and once down. After each version of the story, they stand and rotate to the right to the next group of instruments. This is done until each student has had a chance to play each type of instrument. With the last version of the story, I improvise all kinds of new adventures for Mortimer and company, to the great and loud delight of all.