Instrument Lesson Plan

Title: Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Grade Level: 1st

Source: Professor McConkey

Materials needed:
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Lucille Colandro
4 Glockenspiels
4 Finger Cymbals
2 Vibraslaps
4 Triangles
2 Drums
2 Cow Bells
2 Tone Blocks
2 Jingle Bells

Procedure:

A.S: What does it mean to add?

1. Begin by asking students what it means to add. Allow multiple students to answer
so you can understand their thinking.
2. Now, introduce the book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.
3. Read the first page of the book.
4. After reading the first page, introduce the last line to the students “Perhaps she’ll
die” and have them say it with you whenever you read that line in the story.
5. Now, you will add instruments to represent the animals that the old lady
swallowed.
6. Introduce the instruments that you want to use, by naming the instrument, and
playing the sound it makes.
7. As you introduce the instrument, count each of them and continue to add to the
previous number of instruments that you have handed out with the students. This
will help them improve their math skills while also incorporating music.
a. The first instrument is the glockenspiel. This instrument will be used to
play the line “Perhaps she’ll die”. Once you introduce the instrument, play
the tune of “perhaps she’ll die” and teach it to the class. Then pass the
instrument to a couple of students for them to play.
b. The second instrument is the finger cymbals, which will represent the fly.
Whenever the word fly is said in the story, the students with the finger
symbols will play their sound.
c. The third instrument is the vibraslaps. This instrument will represent the
spider. So, the instrument will be played whenever those who have it hear
the word spider.
d. The fourth instrument is the triangle. This will represent the bird. So
whenever you read the word bird, the kids who have the triangle will play
their sound.
 e. The fifth instrument is the drum, which will represent the dog. When the
kids who have the drums hear the word dog, they will play their sound.
f. The sixth instrument is the jingle bells, which is used to represent the cat.
Whenever the word cat is read, those who have the jingle bells will play
their sound.
g. The seventh instrument is the cow bells. This will represent the cow. So
when the word cow is read, then the kids who have the cow bells will play
their sound.
h. The last instrument is the tone blocks. This will represent the horse. So,
whenever the horse comes into the story, the kids will play their sound.
8. Now that all the instruments have been passed out, a total of 22 should have been
handed out. Count with the students and make sure they know how many
instruments are present.
9. Now that everyone has an instrument, you will read the book again and have all
the students play their instruments when their words are read.
10. Each instrument should have been played by the end of the book.
11. At the end of the story, have all the kids play their instruments all at the same
time and let them go crazy for a little bit.

Closure: Review how many of each instrument are present and then review how many
there are in total.
 Educational Objective: By the end of this lesson, students will have learned basic
addition skills.

Social/ Cognitive Physical Musical Non-Musical

Subjects
Emotional
Listening to the Playing a National Standards “Core” Music Content
book and making variety of Standards Standards
sure that they instruments
play their 1. Singing Creating Mathematics
instrument to Imagine Operational and
their animal MU:Cr1.1.1a Algebraic
Plan and Make
Thinking
Learning basic 2. Play Instruments MU:Cr2.1.1a
addition skills by Count to tell the
adding how Evaluate & Refine numbers of
many objects
instruments are 3. Improvising Present
present
Performing
Select
MU:Pr4.1.1a
4. Composing
Analyze

Interpret
5. Reading &
Notating Rehearse,
Evaluate, & Refine

Present
6. Listening Responding
Select

Analyze
7. Evaluating
Interpret

Evaluate
8. Integration
Connecting
(outside arts) Connect #10

Connect #11

9. History/Culture