KS1 Lesson 6 Starter: Taking off or landing – what does it sound like?

Time: 10 mins

Group size: Whole Class/Group

Focus Track: Also Sprach Zarathustra - https://bit.ly/1tONymZ

Tag words: pitch, high, rising, ascending, crescendo, remember, describe, taking off, landing, moving, up, down, hands 

Ask the class “can you remember this music from earlier lessons? Can you describe it?” (it builds up, it gets louder, the pitch gets higher, it’s like a spaceship taking off, crescendo).

Ask the pupils to listen and explain that you will be playing the sound of a rocket either taking off or landing. Then, using a pitched percussion instrument, play slowly from the lowest/largest note up to the highest/smallest note. Ask them whether they think the rocket was moving up or down. With their hands flat on the floor or table, ask them to raise them as you play again from the lowest to the highest note. Try moving around – but don’t play the other way yet (highest to lowest), as this is used for landing.