Hi and welcome back to Attention-ology for K – 5 Teachers!
I wasn’t sure if my class would “buy in” to simulating the awesome sound of waves rising in the ocean and crashing on the beach – a quick activity I recently tried out to catch students’ attention before introducing a new writing assignment.
(As you know, my blog promises readers “classroom-tested” attention-ology tools and tricks. So, I knew that I had to try out my ocean simulation before sharing it with you.)
It was a WOW moment for me to see twenty-five fourth graders transfixed by my ocean simulation! I began with an invitation to visit the beach through our imaginations. I explained that we were about to hear the sound of the sea, waves rising up high and crashing onto the sandy shore…
…Then I gracefully raised my arms together from my right side to over my head, making a whooshing wave sound as I did so. My next move…arms still together, I “crashed” them down in front of me and to my left side, making a paaa-chooooooo wave landing sound as my arms sped through the air.
Look at my blog pics below and you’ll see that every student followed my lead,
Arms stretched high simulate ocean waves rising.
raising their arms and lowering their arms like waves in harmony. A couple of kids even stood spontaneously and pretended they were surfing! “Look at me!” they shouted, their arms outstretched to balance on their imaginary boards. I was amazed at the effectiveness of an attention-getting trick that requires nothing but a little guided movement and voice. Try it; see if it works for you.
"Paaa-chooooooo!" Pretend waves crash on the beach.
Asking students to pay attention to sound and the other four senses by simulating nature is a wonderful way to bring the outdoors inside. If you teach in the US, particularly, I wonder if you’ve noticed as I have that many kids seem to lack enthusiasm for spending time outdoors in activities other than organized sports. I’ve had children in grades 2 – 5 stare blankly at me when I’ve asked them to name their favorite place outdoors, a place to write about – the beach, a river, a park, the woods, a mountain trail near a lake, even the closest yard or school playground. I believe that teachers can help children change their thinking from, “I don’t really like to be outdoors” to “Let’s go outside, any way we can!”
I designed my ocean simulation to be an attention-getting trick and also a tool to help children connect with the outdoor world. Following is a writing activity suited for grades 3 – 5 that creates more opportunities to simulate the sounds of nature. You can modify this activity for younger students.
Seasonal Sounds
- Begin the activity by writing phrases on the board that personify each season of the year, assigning sound words (underlined) as action words in the phrases. For example, summer sunshine laughs, fall whispers, campfires crackle and hiss, spring sings songs of renewal.
- Ask students to write four headings on new sheets of notebook paper, as follows: Sounds of Summer, Sounds of Fall, Sounds of Winter, Sounds of Spring. Under each heading have your students write sound words and phrases that they associate with each season.
- Optional: Invite students to begin writing a story that takes place in one of the four seasons. Encourage the class to use words and phrases in the story that connect with the five senses.
Pausing to enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature, by actually stepping outdoors or through sound simulation inside class, may be a welcome antidote to all the bad news that confronts and sometimes consumes us each day – students, parents, and teachers alike.
Remember, you don’t need to be a magician to work magic in instructional settings!
Talk with you next week,
Barbara ♥ The Lovable Poet
