Poetry, Music and Visual Arts - The Train

One of my favourite poems of all time is "The Engine Driver" by Clive Sansom.
Use it to teach beat/rhythm, ostinato, composing and construction.

THE ENGINE DRIVER
The train goes running along the line,
Jicketty -can, Jicketty -can.
I wish it were mine, I wish it were mine,
Jicketty -can, Jicketty -can.
The engine driver stands in front ---
He makes it run, he makes it shunt;
Out of the town,
Out of the town,
Over the hill,
Over the down,
Under the bridges,
Across the lea,
Over the bridges,
And down to the sea,
With a Jicketty -can, Jicketty -can,
Jicketty -can, Jicketty -can,
Jicketty -can, Jicketty -can…

BEAT
The train goes running along the line   4 beats per line
Chant the poem while clapping/tapping the beat.
Chant the poem using percussion instruments to keep the beat

RHYTHM
Jickety can  Jickety can 
Tap or beat this rhythm  *** *   *** *    *** *
Chant the poem while tapping this rhythm
Chant the poem replacing the words with this rhythm (tapped or played on percussion)

Chant the poem combining both of the above (one group clapping the beat, another tapping the rhythm)
Do the same with one group playing the beat with claves, the other playing the rhyth on woodblocks.
Try creating a soundscape by omitting the chanting altogether and experimenting with different instruments.

SPEED/DURATION
Try slowing down the train/speeding it up by varying the pace at which you recite

OSTINATO
Have one group chant the "jickety can" rhythm while the other chants the poem
Invent other sound patterns to replace the words "jickety can" and try these out

COMPOSING
Invent a simple melody for the poem
Put it all together in various ways!

CONSTRUCTION
Add some visual arts work!
Divide your class into groups, ask each group to get a shoe box.
Construct an engine and carriages using a variety of contruction materials.

Visual Arts and Gaelige

The emphasis in the Gaeilge curriculum is on encouraging conversation and on the development of oral language skills so why not use the visual arts to do this through the use of posters designed and created by the children themselves.

Take the topics/themes outlined in the Gaeilge curriculum, write these on small cards, put them into a small container. Divide your class into groups and ask each group to select a card. Each group must do a collaborative/cooperative drawing/painting about the subject - get them to try and converse in Gaeilge as they are working and to include a lot of detail (they might need to work on this over a number of days).

When the posters are complete each group must display their poster in turn. Ask questions as Gaeilge of each group about the content of their poster
- ceard e seo
- an bhfuil ........sa phictiur
- inis dom.....
- ce he seo   etc etc

Each group must then collaborate to create an oral presentation, as Gaeilge, about their poster and deliver it to the class. They must then write out this presentation for display beside their poster. These can then be read by children from other groups.

Take digital photos of the posters, write the commentaries using a word programme on the computer and assemble all together into a book - make your own reading programme!

There you have it - oral language, writing and reading, all based on the children's own language! No need to buy a commercial Gaeilge programme!

CATAPILLOW

One of my favourite poetry books for children is "An Imaginary Menagerie" written
by Roger McGough. Puffin Publishers ISBN 0-14-032790-8
It's a collection about both real and imagined animals and contains wonderful
examples of word play.
My particular favourire is a play on the word 'caterpillar' where the poet plays
with the word to imagine a creature called a 'catapillow'.

A catapillow
is a useful pet
To keep
upon your bed
Each night you simply
fluff him up
Then rest
your weary head.

Use this poem as a wonderful stimulus for work with fabric and fibre.
Each child is asked to bring to school a pillow/cushion (or indeed to bring
pillowcases and stuff these).
They collect pieces of interesting fabrics and varieties of fibres.
They are asked to imagine a creature called a 'catapillow' that lives
on their bed.
By sticking, stitching, collaging, using applique, embroidering, etc etc they
construct their creature.

Follow up by writing about their creature.

MODROC

'Modroc' is the technical term for plaster-of-paris bandaging when it
is used as a visual arts material. It's a very versatile material and can
be used to replace the more traditional technique of strip papier mache.
Three or four layers of bandaging dries much more quickly than papier
mache and results in a much sturdier product

These pots were created using modroc.

Coat paper/plastic cups with vaseline.
Cut the modroc into small manageable strips.
Dip the strips into water and begin to cover your pot.
Work in different directions and layer the strips as you work.
Allow to dry - only takes a day or two.
Remove the inner form.
Decorate your pot with ordinary poster paints, inside and out.
When the paint is dry add a coat of PVA glue to seal

You might use the work of particular artists to inspire the painted design.
Modern artists such a Klee, Gris, Picasso, Matisse, etc can provide inspiration for striking designs.

Use these pots to
- plant small plants in for Mothers' Day
- create Easter gifts by filling with tiny Easter eggs
- hang upside down as Christmas tree decorations etc

Any form can be covered with modroc in a similar way.
- cover blank masks to create fantastic masks for Halloween
- cover vases, bottles and other containers to create larger forms
- cover plastic catering plates to do a project on ceramic design

Oral Language: Telling Stories / True or False

I was at the ACAE workshop at the weekend.
I loved this idea for storytelling presented by Claire Murphy
from Children's Books Ireland.

The children are asked to each think of some exciting/interesting/scary
event that has happened in their lives.
In turns, groups of three children are asked to leave the room and tell
their stories to each other. One of the stories is selected to be the one told to
the class.
When the three return to the class they must tell the chosen story in turn. Two
have to pretend that it is their own story and tell it as if it had happened to them.
The listeners must decide who is telling the truth - whose story it actually is!

Great for both developing listening and speaking skills.

A Writing Idea: New Comparisons

Examine a few common similes such as "as proud as a peacock" or "as good as gold".
Firstly try to get the children to create alternatives to these conventional similes.
Afterwards suggest a few advectives and ask them to come up with new comparisons/similes
Here are a few to start you off

Conventional Similes
- as proud as a peacock
- as good as gold
- as warm as toast
- as white a snow
- as heavy as lead
- as drunk as a lord
- as quick as lightning
- as cold as ice
- as sweet as honey
- as light as a feather
- as mad as a hatter

Adjectives on which to base new similes

happy    long    short    beautiful    clean    clever    small    rich    tall    clever    strong    poor
wise    lazy    free    colourful    fresh    ugly    smooth    powerful    innocent   
juicy    delicious    brilliant    sly    rotten    mad    boring    peaceful    shy    furious

Create sentences that include your new similes.

HISTORY The Origins of Everyday Things

Take a look around your house and you will see that it is a kind of museum. In every room, on every surface, are the exhibits, everyday things that are taken for granted, but each of which has its own story. Engage senior pupils by doing a research project on objects such as the microwave oven, the iron or the umbrella. Broad historical themes will emerge as part of the children's research. Many everyday objects have surprisingly long histories, dating back to the dawn of civilisation, their development often follows a pattern; invented by the ancient Egyptians or Babylonians, perfected by the Greeks or Romans, lost in the dark ages, rediscovered during the middle ages, mechanised and electrified by the Victorians and mass produced in the 20th century. Choose objects to research from
- the kitchen: washing machine, fridge, food mixer, tea bags, sliced bread etc
- the bathroom: toilet, toothpaste, soap, hairdryer, lipstick, etc
- the bedroom: futon, eyeglasses, alarm clock, dentures, buttons, etc
- the study: lightbulb, pencils, biro, paperclip, etc
- the general household: matches, vacuum cleaner, television, etc