Lessons & Units :: Moses Goes to a Concert Kindergarten Unit

Read-Aloud Lesson: Moses Goes to a Concert

Lesson Plan

Moses Goes to a Concert | 670L

Moses Goes to a Concert
Learning Goal
Demonstrate understanding of the main idea by describing how Moses and his classmates experience and enjoy music.
Duration
Part 1: Approximately 20 minutes
 
Part 2: Approximately 10-15 minutes
 
Part 3: Approximately 10-15 minutes
Necessary Materials

Provided:
1. Detailed lesson plan
2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
3. Independent student worksheet

Not Provided:
Moses Goes to a Concert

 
  1. This lesson is a close reading of the entire text. So it’s important to engage students often, to enhance their learning. Here are two tips:

    •   When you ask the more complex questions from the lesson, ask students to “turn-and-talk” or “buddy-talk” before answering.

    •   Once you are deep into the lesson, instead of asking students every question provided, ask them to share with you what questions they should be asking themselves at that point in the text. This is also a great opportunity to use "turn-and-talk."
       
  2. Suggested teacher language is included in the lesson.

  3. We recommend you read the book once to your students, either the day or morning before teaching the lesson.

  4. This research-based, read-aloud lesson may seem long. Why do students need the lesson to be this way?
 

Part 1: Teacher Modeling & Questioning

 

Write the following student-friendly learning goal on the board, then read the learning goal out loud with the class:

We will describe how Moses and his classmates experience the music.

 
Prepare Students for the Lesson
 
Please be sure that all of the students in the class know that if someone is deaf, he or she cannot hear sounds.
 
Sign language is demonstrated throughout the book in various illustrations. However, to achieve the learning goal of this specific lesson, there is not a focus on the sign language illustrations that appear throughout the book.
 
Transition Students into the Text
 
Teacher says:
  • Everybody, take one of your hands and put it gently on the front of your throat.
  • Do you feel anything? Keep your hand there and say “ahhhhh.”
  • Did you feel anything different?
  • What you felt in your hand was the vibration made by the sound of your voice when you said “ahhhhh.”
  • Vibrations are important in the book we’re going to read, about a boy named Moses [show the cover of the book].
 
Read pages 1 and 2 out loud, then stop. Page 2 ends with, “...feel it through his feet, too”. Show illustrations.
1.
Teacher asks: Is Moses able to hear the sounds he is making on his new drum through his ears?
 
Students answer: No, Moses is not able to hear the sounds he is making on his new drum.
2.
Teacher asks: Why can’t Moses hear the sounds he is making on his drum?
 
Students answer: Moses can’t hear the sounds he is making on his drum because he is deaf.
3.
Teacher asks: Although Moses can’t hear the sounds of the drum, what can Moses feel?
 
Students answer: Moses can feel the vibration of the drum.
4.
Teacher asks: Through what parts of his body can Moses feel the vibration of the drum?
 
Students answer: Moses can feel the vibration of the drum through his hands and through his feet.
Read more
5.
Teacher says (models thinking):
  • I read that Moses is playing his new drum.
  • I know that he can’t hear because he is deaf.
  • But he can feel the vibration of the drum through his hands and through his feet.
  • So even though Moses is deaf and can’t hear, he is able to experience, or feel, the music of the drum.
 
Read pages 3 and 4, then stop. Page 4 ends with, “A BIG SURPRISE.” Show illustrations.
6.
Teacher says: So Moses’s classmates are deaf, too.
 
Read pages 5-9 out loud, then stop. Page 9 ends with, “...replies Mr. Samuels.” Show illustrations.
7.
Teacher asks: What is a percussionist?
 
Students answer: A percussionist is a musician who plays instruments like a drum, cymbals, or a piano.
 
Read pages 10 and 11 out loud, then stop. Page 11 ends with, "...and bows to the audience." Show illustrations.
8.
Teacher says (models thinking): I see that Moses and his classmates are at the concert, where an orchestra is going to start playing. I know they are deaf and won’t be able to hear the music. I wonder how they are going to be able to experience and enjoy the music.
 
Read pages 12-18 out loud, then stop. Page 18 ends with, “...pick up the vibrations.” Show illustrations.
9.
Teacher says: The sound from the music makes the balloons vibrate.
10.
Teacher asks: Who have balloons on their laps?
 
Students answer: Moses and his classmates have balloons on their laps.
11.
Teacher asks: Why do Moses and his classmates have balloons on their laps at the concert?
 
Students answer: They use the balloons to feel the vibrations of the music.
 
Read pages 19-26. Page 26 ends with, "'Come with me, children.'" Show illustrations. Turn to page 27, but do not begin reading it yet.
12.
Teacher says: Look at the pictures. They show Moses and his classmates playing Ms. Elwyn's musical instruments.
 
When reading pages 27 and 28, point to the appropriate picture as you read the name of each student and the instrument being played. For example, as you read "Anna plays on the marimba," point to the picture in the upper left corner of page 27.
 
Read the rest of the book. Show illustrations.
13.
Teacher asks: How were Moses and his classmates able to experience music in the story?
 

Students answer (responses should include):

  • Moses was able to feel the vibration of his drum through his hands and feet.
  • Moses and his classmates felt the music at the concert through the balloons, or through the vibrations of the balloons that they held in their laps.
 
Concluding Summary
14.
Teacher asks: What character did we meet in the very beginning of the story?
 
Students answer: We met Moses.
15.
Teacher asks: Where did Moses and his classmates go during the middle of the story?
 
Students answer: They went to a concert.
16.
Teacher asks: What did Moses tell his parents at the end of the story?
 
Students answer: Moses wanted to be a percussionist when he grew up.
17.
Teacher asks: Were Moses and his classmates able to experience and enjoy the music at the concert even though they were deaf? Why or why not?
 
Students answer: Yes, they were able to enjoy the music by feeling the vibrations of the music.
 

Part 2: Guided Practice & Discussion

 
For this oral lesson, it is suggested to have the completed graphic organizer on the board with the answers concealed before this part of the lesson. After students provide a correct answer, reveal the corresponding answer on the graphic organizer.
 
Transition Students into Guided Practice
1.
Teacher says: Let’s retell parts of the story and discuss how Moses and his classmates were able to experience and enjoy music.
2.
Teacher asks: Remember the very beginning of the book when Moses is in his house? What instrument is Moses playing?
 
Students answer: Moses is playing the drum.
3.
Teacher says: We read that Moses and his classmates are deaf.
4.
Teacher asks: What does it mean that Moses and his classmates are deaf?
 
Students answer: It means that Moses and his classmates can’t hear.
5.
Teacher asks: How can Moses feel or experience the music of the drum if he is deaf?
 
Students answer: He feels the vibration of the sound through his hands and through his feet, or through a balloon.
Read more
6.
Teacher says: Let’s retell what happened in the middle of the book.
 
Teacher asks: Remember that in the middle of the book Moses and his classmates go on a field trip? Where do they go on their field trip?
 
Students answer: Moses and his classmates go to a concert.
7.
Teacher asks: Since Moses and his classmates are deaf, how do they experience and enjoy the music at the concert?
 
Students answer: They feel the vibrations through the balloons on their laps.
8.
Teacher asks: Who is Ms. Elwyn?
 
Students answer: Ms. Elwyn is a percussionist in the orchestra.
9.
Teacher asks: How is Ms. Elwyn like Moses and his classmates?
 
Students answer: Ms. Elwyn is deaf too.
10.
Teacher says: Now let’s discuss what happens at the end of the story.
11.
Teacher asks: Remember that at the end of the book Moses is back at his house? Whom is Moses with at his house?
 
Students answer: Moses is with his parents.
12.
Teacher asks: What does Moses tell his parents he wants to be when he grows up?
 
Students answer: Moses tells his parents he wants to be a percussionist.
13.

Teachers says: Now let’s think about Moses, his classmates, and the concert. Now think about the time they spend playing instruments with Ms. Elwyn after the concert.

 

After the answers for the graphic organizer have been completed and discussed with the class, ask the following discussion question.

 
Teacher asks: Why is Ms. Elwyn a good example for Moses and his classmates?
 

Students answer (should include):

  • Ms. Elwyn is a good role model for Moses and his classmates because she is also deaf, and she showed them that with hard work she was able to achieve her goal of being a percussionist.
  • Ms. Elwyn is a good role model because she showed them that even though they are deaf they can still reach their goals or become musicians.
 

Student Independent Practice

 
Read each question out loud to your students and have each student complete the worksheet independently. For questions 5 A) and 6, you can have students draw their answers, answer orally, or write their answers depending on your students’ progress. If you have them write their answers, you may want to write the word(s) on the board for them to copy.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

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Submitted by nelza.laurea_1521739 on 2/6/16

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Submitted by courtney.lumbley_1082306 on 1/22/15

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Submitted by sylvia.plumail on 1/21/15