Before starting this unit, you might want to check that children can recall:

• How to engage different voices (speaking and singing).
• How to follow ‘my turn, your turn’ to learn a rhyme or song.

Invite the children to sit in their own space. Explain to the children that they will hear two pieces of music and once they have heard them, they will move their bodies according to the music.

Play the Audio: Slow (up to 00:15).

Ask the children to stand up in a space, play the audio again and ask them to move around the room in a way that reflects the music. Observe their movements and offer praise for those who move according to the music they hear (for example, moving slowly or calmly).

Next, play the Audio: Fast (up to 00:15).

Again, ask the children to move according to the music.

Invite the children to sit down and encourage them to think about the differences between the two audio tracks they heard (mainly, one was fast and one was slow). Take feedback on the children’s observations.

Play the two audio tracks again and ask a small group of children to demonstrate their movements to the two audios to the rest of the class.

Ask the following questions:

Moving like a snail and mouse

Explain to the children that the two pieces of music could represent two animals: a mouse and a snail. Display slide 1 of the Presentation: Snail and mouse in the garden.

Presentation: Snail and mouse in the garden

Divide the class into two groups and explain that one group will be the mice and the other group will be the snails. Ask the children to imagine they are in a beautiful garden, like in the picture on slide 1.

Say the following words and make the sounds twice, once slowly and once fast. You may wish to perform the slow sounds directly to the ‘snail’ group and the fast sounds to the ‘mice’ group, asking them to repeat the slow sounds if they are snails and the fast sounds if they are mice.

I’m moving along a twig (slap alternate thighs).

I’m rustling through some leaves (rub hands).

I’m hungry (nibbling sound).

I’m thirsty (slurping sound).

I’m tired (yawn).

I’m sleeping (snoring).

Swap the groups over so that the whole class has demonstrated being both the mouse and snail. 

Snail and mouse rhyme

Ask the children if they can think of words to describe how the mouse and snail move (the mouse: quickly, in a hurry; the snail: taking time, slowly).

Explain to the children that they are going to learn a rhyme to explore how the mouse and snail move.

Use ‘my turn, your turn’ and the Resource: Snail and mouse rhyme (one for the teacher) to share the rhyme, ensuring the snail verse is slow and the mouse verse is fast or alternatively play the following Audio: Snail and mouse rhyme (with pulse) or Audio: Snail and mouse rhyme (without pulse). 

Audio: Snail and mouse rhyme (with pulse):

Audio: Snail and mouse rhyme (without pulse) :

Model the actions to go alongside the rhyme. Hold out one arm and use the fingers from the other hand to slowly mimic the finger creeping up the arm to the beat of the snail moving as you say the first part of the rhyme. Repeat this for the actions of the mouse, scurrying quickly as you say the second part of the rhyme. Invite the children to copy the hand movements.

Say the rhyme together using the actions at the same time, emphasising keeping to the beat and showing a contrast in speed between the mouse and snail.

Display slide 2 of the Presentation: Snail and mouse in the garden to the children and explain that you will share some movements for them to mimic while they hear the audio from the start of the lesson.

Invite the children to stand up. Ask them to move like the mouse rustling through some leaves, saying “Crunch” quickly while playing the mouse audio button.

Then, ask them to move like the snail rustling through some leaves, saying “Crunch” slowly while playing the snail audio button.

Ask half the children to sit down and repeat the activity with the half stood up. Invite feedback from the children sat down as to what they noticed about the movements and sounds (the snail movements were slower than the mouse). Repeat with the other half of the class.