7 Nature’s Symphony and Our Emotions – Change and Transformation

Environment

Helping children become aware of the natural environment as a whole by identifying how sound and emotions provide complementary information to visual elements.

Making it Inclusive

Consider that some people may have hearing difficulties but can feel the vibrations in their body. You can point out examples of musicians who have played and composed even though they lost their hearing ability (Ludwig van Beethoven, Phil Collins, Evelyn Glennie, Pete Townshend, Neil Young, Brian Wilson, Ozzy Osbourne, Jeff Beck, will.i.am).

Task 1: Recording the sounds around us

Instructions: Help children connect with nature and understand how different sounds can evoke various emotions, as well as increase awareness of the soundscape that surrounds them and the different environments.

Digital tools: Use simple apps like Voice Memos (iOS) or Easy Voice Recorder (Android) for recording.

1. Preparation
   • Provide children with a simple recording device (e.g. a tablet, smartphone or digital recorder).
   • Explain that they will be going outside to record different sounds from nature and human-made environments.
2. Outdoor Exploration

   Take the children to a park, schoolyard, or nearby nature area. Encourage them to record a variety of sounds such as:

   • Natural sounds: leaves rustling in the wind, birds singing, water flowing, etc.
   • Human-made sounds: cars passing by, sirens, people talking, etc.
3. Sound Recording

   Allow each child to take turns recording the sounds they find interesting.

4. Listening Session

   Back in the classroom, listen to the recordings together. After each sound, ask the children to identify the sound and discuss what they heard.

5. Emotional Connection

   Discuss how each sound makes them feel. Ask questions such as:

   • What emotion does this sound make you feel?
   • Does the sound make you feel happy, sad, calm, excited, scared, etc.?
   • Why do you think this sound makes you feel that way?
6. Sound Landscape drawing
   • Sit in a circle with a large paper filling the circle on the ground and explore how to draw sounds and how they feel.
   • Then encourage each person to individually draw their own soundscape of the activity, drawing the sounds in relation to themselves.
   • Compare and contrast, finding similarities and differences.
   • Return to the big piece of paper and collaboratively create a soundscape with your individual experience and what you remember from other people’s drawings.

Task 2: Move to the Sounds

Instructions: Help children express emotions through movement and enhance their understanding of how different sounds can evoke various feelings by playing different sounds and explore movement to make a dance choreography.

1. Play Different Sounds

   Choose a variety of sounds from the recordings made during the outdoor exploration. Include both natural sounds and human-made sounds.

2. Encourage Movement

   Play each sound one at a time and encourage children to move or dance in a way that represents the emotion they feel from the sound.

   Prompt them with questions such as “How does this sound make you want to move?” or “Can you show me with your body how this sound makes you feel?”

3. Sound-collage and Dance Creation
   • After exploring individual sounds, create a sound-collage by combining several of the recorded sounds into a single audio track, using a tool like GarageBand or Audacity.
   • Play the sound-collage and work together to invent a dance that represents the collective emotions evoked by the collage.
   • Encourage children to think about how the different sounds blend together, and how their movements can transition from one emotion to another.
4. Reflect about the activity

   After the dance, gather the children in a circle and discuss their experiences.

   • Which sound made you feel the happiest?
   • Was there a sound that made you feel calm or relaxed?
   • How did you decide on the movements for each sound?
   • Did you enjoy creating a dance together? Why?