Peter and the Wolf Lesson 2 - Learning the Themes and the Instruments

 Lesson 2 - Learning each of the themes for the seven characters in the story - also learning to recognize and name the instruments used for each character.

Here is a treat for you:  Go to this website and you can download this delightful version of Peter and the Wolf.  It is an mp3 file.  Right click on the file to download it.

http://www.archive.org/details/PeterAndTheWolf_753

Now that you have the file, you can play it on the computer. I recommend iTunes.  Please notice that on the left side of the playing bar at the top of iTunes, there is a number counter that counts minutes and seconds as you play a piece of music.  Take note of the following markings:

Peter's music:  1:56-2:30
The Bird's music 2:46-3:12
The Duck's music: 4:06-4:45
The Cat's music: 5:54-6:13
Grandfather's music: 7:38-8:18
The Wolf's music: 9:24-10:10
The Hunters' music: 17:05-17:52

You will need to be able to find these parts of the music as you do the following booklet together.

Below, there is a page for each of the characters. The pages need to be printed for each child.   You have to choose the correct instrument by circling it and there is a little song made up to go along with the music for each of the characters.  Help the children learn to hear and recognize these melodies. There are empty boxes for missing lyrics.  The children can write the missing words in the boxes. Use your large instrument pages to help identify the correct ones.  The children may want to color the pages when you are done with the lesson.

Note that the actual melody is pictured with icons.  The icons show not only the length of the musical notes but also the upward and downward movement of the notes.  They are a visual representation of the music - shown as icons so that young children can see how the melody is played.

Here's a website that has the themes already isolated for you:  Easy to use for future "games" and lessons!

http://www.orcba.org/school/patwsound.html

Note:  The Hunters actually have two themes or  melodies.  There is the hunter's marching music and then the hunter's guns.  The kids will want to know both of there.  The worksheet for the hunters incorporates both but the melody line is the marching music and the instrument is for the hunter's guns.  Please make sure they learn both.