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Space Lesson Plan

cThis lesson is suitable for primary and secondary pupils with moderate or severe learning difficulties and may be suitable for some pupils with autism. These pupils may be starting to recognise, create, or copy some chunks of sound or music e.g. lines from songs and jingles.

This lesson will offer pupils opportunities to listen to, create, and interact with different music and sounds that relate to the theme of space. The lesson is bookended by a hello and goodbye song, and then there are three main activities that explore space and space travel.

Motif-makers

Motif-makers

Pupils with moderate or severe learning difficulties; may include autism. ‘Motif-makers’ can recognise and create longer chunks of music.

Lesson Format

The activities in this lesson can be undertaken in one go or could be divided over a couple of lessons. Try repeating the activities over a series of lessons and see how your pupils’ musical responses change and develop.

Download lesson plan View all activities

Resources needed

  • A small selection of percussion instruments for pupils to choose from and play – anything!
  • A picture of a rocket, pictures of any other modes of transport (bus, train, plane etc.)
  • Chime bars or any other metallic-sounding percussion instrument

Backing tracks

Music Learning Outcomes
  1. Listening: to be able to recognise short phrases of sound (e.g. lines and short sections of songs)
  2. Creating: to be able to create short phrases of sound by vocalising or using an instrument or their body (e.g. lines and short sections of songs)
  3. Interacting: to be able to copy back short phrases that another person has made or to sing or play the same short phrase together (e.g. call and response activities, singing or playing short chunks from a song together)
Links to wider curriculum

PSHE: Playing and working together

EYFS: Communication and Language (turn-taking, imitating, and responding to others using instruments and vocalisation; vocabulary
development), Physical Development (gross and fine motor skills), Understanding the World (travel, space), Expressive Arts and Design (music

Key vocabulary

Rocket, moon, numbers 1-10, today, hello, goodbye, friends

Hello Song

A hello song to welcome pupils into the space and to cue the start of their music class

Sound and Silence

A simple song which challenges pupils to play and stop together

Rocket Song - part 1

This activity offers the opportunity to play instruments together in different ways

Rocket Song - part 2

This activity offers opportunities for one-to-one interaction and playing together

Goodbye Song

A goodbye song to signal the end of the lesson