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Weather Lesson Plan

This lesson is suitable for primary pupils with profound or severe learning difficulties and may be suitable for some pupils with autism. These pupils may be starting to recognise, copy, and/or create simple patterns of sound e.g. recognising or vocalising individual words, getting quieter or louder, getting faster or slower, a steady beat.

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

Pattern-makers

Pattern-makers

Pupils with profound or severe learning difficulties; may include autism. ‘Pattern-makers’ are able to recognise, anticipate, and copy simple patterns of sound.

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 rainstick or any kind of shaker instrument (e.g. egg shaker, ocean drum) – anything that sounds a bit like rain or water
  • A chime bar or any kind of metallic-sounding instrument (e.g. triangle, glockenspiel, bells) – anything that sounds bright
  • A small selection of percussion instruments for pupils to choose from and play – anything!

Backing tracks

Music Learning Outcomes
  1. Listening: to respond to simple patterns of sound (e.g. start and stop, getting louder, getting quieter, getting faster, getting slower, a steady beat, very simple rhythms)
  2. Creating: to create simple sound patterns by vocalising or using an instrument or their body (e.g. start and stop, getting louder, getting quieter, getting faster, getting slower, a steady beat, very simple rhythms)
  3. Interacting: to copy simple patterns that another person has made or to recognise that their simple patterns have been copied back to them (e.g. getting louder, getting quieter, getting faster, getting slower, a steady beat, very simple rhythms)
Links to wider curriculum

PSHE: Playing and working together, identifying and expressing feelings (Sunshine Song)

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 (weather/nature), Expressive Arts and Design (music)

Key vocabulary

Wind, rain, storm, sun, sunshine, fast, slow

Hello Song

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

Windy Day

A simple music and movement activity that explores fast and slow sounds

Incy Wincy Spider

This activity offers the opportunity to respond to and explore different types of sound

Sunshine Song

This activity offers children the chance to play music together and to play solo

Goodbye Song

A goodbye song to signal the end of the lesson