Overview 

Students will sit in a circle and use sounds to explore a book together.

Rationale 

This experience will help students associate sounds with words, pictures, and stories. By telling a story using
sound, they are exploring the possibilities of sound and how they can be used to represent words, feelings,
actions, and ideas.

I Can Statements (learning goals) 

● I can sing and clap along to the song with a group.

○ K.5 The student will perform rhythmic patterns that include sounds and silences, using
instruments, body percussion, and voice.

● I can create sound based off of pictures I see in a book to help tell the story.
○ K.8 The student will create music by 1. improvising simple melodic or rhythmic patterns; and
2. improvising to enhance stories and poems.

● I can listen to others and sing before and after they’ve spoken
○ K.10 The student will participate in music activities that involve sharing, taking turns, and
other behaviors that demonstrate good citizenship.

Materials 

● I Want My Hat Back ​by Jon Klassen

● A hat (any)

Detailed Process 

Time Required
1 min 1) Students will repeat teacher demonstration of short melody (do mi sol mi do to set
up, switch to do mi sol mi sol), clapping twice after singing the melody. After
repeating a few times, students will sing the words “Have you seen my hat?”

20 sec 2) Teacher will show students a hat and ask them to imagine that they have their own
hat. It can be a hat they own, a hat they’ve seen, or a hat they’ve imagined.

2-3 mins 3) Students will describe their hat (ie: My hat is soft) as if they have lost it and are
trying to tell someone what they’re looking for. They will also make a sound using
body percussion to help describe their hat. In between each description, students
will sing “Have you seen my hat?” and clap twice.
1-2 mins 4) Teacher will show the pictures of the book to the students and bring their attention
to the different animals on each page. Students will find sounds that describe each
animal.

3 mins 5) Teacher will read through the book to the students, prompting the students to sing
“Have you seen my hat?” each time it appears. Students will also make the sound
they have assigned to each animal when it appears on the page. When all the
animals appear on the page, the students will each pick an animal to represent.

Assessments 

● Checklist:
○ Student did not talk or sing over other students
○ Student used a sound to describe their hat and animals
○ Student sang and clapped with the group
○ Student used their sound at the appropriate time when reading the book

Extensions: 

Students can find instruments that they feel best represent their found sounds, and read through the book
using the instruments.

Students can play out the book without any words, using only their found sounds to tell the story as the
teacher turns each page.

Adaptations 

Size In the event that students cannot see the pictures because they are too small, the teacher
will walk around the circle and present each page closely to every student.

Color Each character in the book is represented by a different color of text, making it easier to
differentiate between who is speaking and who is not.

Pacing The song and the pace that the book is read can be sped up or slowed down depending on
the needs of the students.

Modality The students can sing in any number of keys or tonalities based on their needs.