LOADING...

If a class can"t take an educational field trip to the ocean, this highly interactive show might be the next best thing. I lead the students in a progressive sequence of participatory song, movement a... Read more

If a class can"t take an educational field trip to the ocean, this highly interactive show might be the next best thing. I lead the students in a progressive sequence of participatory song, movement and story. Students easily follow me in a physical illustration of a Seafood Chain. We start with a tiny shrimp (pinky) bobbing in the water, and work our way up to a killer whale (full-body movements). Along the way we enact an eel, octopus, tuna fish, great white shark. Afterward, we take a closer look at many of these and other sea creatures. We learn what they eat, how they feed, who preys on them, and how they protect themselves. When I"m teaching something, I often let them figure out terms and concepts. The songs which follow serve to reinforce the learning. Plus, when the lesson is put into their bodies, e.g. in the whale version of "Head, Flippers, Tail and Flukes" , they will always remember that a whale"s tale has two flukes because they"ve "somaticized" that. (I realize that word is not in the dictionary, but it is perhaps the best way to describe much of my teaching method.) Students will be up and moving periodically through the show which would have over a dozen routines and songs in a variety of genres. I literally have hours of marine repertoire to draw from and can easily adapt the content according to the grade and curriculum goals. Students will be having lots of fun while learning boatloads about the sea and many of its inhabitants.