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Recently kindergarten children started to notice birds flying in and around our playground more frequently usually after lunch or afternoon tea. Few weeks ago, they noticed nest on gumtree, and we wondered "which bird built its nest here?"

We heard different birdsongs and calls

wondered which bird made that sound?

We wanted to know why the birds sang or call?

We observed a magpie swooping down and flying back into gumtree with the nest, other smaller group of birds flying, feeding on food scarps and wondered

"why different birds behaved differently?

Thus, our inquiry into daily movements/ routines of birds through temporal arts began.....

we read some great books on birds, beginning with "how the birds got colors" respecting Aboriginal culture.

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1.Backyard birds' identification by Sound/Bird calls!

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1.Backyard birds' identification by Sound/Bird calls!

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Rationale: Learn about Biodiversity in the surrounding area and foster appreciation of nature in children.

Aim: To develop auditory skills and learn to identify birdsongs and create soundscape art.

Learning Objective: Children learn to pay attention to sounds and express their ideas in non-verbal art media.

Theoretical Perspective: Philosophy and practice of 'Deep listening' by Pauline Oliveras (TEDx Talks, 2015b) enables us to focus and pay attention to our surrounding and increases awareness of sonic environment around us.

Introduction: Discuss 'songlines' aboriginal perspective and discuss importance of nature and its connection to their people.

Resources: Use images and sounds worksheet from websites to identify the birds. Record local birdsongs or sounds. Crayons, watercolors, or texters for soundscape artwork.

Instruction: Play guessing games using YouTube

Ask open-ended questions "Have you seen this bird before?", "where did you see?"

-Practice on interactive worksheet.

-choose a spot where you can listen to surrounding without distraction.

-provide colors crayons/pencils/watercolors etc easily accessible by children.

-Record and play 1-minute recording of the area where we spotted birds.

Teacher notes:

Encourage children share information freely and ask open ended questions about location, physical description of the birds.

For soundscape experience encourage children to breath and relax to deeply listen to sounds.

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Background:  Aboriginal Songlines or Dreaming

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Background:  Aboriginal Songlines or Dreaming

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Songlines (memory maps) offer rich explanations of land formations, plant and potions, animal behaviors that are passed down from generation to generations and shows the deep connection between land and its people.

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Narrative -collected over period of time on different occasions in our playground. 

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Narrative -collected over period of time on different occasions in our playground. 

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me: "look the nest is high on gum tree"

S: " branches are holding the nest" why is it so high?

me: why? can you think about it?

S: I think so no one can reach it!

me: yes, clever birds.

H: what is the nest made of? " It is too high to look in"

H: "we can look it up in google!"

T:"I wonder what is in the nest? eggs/chicks?"

me: We see a bird flying in and out near and around the tree? why do you think?

S "That is a magpie"

me: How do we know it is a magpie?

S: "It is black and white in color "

me: " that is right"

me: " What is the magpie looking for? treasure or treats?

K: "Magpie birds fly to get food?"

M: "what food do magpies eat?"

me: I think bugs, frogs, seeds and anything they find over ground and under the ground, but we can check on Melbourne Museum website.

F: "They also to get treasures like shiny objects"

Is it Mommy or Daddy magpie?

"Who feeds the babies? Mum or Dad?"

G: Magpie flying to protect the nest from other birds/snakes/cats/other animals?

"Birds peck with beak or grabbing with feet? they hold with their feet and eat with beak."

me: Is the bird call we hear is magpie's call? how can we find out?

H: we can research on Youtube or Melbourne Museum website

S: Why is Magpie so loud? what time does magpie call/make sound?

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we used YouTube videos as transition game/activity to identify birds.

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Guess the Bird Sound - Australian Bird Calls

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2. Mimicking .... the birds' movements! 

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2. Mimicking .... the birds' movements! 

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Rationale: A playful way for physical development and appreciate diversity of movements in birds' behaviors, mating dance, and communication.

Aim: To engage in a creative and imaginative way to mimic bird movements and appreciate and connect to nature.

To Foster body awareness and improve their balance and coordination engaging creative medium.

Theoretical Perspective: Reggio Emilia approach is constructivist practices to follow child's lead, questioning, and enhance adult behavior.

Language as cognitive tool (Vygotsky,1978) which children can use to express and create their musical understanding through communication.

Learning Objective:

Children will learn to listen and follow instructions of the movements and improve vocabulary.

Children learn to observe, mimic and explore different ways body moves inspired by birds and express movements creatively.

Resources:

Book "Move" by S.Jenkins & R.Page

Move! by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

Birds can Dance video

Flash cards of bird movements with prompts.

Instruction:

-Children will observe different moves of birds in nature.

-They can mimic the bird moves using the prompts/flash cards.

-They can try and follow the dance moves of birds watching the video on the interactive screen.

Teacher notes:

Ensure plenty space either indoor or outdoor for all children to move.

Free exploration and discover movements should be encouraged.

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We had fun moving like birds to the upbeat music and prompts.

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3. 'I am a Bird' Dramatic (Pretend/role play)

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3. 'I am a Bird' Dramatic (Pretend/role play)

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Rationale: To develop curiosity, cognitive empathy to understand the world from bird's perspective and develop respect for environment we share.

Aim: To foster cognitive skills like problem-solving and creativity in children.

Learning Objective:

To build nest using natural materials found in nature and available loose parts for imaginary indoor nest.

To utilize imaginary scenarios to act out bird behaviors through role play.

Theoretical Perspective: Reggio Emilia approach.

Bangarra theater performance 'Mutton bird', clan totem and a symbol of identity. They mimic the birds' flight and connection to the land while exploring themes of cultural disruption and preservation within the context of colonization.

Resources: Books, build nest with branches, twigs, leaves etc for outdoor play. Large tub/cardboard box, blankets, pillows, beak masks, fabric wings and cardboard eggs.

Introduction: Read Aesop's fables ebook "The Magpie's nest"

https://youtu.be/HbKuCCTmSq8

Instruction:

Preparation stage, choose to dress up, wings and beaks (include beak mask making activity)

At the site, encourage children and co-participate in gathering branches and twigs.

When "nest" is completed, encourage to wear costume and encourage children to share their stories and act out the scenarios.

Ask open ended questions "what is your story?", "what are the birds doing", what is your role? which scenarios are you acting out and why?"

Teacher notes: Allow ample amount of time and choose location that is closer to service. Encourage returning of natural resources back to nature before leaving the location.

Encourage reflective practice with children by questioning " How did you feel?" why did you choose that role? 'What was your favorite part and why?" " what was your least favorite and why?" and record.

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Aboriginal perspective - Book reading experience

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Aboriginal perspective - Book reading experience

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How the Birds got Their Colours - by Mary Albert

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1. Identify birdcalls with soundscape art

Positive-Children engaged in listening and curious to participate in soundscape art experience. It encouraged mindfulness with calming impact on children.

Children voice- I want to draw animal sounds and people sounds too!

Negative-Few children could not engage for long and said it was boring.

Next time- Choose smaller group and provide headphones for deeper undistracting experience.

Future practice- Slow pedagogy, take time to listen and communicate with children and colleagues. Include mindfulness routine activities like yoga and nature walk etc.

2. Mimicking the birds' movements

Positive-Children were excited and actively participated and were discussing and comparing other dance moves they knew to bird moves.

Children voice- "I like to the chicken dance to toilet!"

"lets move like birds when we go outdoors"

Negative-Reluctance and hesitation from few children (personal and cultural)

Next time-Routines to support freely explore and encourage any expressive activity music/dance/drama. Introduce different cultural music/dances and encourage free dance form.

Future practice- Include dance movements during transitions and other routines.

Encourage playful exploration in designated space (music area/basket) with diverse resources and repetitive music/dance activities.

3. Role play 'I am a bird' Dramatic experience

Positive- Active participation by most of children. Dramatic play with no script to follow made it interesting for children to imagine and develop their own role/character and express it in their own unique way.

Children's voice - Suggestion to build indoor nest to represent "caged or pet birds" was by children.

Negative-Children did not play for long time in outdoor nest, weather and schedule being barriers. Indoor nest was successful but reluctant to dress up.

Next time-Set the scene/space with more resources. Role model enthusiasm to participate and social skills like sharing, responsibility and teamwork with each other and towards environment.

Future practice- Foster confidence in children with simple roleplay/ dramatic play scenarios every day. Ex- Can you say 'no' with different emotions? or play dumb charades games etc. Dramatic area with resources for variety of imaginary play.

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H: When we focus and listen, we can hear many different birds along with wind, voices and other sounds around us.

T: Birds move for many reasons like for Nesting, feeding, cleaning, and communication.

S: Magpies are songbirds that can mimic other birds.

M: Birds move aggressively to protect their babies.

K: Birds are not just singers but good dancers too.

G: Building nest like birds is very tricky.

H: Being a bird in nature is hard work but pretending to be one is fun.

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My experience throughout the unit has been enjoyable and educating. I believe that music is universal and has no boundaries and my exposure to unit materials and tasks have impacted profoundly. Strating with Victor Wooten's (TEDx Talks, 2013) take on music to be learnt as language, where mistakes are embraced as a part of the process of learning resonates with me and encourages me to be involved with children to play around to either create or/& appreciate temporal arts. According to Young (2002) “teachers need to provide tools (music from around world, found sounds and spontaneous vocalizations), inspiration and allow exploration of children’s musicality”

Bond,V.L. (2013) Which inspired my role as co-researcher with children is a work in process and has allowed us to be reflective on inclusion and diversity in the classroom. Ex- Thinking about caged birds' rhythms when playacting, use technology like Merlin bird ID app for accurate identification, use in-trend music for dance experiences.

My focus at present is to integrate Slow and Active/Deep listening pedagogical practices and ‘hundred languages’ concept, where children are encouraged and role modelled to express themselves through art, movement, symbols, and many more forms of communication.

Reflective practices along with documentation are being recorded and revisited with children and colleagues has supported me to have a better understanding of new theories about children’s learning.

In the words of Rinaldi (1995) “Combined with the idea of the hundred languages of children, pedagogical documentation may, through having a trust in life, contribute to vitalization of life.”

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TEDx Talks. (2015b, November 12). The difference between hearing and listening | Pauline Oliveros | TEDxIndianapolis [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHfOuRrJB8

bangarradance theatre. (2015, May 20). Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-PV98Oshkc

TEDx Talks. (2013, May 30). Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0

Roy, D., Baker, W., & Hamilton, A. (2015). What are the Arts and what do they ‘do’? Teaching the arts: Early childhood and primary education (2nd ed., pp. 11–13). Cambridge University Press.

Bond, V. L. (2013). Follow and facilitate: What music educators can learn from the Reggio Emilia approach. General Music Today (Vol. 27, pp. 24–28). Sage.

The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, edited by Carolyn Edwards, et al., Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2011.

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Indoor roleplay with made up scenarios (pet birds at homes/cages) playacting as 'Big' bird protecting its 'baby' in the nest.