Desperately Seeking Silence

Episode 50                                                                            Planet: Sound

Learning concept of the episode: Sound can be muffled in a variety of ways.

Story Summary

After a delicious picnic on the Tiny Planet of Sound, Bing digs a pillow out of the satchel and settles back for a nap. Bong, bored, notices a drum shaped flower hanging from a tree that Bing is resting against. Bong bounces on top of the flower and dances wildly, accidentally awakening Bing. Bong doesn’t want to stop, so Bing tucks his pillow into the drum muffling the sound. It works! Bong continues dancing and Bing falls asleep… until a nearby tree joins in the drumming. Bing muffles the tree with another pillow. Then, a gaggle of Flockers join in the drumming. At wits end, Bing slaps on a pair of pillow earmuffs and sleeps so soundly that they almost miss the alarm!

Focus Early Learning Goal

Knowledge and Understanding 1: Investigate objects and materials by using all of their senses as appropriate.

Linked ELGs

PSE3, CLL3, CLL12, C2, C4

Preparation

• Watch the Tiny Planets episode 
• Talk about what Bing and Bong did in the story.

Talk about…..

• Various sounds
• Quiet times, why do we need quiet times?
• Hearing Impairments

Focus Activity

Name that Sound (see overleaf)

Follow-on Activities

• Read “Peace at Last” by Jill Murphy
• Play sound lotto game
• Sing songs, quietly and then loudly

Name that Sound

Aim

For the children to use their sense of hearing to recognise sounds when they are muffled or distorted

Resources

• Pillow
• Noisy items e.g.  radio, alarm clock, car vacuum

Guidelines

• Have a small group of children sitting in the quiet area, have one child sitting on a chair with their back to you
• Muffle the noise of an item and ask the child to identify it
• If they guess correct, uncover the item and play back the sound
• Encourage the children to notice the difference
• If the children find this easy you can cover your mouth with the pillow and sing a song or say a word that the child has to guess

Key Vocabulary

Listen, sound, noise, quiet, muffled

Health & Safety

Explain to the children the dangers of pillows and suffocation, not to hold pillows over peoples faces etc.