Hatching new scientists every day!

Read and Discuss: Kitchen Dance

A family has fun singing and dancing together in the kitchen.

Materials

  • Kitchen Dance by Maurie J. Manning

Key Science Concepts

  • An action has to take place in order for a sound to occur.
  • Different objects make different sounds.
  • Sounds vary in volume (loud or soft), and pitch (high or low).

Directions

Before you read: Hold up the cover and ask, What do you think this story will be about? Who do you think the people in the picture are, and what are they doing? Show children the cover, and read the title and author’s name. Ask, how does the title help us to know what the story is about?

As you read: You may want to read the book straight through once. On a second reading, stop after the first few pages, and ask, What do the children hear? Do they know where those noises are coming from? What do you think will happen next?

After you read: Ask, What was the father doing with the wooden spoon? Why did he hand wooden spoons to the children? Have you ever pretended to sing into a microphone, too? What language are they singing in? How do you think this family feels as they dance and sing in the kitchen? Show a page where the family is very lively, and then the page where children are growing sleepy, “Finally, the kitchen dance slows.” What are some of the different feelings that music can create? How does slow music make you feel? What about fast music? Why do you think the parents slowed down the music and the dancing? Create a chart called “Music and Feelings,” with one column describing the music (fast, slow, loud, excited, sleepy, happy, having a strong beat) and a second column describing the feeling it creates.