study guide - Will Stroet

study guide
will stroet
study guide
BIOGRAPHY
Will Stroet, an award-winning children’s entertainer and educator connects with kids through high-energy,
interactive and educational music in English and French.
Will is also the star of Will’s Jams, fun and educational videos featuring his popular hits, airing weekday
mornings on Kids’ CBC.
While completing his education degree at the University of B.C., Will discovered his talent for writing children’s music. After releasing his first CD in 2005, and receiving great reviews, Will knew he had found his calling.
Since then, he has performed more than 850 shows at major festivals, schools and theatres across Canada.
Will has released eight albums that have garnered international recognition including a Kids’ Music Award,
a West Coast Songwriters Award, approval from the Parents’ Choice Awards, and several nominations from
the Western Canadian Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards and Canadian Independent Music Awards.
Will’s music is also featured on Putumayo’s compilation, Kids World Party, and is on regular rotation on
Galaxie radio and CBC Music.
Will is also a member of B.C.’s ArtStarts in Schools roster and board of directors, and regularly leads
music workshops for teachers and students.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Set-up time: 40 minutes
Performance length: 45 minutes
Space requirements: on the floor of your gym; 6 metres by 3 metres
Technical requirements: a power outlet (equipment provided by performer)
DESCRIPTION OF PERFORMANCE
NOTES FOR THE AUDIENCE
Award-winning children’s entertainer Will Stroet
inspires kids to be active, healthy, creative and engaged
in the world through educational music in English and
French. Catchy and kinetic, Will and his Backyard Band
perform a high-energy school show with fun actions
and sing-along choruses.
During his performance, Will keeps students engaged by
inviting them to participate with simple actions, singing
and dancing. His entertaining songs have comical and
catchy lyrics so that students, teachers and parents will
remember his educational messages well after his show.
While Will encourages audience participation,
he also knows the importance of maintaining crowd
control. Before his show starts, he ensures students
understand the proper audience etiquette.
Will’s music is rich in educational content and
focuses on topics such as reading, sportsmanship,
road safety, animals and hygiene. His 45-minute
performance includes music from all of his albums and
is guaranteed to entertain both students and teachers.
The French or bilingual version of the show also
focuses on using music as a language-learning tool.
As a former French immersion music teacher in
Vancouver, Will has seen how effective music can be in
teaching students a second language.
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
“JUST IMAGINE”
1. “Just Imagine” – Imagination activity (intermediate level)
a) Listen to the song with the class.
b) Discuss what students love to do.
c) Discuss how these interests might translate into the adult world.
Question: What would you like to become when you grow up?
As a class, choose two examples together and discuss what someone might have to do, or skills they might need to
have to do this career.
d) Have each student illustrate and/or describe 1. Their interest 2. The job it might become
3. Three examples of things you’d need to do to achieve this.
2. “Colour It!” — Action-based activity (primary level)
Actions for the chorus:
“I’m done my picture” (fingers making a frame)
“Needs a colourful mixture” (shake open hands as in mixture)
“Get out my crayons” (Pulling crayons out of a box, disco style, to the beat)
“I’m going to colour it” (action of colouring a picture in front of you)
3. “ Ella’s Umbrella” — Illustration activity (primary level)
a) Listen to the song with the class.
b) Discuss rainy day activities that are fun to do indoors and outdoors.
c) Have students illustrate their favourite rainy day activities to do indoors and outdoors. Have them draw a simple
house on one side where they can draw their favourite indoor activity. On the other side of the paper, have them
draw their favourite outdoor activity.
“IMAGINE”
1. “Imagine” — Activité d’imagination (niveau intermédiaire)
a) Écoute la chanson (toute la classe)
b) Demande aux enfants leurs intérêts et passe-temps préférés. (classe)
c) Remue-méninges de carrières reliées à leurs intérêts.
“Qu’est ce que tu veux faire quand tu seras grand?”
- Choisis deux exemples et identifie des étapes pour atteindre ce but de carrière.
d) Dessine et/ou décris 1. Leurs intérêts, 2. La carrière, 3. Trois étapes pour atteindre ce but de carrière. (seul)
2. “Mon dessin éblouit” — Activité de gestes (primaire)
“Mon croquis est fini” (les doigts forment un cadre)
“Besoin de couleur” (Geste de colorier un dessin)
“Je prends mes crayons” (Retire des crayons de la boîte, style ‘disco,’ au rythme de la chanson)
“Mon dessin éblouit” (Bouge les mains)
3. “Le parapluie de Louis” — Activité d’illustrations
a) Ecoute la chanson
b) Remue-méninges d’activités amusantes pendant des jours de pluie à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur
c) Chaque enfant dessine une activité d’intérieur sur un côté de la page, et une activité d’extérieur de l’autre côté.
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“WALK ‘N’ ROLL”
1. “Hygiene and Eugene” — Action-based activity
Actions for the chorus
“Wash your face and ears” (rub hands in front of face)
“Floss and brush your teeth” (use finger to simulate tooth-brushing)
“Scrub your hands they’re dirty” (scrub hands together)
“Don’t stop until you count to 30” (hands showing stop)
(All yell “Hygiene!” together while raising a hand in the air)
2. “Reading Revival” — Verse composition exercise
a) Listen to song (class together)
b) Identify the books that are sung about in the song (class together)
c) Ask students to choose their favourite book (individual or with a partner)
d) Ask students to write their own verse about their favourite book
— using the format and rhyme scheme from the song (individual or with a partner)
e) Share verses with class
3. “Oh my, my Hippopotami” — Action-based activity
Actions for the chorus:
“Have you heard?” (hands cupped around ears)
“There’s a whole herd” (Open hands out wide and sweep them in front of the chest)
“Well oh my, my” (open hands against cheeks)
“Look at the hippopotami” (hands cupped around the sides of the eyes)
(Everyone opens their mouths as if they are hippos)
“ENSEMBLE, EN CADENCE”
1. “Hygiène et Eugène” — Activité de gestes
Les gestes pour le refrain
“Essuie ton visage” (frotte le visage avec les mains)
“Brosse bien tes dents” (brosse les dents avec un doigt qui ressemble à une brosse à dents)
“Lave tes mains elles sont sales” (frotte les mains ensemble)
“Compte jusqu’à trente, c’est l’idéale” (ouvre les deux mains trois fois pour trente)
(Tout le monde crie “Hygiène!” ensemble)
2. “A la biblio” — Activité: Composition d’une nouvelle strophe
a) Écoute la chanson ensemble (toute la classe)
b) Identifie les livres dans la chanson (toute la classe)
c) Les étudiants choisissent leurs livres préférés (seul ou en partenaire)
d) Les étudiants composent leur propre strophe au sujet de leur livre préféré — en utilisant la même format et rime
de la chanson (seul ou en partenaire)
e) Présentation des nouvelles strophes en classe
3. “Ra ba dam dam, les hippopotames” — Activité de gestes
Les gestes pour le refrain
“C’est comme un show” (bouge les mains ‘jazz hands’)
“Il y a un troupeau” (ouvre les mains des deux côtés)
“Ra ba dam dam” (bat le rythme sur les jambes)
“Regarde les hippopopotames” (les mains au dessus des yeux)
(tout le monde ouvre leurs bouches comme des hippopotames)
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“MY BACKYARD”
1. “Bike Safety Boogie” — Action-based activity
“Sit on your bike” (stand as if straddling a bike with hands out on handlebars)
“Put your helmet on tight” (reach up, grab you helmet and put it on your head)
“Signal left, signal right” (signal with your hands left and then right)
“Stop, look and listen you’re doing all right” (put your palms out for ‘stop’; hands above eyes for ‘look’;
and hands cupped around ears for ‘listen’)
2. “Henry the Meowing Dog” — Creative activity
a) Listen to the song (class together)
b) Discuss some other animals and the sounds they make (class together)
c) Have students choose an animal and a different sound for that animal (individual or with partner)
d) Have students name their animal (individual or with partner)
e) Have students illustrate their animal making the different sound — the illustration should include something that makes it clear this animal is confused about its identity (individual or with a partner)
f) Have students share their animal illustrations with the class
“DANS MON JARDIN”
1. “Le boogie à vélo” — Activité de gestes
Les gestes pour le refrain
“N’oublie pas ton casque” (mets un casque imaginaire sur la tête)
“Signale à gauche et à droite” (main signale à la côté gauche, ensuite à droite)
“Arrête, regarde et écoute” (mains en avant pour ‘arrête’, mains au dessus des yeux pour ‘regarde’,
mains autour des oreilles pour ‘écoute’)
“À bicyclette suis le code de la route” (imagine que tu es assis à bicyclette)
2. “Henri le chien qui miaule” — Activité: Création d’un animal confus
a) Écoute la chanson (Toute la classe)
b) Remue-méninges d’autres animaux et les sons qu’ils font (toute la classe)
c) Les enfants choisissent un animal et le son d’un autre animal (seul ou en partenaire)
d) Les enfants donnent un nom à leur animal (seul ou en partenaire)
e) Les enfants font une illustration de leur animal avec le son qu’ils ont choisi — le dessin doit indiquer clairement
que l’animal pense qu’il est un autre animal (seul ou en partenaire)
f) Partage les animaux et les dessins avec la classe
“WILL ET SA MAMAN”
1. En haut, en bas” — Activité de gestes
“En haut” (les bras en haut)
“En bas” (les bras en bas)
“A gauche” (les bras à la gauche)
“A droite” (les bras à la droite)
“J’aime faire les exercises” (tape le rythme dans les mains)
“Je marche” (marche sur place)
“Je cours” (cours sur place)
“J’avance” (un pas en avant)
“Et je recule” (un pas en arrière)
2. “Merci, merci” — Activité: Composition d’une nouvelle strophe
a) Écoute la chanson (toute la classe)
b) Demande aux enfants de quoi ils sont reconnaissants (toute la classe)
c) Ecris les idées sur le tableau (toute la classe)
d) Remplace “Pour le pain, les fruits aussi” avec les idées des enfants (toute la classe)
e) Chante les nouvelles strophes ensemble
For more information about Will Stroet, to purchase CDs and watch videos, visit willmusic.ca and youtube.com/willstroet.
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