In short
Class level :Level 1, Level 2, Primary level
Type :Music
Cultural themes :Countires & Landscapes
The Giraffe had a Laugh
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Transform your classroom into a joyous zoo with this incredibly catchy song! "The Giraffe had a Laugh" is the perfect tool for teaching animal vocabulary in a fun and dynamic way. With its ultra-repetitive chorus and simple story of animals laughing together, this song guarantees participation from all students. It's a memorable and entertaining way to familiarize them with animal names and the musicality of the simple past tense (preterite).
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Pedagogical Guide
Resource Objective & Content
The pedagogical objective is to introduce and consolidate zoo animal vocabulary and to familiarize students with the sound of the Simple Past tense (preterite) in a fun and repetitive context.
The song "The Giraffe had a Laugh" tells how a giraffe's laughter spreads to other animals. Each verse introduces one or more new animals: a giraffe, a monkey, a lion, a parrot, an elephant, a zebra, a hippopotamus, a rhinoceros, and an owl. The song uses simple verbs in the simple past tense to describe their actions: "The giraffe had a laugh," "he giggled and wiggled," "the monkey said," "he swung on a vine." The chorus is a very simple and easy-to-sing invitation to laugh all together.
Suggested Lesson Flow
Before the Activity (~5 min): AT THE ZOO
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Present flashcards of the animals from the song. Say the name of each animal and have the class repeat it. Ask students to imitate the sound of each animal.
During the Activity (~10 min): LISTEN AND SHOW
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First Listen: Distribute to each student (or group of students) a flashcard of one of the animals from the song. They must stand up and show their card when they hear the name of their animal.
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Second Listen: Play the song again, focusing on the chorus. Encourage students to sing the "Ha ha ha, ho ho ho..." and clap their hands to the rhythm.
After the Activity (~10 min): THE ANIMAL GAME
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Start a "Simon Says" type of game. The teacher names an animal from the song ("Monkey!") and the students must immediately make the animal's sound and mime its action in the song (swinging on a vine while saying "Woohoo!").
Adaptations
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To Simplify: Focus only on recognizing the animal names and singing the chorus. Use masks or puppets for each animal to make the activity even more visual.
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To Extend: Create a simple worksheet where students must connect the animal's picture to its action or sound heard in the song (e.g., connect the lion's picture to the word "roar," or the parrot's picture to the action of flying).