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Music Education
Resources by Paula Downes, a lot of music by Andrew Downes

Lift Your Eyes Up To The Skies

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: We do actually need to stop flying - have a look at our Climate Change Resources to find out more.

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The first of six cross-curricular lesson plans on Songs of the Skies & Holidays for Primary or Elementary School children using songs and animations, poetry analysis and writing, music analysis, instrument making, art projects and play ideas.


Lift your eyes up to the skies
Animation by Paula Downes, music by Andrew Downes, poetry by primary school children coached by Julie Boden.

If you want to perform the songs, they can be accompanied by the animations, a CD of synthesised sounds (available here), or a chamber orchestra (parts available here). There is also a conductor version of the video for multimedia live performances.


The Poem
Lift your eyes up to the skies
lift your eyes
lift your eyes

Lift your eyes up, let them rise
let them rise
let them rise

Lift your heart to the skies
feel it rise
feel it rise 

Lift your ears to the skies
feel them rise
feel them rise

Lift your eyes up to the skies
lift your eyes
to the skies.




Poetry Analysis
Search for rhyming words, nouns, adjectives. Look for words that are repeated throughout the poem. Is this effective? Why? Discuss the meaning of the poem. What are you looking for, what do you see? What are you listening for, what do you hear? Why should you lift your heart to the skies? Act out the poem.


The History of Flying
Watch the following video:




Poetry Writing
Brainstorm all the senses and discuss how you could use them in a poem about flying.

Ask the children to select words that rhyme from the brainstorm.

Ask them them to write a poem with the same rhyming structure as the poem in the song. They can also repeat certain words in the same way as the poem does in the song.



Music Analysis
Watch the following videos of instruments so they can be easily recognised in the song:


String Section:


Tremolo on strings:


Plucked Strings:


Woodwind:


Brass:


Percussion:



Now listen to the song again and try to recognise the different sections in the orchestra.


Art Projects
Have a look through these 21+ Awesome Airplane/Aeroplane Activities

Move on to We are flying out to Elmdon


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Music Education
Resources by Paula Downes, a lot of music by Andrew Downes

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