Storytelling With Music

If Youre Happy
And You Know It
Objectives
1. Students will listen to the story
2. Students will receive a mask cut out of an animal and
discuss which animals flap their wings or which animals
could stomp their feet.
3. Students will then act out the story with either stomping
their feet or flapping their wings.

Grade Level: 1st

Time: 15-30 minutes
Lesson Design by Nina Pohl
& Ashlyn Tyl

Materials
-Animal Face Masks
-Warhola, James. If You're Happy

and You Know It: Jungle Edition.

New York, NY: Orchard, 2007.
Print.

Activities/Procedure
1. Read the story If Youre Happy and you Know it. It starts
out with the original song and then leads into a second
part which is the Jungle Edition
2. Give students the cut out masks of all the animals in the
story.
3. Talk with students and have them first discuss with each
other what the animal might be, lead into a group
discussion about what animals they have and which ones
can, flap their wings or which ones can stomp their
feet
4. Many animals may be able to do more than one action,
let students explain why they think so.
5. Reread the story having students act out their actions
when those parts are read such as stomping feet,
flapping wings, or beating their chest.
6. Have students reflect back on the story, have them ask
questions. You may also have to prompt some questions
like why did some animals have more than one action
that could be made. (It is so important in all areas of
learning to reflect on our work to bring things full circle.)

Common Core Standards1. With prompting and support have students be able to tell
the difference between the front cover, back cover, spine
and title page.
2. With prompting and support students should be able to
explain who the author and illustrator is and what their
jobs were in creating the story.

3. Students should be able to identify the setting of the

story, the characters and what the major parts of the
story were.
If Youre Happy And You Know It
4. Students should also be able to recognize the differences

Teaching Tips:
-Bring in or have students create
masks that they could use for
the song so they could sing a
long and be the animal of their
choice.
-Give instructions in 7 words or
less.
-Read story first time before
giving further instructions.
(Students need to process
before adding in acting out)