Orchestra Safari Substitute Guide
Music Sub Plan • Grades 2–3 45 Minutes • Zero Tech Needed
🦁 Orchestra Safari: Sub Teacher Guide
Goal: Students identify and classify the 4 orchestra families (Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion) through story, pantomime, and hands-on activity sheets.
Materials Checklist
- 1 double-sided Student Activity Sheet per student
- Pencils, crayons / colored pencils
- No audio/projector needed (100% acoustic & interactive)
Attention Getters (Call & Response)
Sub: "Baton in the air!" → Class: "Music everywhere!" (Hands raised & silent)
Sub: "1, 2, ready, rest!" → Class: "Zzzzt!" (Finger on lips)
Part 1: Welcome to the Safari (5 Mins)
0:00 - 0:05
💬 Say to the class:
"Welcome, music explorers! Today, we are going on an Orchestra Safari to discover the four musical animal families hiding inside the symphony orchestra. By the end of class, you’ll be master instrument trackers!"
Part 2: The 4 Instrument Safari Families (15 Mins)
0:05 - 0:20
Introduce each family with its secret clue and teach students the physical motion:
🎻 1. String Family
Secret: They make sound when strings are bowed or plucked.
Action: Pretend to hold a violin under your chin and draw a bow across it ("Zzz-zzz-zzz!").
Members: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp
🪈 2. Woodwind Family
Secret: Long tubes of wood or metal blown with wind/reeds.
Action: Hold hands sideways like a flute or downwards like a clarinet, wiggling fast fingers.
Members: Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon
🎺 3. Brass Family
Secret: Shiny metal tubes played by buzzing lips into a cup.
Action: Buzz lips together ("Bzzz-bzzz!") and pretend to push valves or slide a trombone.
Members: Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Tuba
🥁 4. Percussion Family
Secret: Instruments you hit, shake, tap, or scrape.
Action: Air-drum with imaginary drumsticks ("Boom-chick-boom!") or shake maracas.
Members: Timpani, Snare Drum, Cymbals, Xylophone, Triangle
💡 Quick Check: Call out an instrument name (e.g. "Trombone!") and have everyone do the brass motion! Page 1 of 2
Orchestra Safari • Lesson Delivery (Continued)
Part 3 to Wrap-Up
Part 3: "Sound Charades" Whole-Class Game (8 Mins)
0:20 - 0:28
How to Play: Sub acts out playing an instrument without speaking. The class identifies the instrument AND its family.
Round 1 (Strings):
Hug an imaginary giant Cello between your knees and bow slow low notes. Ask: "What family?" (Strings!)
Round 2 (Percussion):
Hold two imaginary big metal plates (Cymbals) and smash them together with a dramatic sweep! (Percussion!)
Round 3 (Brass):
Puff cheeks slightly, buzz lips, and slide arm out and in (Trombone). (Brass!)
Round 4 (Woodwinds):
Hold fingers sideways, blow air across the hole, wiggle fingers lightly (Flute). (Woodwind!)
Optional: Invite 1-2 quiet students to come to the front and act out an instrument for the class to guess!
Part 4: Explorer Activity Sheets & Independent Work (12 Mins)
0:28 - 0:40
Hand out the 2-page "Instrument Safari Explorer Worksheet".
- Task 1: Match the 4 instrument families to how they create sound.
- Task 2: Sort the 8 instruments into their safari family zones.
- Task 3: Solve the 4 Safari Detective Riddles.
- Task 4: Find 6 instrument words in the Safari Word Search & color the conductor stage!
Circulate around the room, offering hints using the 4 family rules.
Part 5: Conductor's Exit Ticket & Cool Down (5 Mins)
0:40 - 0:45
Quick Review: "Who can name an instrument in the Percussion family?" "What family uses buzzing lips?"
Have students put caps on crayons, tuck worksheets into their folders or collection bin, and finish with the "Baton in the air!" quiet signal.
Fast Finishers
On the back of their worksheet, students can draw their own invented dream instrument and label what family it would join!
If Room Gets Noisy
Use the conductor gesture: hold hands out palm down and slowly lower them down to floor level. Students must lower their volume to a whisper!
Orchestra Safari Lesson Plan • Plug-and-Play Substitute Resource Page 2 of 2
Instrument Safari Explorer Worksheet
Music Explorer • Activity Sheet
🦁 Orchestra Safari: Instrument Families
Name:
Date:
1
Sound Match-Up • Draw a line to match each family to its sound rule!
🎻 1. Strings Family
🪈 2. Woodwind Family
🎺 3. Brass Family
🥁 4. Percussion Family
A. Hit, shook, tapped, or scraped to make rhythm.
B. Played by buzzing lips into a metal cup mouthpiece.
C. Has tight strings that are pulled, plucked, or bowed.
D. Tubes blown into with air; may use a thin wooden reed.
2
Safari Sorting Camp • Write each instrument into its correct family box!
Flute Trumpet Cello Snare Drum Tuba Clarinet Violin Triangle
🎻 Strings
🪈 Woodwinds
🎺 Brass
🥁 Percussion
3
Safari Detective Riddles • Read the clues and write the instrument name!
"I have 4 strings and tuck under your chin. A wooden bow makes my sweet music begin. Who am I?"
I am the:
"I am the biggest brass instrument in the back row. My notes are super deep and low! Who am I?"
I am the:
"I am a silver tube held sideways to play. Blow sweet wind across my hole to brighten your day! Who am I?"
I am the:
"Two wooden sticks tap my tight skin tight. I keep the marching beat both day and night! Who am I?"
I am the:
Turn page over for Word Search & Stage Coloring Map → Page 1 of 2
🧭 Safari Field Map & Puzzles
Part 4 & 5
4
Safari Word Search • Find the 6 hidden orchestra words!
Words to find (→ ↓):
• FLUTE • DRUM • TUBA • CELLO • HARP • OBOE
Tip: Check across from left to right and down from top to bottom!
<table class="border-collapse font-mono text-xs font-bold text-stone-800 bg-white border-2 border-teal-400 shadow-sm"><tbody><tr><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">F</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">L</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">U</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">T</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">E</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">X</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">T</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">U</td></tr><tr><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">D</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">R</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">U</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">M</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">O</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">B</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">O</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">E</td></tr><tr><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">H</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">A</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">R</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">P</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">P</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">Q</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">R</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">S</td></tr><tr><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">C</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">E</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">L</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">L</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">O</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">W</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">Y</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">Z</td></tr><tr><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">T</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">U</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">B</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">A</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">K</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">L</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">M</td><td class="w-6 h-6 border border-stone-200 text-center">N</td></tr></tbody></table>
Orchestra Safari Answer Key
Sub Teacher Reference • Quick Answer Key 100% Plug & Play Solutions
🦁 Orchestra Safari: Answer Key & Teacher Cheat Sheet
Use this quick reference to check student activity sheets or go over solutions together on the whiteboard during the last 5 minutes of class.
1 Sound Match-Up Solutions
- 1. Strings → C. Has tight strings that are pulled, plucked, or bowed.
- 2. Woodwinds → D. Tubes blown into with air; may use a reed.
- 3. Brass → B. Played by buzzing lips into a metal cup mouthpiece.
- 4. Percussion → A. Hit, shook, tapped, or scraped to make rhythm.
2 Safari Sorting Camp
🎻 Strings:
• Violin
• Cello
🪈 Woodwinds:
• Flute
• Clarinet
🎺 Brass:
• Trumpet
• Tuba
🥁 Percussion:
• Snare Drum
• Triangle
3 Safari Detective Riddle Answers
Riddle 1 (4 Strings)
Violin
(Strings Family)
Riddle 2 (Biggest Brass)
Tuba
(Brass Family)
Riddle 3 (Silver Wind Tube)
Flute
(Woodwind Family)
Riddle 4 (Tapped Skin)
Snare Drum
(Percussion Family)
4 Word Search Coordinates
FLUTE: Row 1 (Across, cols 1-5)
DRUM: Row 2 (Across, cols 1-4)
OBOE: Row 2 (Across, cols 5-8)
HARP: Row 3 (Across, cols 1-4)
CELLO: Row 4 (Across, cols 1-5)
TUBA: Row 5 (Across, cols 1-4)
5 Stage Map Color Verification
- Front Curve: Strings (Blue)
- Middle Arc: Woodwinds (Green)
- Back Right: Brass (Yellow)
- Back Left: Percussion (Red)
📝 Sub Note: Leave a brief shout-out note on the teacher's desk naming 2-3 standout safari explorers from each group! Answer Key