Music activity
Jazz Listening Spotlight: Ella Fitzgerald
Listen to Ella Fitzgerald sing and find the silly scat syllables.
Materials and setup
- streaming service
- paper and pencil
- recording device
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Listen to Ella Fitzgerald sing and find the silly scat syllables.
Steps
- Listen to 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket' sung by Ella Fitzgerald (1938 recording, widely available).
- Can you hear when she uses made-up sounds instead of words? Those are called scat syllables.
- Try to sing along with any words you catch.
- Make up your own scat sounds: 'shoo-bee-doo-bop.'
- Move to the swing beat — try walking on every other beat.
Learning objectives
- Recognize scat singing
- Respond to a swing feel with movement
- Improvise vocal sounds
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Meet Ella Fitzgerald and learn one new jazz word.
Steps
- A grown-up shares 3 facts: Ella Fitzgerald was born in Virginia in 1917. She won 13 Grammy Awards. She was called 'The First Lady of Song.'
- Listen to 'Summertime' (Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, 1957).
- Learn one new word: improvise — making music up as you go.
- Notice where Ella does NOT sing the written melody — that's improvising.
- Hum your own improvisation to the beat.
Learning objectives
- Identify Ella Fitzgerald and basic biography
- Define improvise
- Notice melodic variation in a recording
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Study Ella's scat singing and try a simple improvisation of your own.
Steps
- Listen to 'How High the Moon' (Ella Fitzgerald, 1960 Berlin recording, widely available).
- Focus on the scat solo (the part with no lyrics).
- Notice how her voice acts like an instrument — using short note bursts, long sliding notes, and rhythmic patterns.
- Pick a simple known tune (like 'Mary Had a Little Lamb').
- Sing it once as written, then sing it with scat syllables and small changes (add a slide, repeat a note).
- Record yourself and listen back.
Learning objectives
- Describe features of scat singing
- Attempt basic vocal improvisation
- Self-evaluate a recording
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Research Ella Fitzgerald's career and present a 2-minute listening guide.
Steps
- Using a library book or a reputable kids' biography site (with grown-up help), read about Ella Fitzgerald's early life, her Apollo Theater debut in 1934, and her work with the Chick Webb orchestra.
- Pick 3 recordings from across her career (e.g., 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket' 1938, 'How High the Moon' 1960, 'Misty' live).
- Write 2-3 sentences per recording about what's distinctive.
- Record yourself (audio or video) giving a 2-minute listening guide: introduce her, play a clip, say what to listen for.
- Play the guide for your family.
Learning objectives
- Conduct biographical research with guidance
- Curate and annotate a listening set
- Deliver a short oral presentation
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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