Teach the verses that are given in the text. Then ask the students for things that they are thankful for and make up new verses.

Teach the song by rote and play the game. This song is a call and response in which the response is an echo.

Play the "I Like Turkey" game.

Have the students make a circle. Choose one student to be the turkey. The "turkey" struts around the outside of the circle while all the students sing the song. At the end of the song, the "turkey" tags a student, who chases and tries to tag the "turkey" before the "turkey" reaches the inside of the circle. Both the “turkey” and the “chaser” sit in the middle of the circle until all the students have had a turn.

Teach the song by rote and play the game.

Choose one student to be the "cook". The "cook" goes out of the room and hides their eyes. The teacher gives five feathers to five students in the class. All the students hide their hands behind their backs. When the "cook" returns to the classroom, the "cook" tries to guess which students are the turkeys. Play again with a new "cook". Keep track of which "cook" gets the most right. That "cook" is the winner.

An alternate way to play the game would be to have five guessers at the front of the room. Sing the song, then give feathers to five students. When you give them a feather they sing, “I am a turkey.” The five guessers try to guess who was a turkey. Choose five new guessers and the game continues. This also gives you an opportunity to assess individual singing.

Echo m s patterns.

Depending on the reading abilities of your students, teach the song by rote or have the students read the solfa and the rhythms.

Game 1: “Cuckoo” is a singing game. The class sings the question, “Cuckoo, where are you?” One student is seated with their back to the class, hiding their eyes. Select one student to sing “cuckoo” on so-mi. The student in front has to try and guess who sang the solo

Game 2: One student leaves the room while another student hides somewhere in the room. The first student enters and searches for the hidden student. The hidden student sings, “Cuckoo,” on so-mi. The class replies, “Where are you?” on so-so mi (ti-ti ta). This continues until the student is found. To repeat the game, both “hider” and “searcher” choose a new player.

This song uses just two notes, so and mi (G-E). While you sing the song, show the high and low sounds in the song with arm movements. When the are successful showing the high and low sounds in the song with arm movements and with their eyes closed, they are ready to label so and mi.

Creative Ideas: Have individual students use melodic improvisation to ask the question on melodic instruments set up in C pentatonic, and have another student make up silly answers. “Cuckoo where are you?” “I’m in the closet.”

Listen to "The Cuckoo in the Heart of the Woods" from Carnival of the Animals.

Count how many times you heard the cuckoo sing.

A fun activity is to have your students find a partner. One child will be a "tree" and the other the "cuckoo" bird.
Whenever they hear the cuckoo, the bird should peek out and around the tree.

Sing and do movements to "Peace in my Heart".

Sing "The Music Time is Over."