Read the rhythms and/or the solfa notation for this new song. If your students find this difficult, teach the song by rote using the slide and the recording.

Sing "This is my Home"

Ask questions about the song.
• what do students think the song is about?
• where do you think the songwriter comes from?
• why do you think the songwriter wrote the song?
• could students think of words to substitute in the song that describe their home?

Play your part along with the song, "Shine a Light for Peace".

Clap all 4 rhythms. Click on a square to take one away.
Clap all 4 rhythms, including the missing one. Click on a square to take another away.
Clap all 4 rhythms, including the missing ones. Click on a square to take another away.
Clap all 4 rhythms, including the missing ones. Click on a square to take another away.
Invite 4 students to help you write the complete rhythm on the board. (Each does one square)
Ask the students if they can identify the song.

The students can read the notes for this song using either solfa or letter names. Teach by rote if your students cannot read the rhythms or notes for this song.

Cut the Cake is a singing game that students really enjoy. You could use the song to celebrate birthdays in your classroom on either the first lesson of the month or the last lesson of the month. Invite the birthday child to be the 'cake cutter' in the game.

The students form a circle. Measures one/two - clap hands. Measures three/four - shake hands. In measures five to eight, the students in the circle join hands. During the singing, one student walks around the outside of the circle. At the end of the song, the student ‘slices’ the cake by bringing their hand down, separating two students whose hands were joined. They then stand in place with arms outstretched and the students that were separated race in opposite directions around the circle. The first student to tag an outstretched hand wins.

Learn about the Brass Family.

Print and Color or draw the instruments in the Brass quintet.

Learn a cup game to go with "Fig Leaf Rag" played by the Canadian Brass quintet.

This song is based on a Japanese folk legend, so it gives a wonderful opportunity to integrate language arts, music, and social studies. The song is pentatonic and is an excellent music reading song.

Playing and Creating: Invite students to improvise or create new melodies on recorder using the notes DEG A (BC). The melodies should end on A. Choose one of the melodies to use as an introduction to the song. Some of your better recorder players could learn to play this melody on recorder. It would be a beautiful instrumental piece, even if the language is difficult for them.