Play along with the rhythm

Choose instruments, body percussion, or desk drumming to play the rhythms.

Create movements to “Come on Dance”

Space students out in a circle. The teacher creates a movement and everyone copies it. Whenever the teacher likes, point to student on your right who becomes the next leader. When leader #2 has had a turn, they point to the person on their right who becomes the next leader. The song is usually long enough for everyone to get one turn.

Teach “Spider Song”

Listen to the "Spider Song" as sung by Nana. The second time you listen, join in on the “aah ooh” part. Use the song to illustrate one of the books or folk tales that is listed below.

Learn about Ghana

Optional: Read the story “The Spider Weaver: A Legend of Kente Cloth” by Margaret Musgrove

Choose unpitched instruments to create sound effects in the story. (dry, rain)

Learn to dance using a clock with Rujeko

Play rhythm racer

Review “Austrian Went Yodeling”

Reinforce 3/4 meter. "An Austrian Went Yodeling" is a student favorite. Teach the song by rote and add actions as indicated by the words of the song. In the second section, add the following ostinato: pat, clap, snap. This really reinforces that there are three beats in each group in this song. When you teach this section, stop and ask them how the music is moving. (in twos, threes or fours) Invite the students to create new three beat ostinatos to accompany the B section.

Sing and do the actions for “Austrian Went Yodeling”

Review “Plainsies Clapsies”

This song is a good song for learning about accented beats. The process below is given as a projectable in the Concept Slides for the song. Give each student a tennis ball and have them bounce and catch as they sing. When they bounce the ball, the beat feels stronger than when they catch the ball.

Review the game with “Plainsies Clapsies”

"Plainsies, Clapsies" is a ball bouncing game. While you sing, you try to bounce a ball and do all the actions that are indicated by the words of the song.

Play the game and sing “Plainsies Clapsies”

Option 1: Complete the solfa challenge for “Plainsies Clapsies”

Option 2: Complete the note name challenge for “Plainsies Clapsies”

Optional: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Plainsies Clapsies”

Playing and Creating: Have the students create a speech interlude to say between repetitions of the song. (If you don’t want to repeat the entire song, just repeat the first four measures) Have them think of 4-8 different kinds of balls. For example: basketball, volleyball, beach ball, soccer ball. They could do body percussion or play non-pitched instruments with their speech.