Middle School Back to School – Lesson 1
Teaching Procedures
Warm up with “We Love to Sing!”
This is a movement song to use as a warm-up or shake-up during a choir rehearsal or class. You can also use the song to review tempo terms. This song may already be familiar to some of your students as a bible song. Teach the song by rote, and then introduce the actions.
Do the movements to “We Love to Sing”
When the song is well known, have the class stand up each time they come to the words, “We love to sing!” Later, divide the class into two groups. Have one group sing the “alleluias” and the other group sing, “We love to sing!” Have each group stand up when it is their turn to sing.
Denise Tip: I like to have both groups stand and sing the final two measures, “We love to sing!”
Teach “Boll Weevil”
This Texas folk song tells the story of a pesky bug that ruins the farmer’s crop. Teach the song by rote.
Option 1: Play “Boll Weevil” on the Ukulele
This song uses three basic chords: I, IV, and V. If you sing the song in the key of G, you could have students play chords on guitars or ukuleles.
Option 2: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Boll Weevil”
This is a folk song with many variants. There are many different verses given for this song. Have students create new verses for the song.
Optional: Play SING-O
Playing SING-O is fun!
Stamp or color in a box for every activity you complete.
How many squares can you fill in? You get the middle one for free!
You win when you get a line of 5 in a row.
*Extra Challenge*
Fill in ALL your squares!!