Look at the new song, "Choo Choo Train"

The small staff in the upper right corner indicates that this is a reading song.

If ta and ti-ti (quarter note, 8th notes) were taught in K, your grade 1 students may be able to read the rhythms.

If they can read rhythms, read them. If not, use this song as a preparatory activity to learn to read them.
The interactive beat & rhythm activities provide a good review or beat/rhythm - or great teaching materials for teaching beat and rhythm.
Explain any of the music symbols that you see to the students.
Music specialists can use the notation to teach the song by rote, and skip the next steps.

Sing and play "Choo Choo Train."

Is there an instrument in the classroom you could use to play along with the song? Sing and play with "Choo Choo Train."

Learn how to play the Choo Choo Train game

Watch how the kids play the game "Choo Choo Train."
Play the game in your class!

This is a follow-the-leader game. The students form a line like cars in a train. The leader decides on an action and the rest of the students must copy that action. At the end of the song, everyone says, “whoo whoo” (train whistle). The leader goes to the back of the line and the second in
line becomes the leader.

Point to the Beats in the "Choo Choo Train" song.

You can do this with the interactive activity.
-or-
You could print the pointing page from supporting resources.
There are 2 beat pointing pages - one is song specific to use with Choo Choo Train.
The generic beat chart can be used as a pointing page with any simple 16 beat reading song.

Optional - Review "Mountaintop Monster"

Sing the echoes and do the movements to "Mountaintop Monster."

Which monster had the low voice? (great big)

Which monster had the high voice? (teeny tiny)

Optional: Draw and Color a Picture of the Great Big and the Teeny Tiny Monsters

If you have time at the end of the lesson, draw and color a picture of the great big and the teeny tiny monsters.

Say the Poem "Grandma's Glasses" using High and Low Voices

Listen to the poem "Grandma's Glasses."

Play the video again and say the poem using high and low voices.

Listen to the Song "Grand Old Duke of York"

Listen to the song "Grand Old Duke of York."

How does the music change? It gets faster!

Sing and Move to the Song "Grand Old Duke of York"

Sing and move to the song "Grand Old Duke of York."

Copy what the kids in the video do.

Play the 'Fast Slow' Game

Play the 'Fast Slow' Game.

Watch the Performer Play "Wild Donkeys" and Keep a Beat

Watch the performer play "Wild Donkeys" and keep a beat.

Is the music fast or slow?

Watch the Listening Map Video of "Wild Donkeys"

Watch the listening map video of "Wild Donkeys."

Can you follow as the pitches go higher and lower? Can you move your bodies to show how the pitches go higher and lower?

Sing the Echoes in Our Closing Song "The Music Time is Over"

Sing the echoes in our closing song "The Music Time is Over."