Listen to "Icicles" and show with arm motions how the notes go up and down. Sing the song, showing how the notes go. Reach up for high notes and down for low ones in line one. Show the stepwise motion of the notes in line two with alternating pointer fingers - left, right, left, right, etc. This is a good song to play for the students on step bells, a wall piano, or the body scale to show the direction of the melody and the high/low movement.

Slow the video down with the gear tool so the students can move to show how the music goes up and down as the song plays.

Play the Up and Down game.

This is a reading song. Students should be able to read the rhythms, and you can use the melody to have them show melodic contour. If you are teaching solfa, this song will be preparation for la. Sing the song for the students reading and tracking the words while you sing. Sing and play the game.

Play the game "Strawberry Shortcake"

Sing the song, then chant the months of the year. When you come to the month in which you have a birthday, stand up.

If you would rather your students sort using notes click on the next button.

Show how the notes go higher and lower in "Strawberry Shortcake"

Students can read rhythms, melody and words to the song.

"Little Tommy Tiddlemouse" is a guessing game. This gives your students an opportunity to sing alone. Sometimes students need to sing alone to help them sing in tune. If they always sing with the group, they might not even be aware of what they sound like. This is also an excellent reading song for both rhythm and melody.

This is a guessing game. Choose one student to be “Tommy Tiddlemouse.” “Tommy Tiddlemouse” sits on a chair at the front of the room, with their eyes closed. Choose one student to be the person who knocks. They creep up to the chair, and on the words “... me oh my!” they knock on the back of the chair and sing the words, “Who am I?” “Tommy Tiddlemouse” has to guess who was the soloist. The soloist can become the next guesser. However, the game will go faster if you choose a guesser from the students who have not had a turn to be soloist or guesser, because more students in the class will be involved in the game and they won’t get so restless. If you play the game over two classes instead of one, the game is often more successful.

Extensions: create a word rhythm pattern using different kinds of animals.
Choose body percussion or instruments to play the rhythm.
Sing the song as an A section and the new rhythm as a B section.
Decide on the form and perform your piece. You could do it as an AB form, ABA form.
If you want small groups of students to compose their own word rhythm, there are rabbit/mouse word rhythm cards in the Beat and Rhythm worksheets.

Creative Ideas: Have the students create a four beat ostinato using ideas from the song. Say the ostinato or say and play on non-pitched instruments as you sing the song. Use this as a B section between repetitions of the song.