Make Me a Circle chant is a way to have students make a circle quickly. Chant the poem starting quietly and getting louder, then count how many beats it takes to make a circle. You might have to count higher than 10 the first time!
Each time you make a circle, use the chant and see how quickly your students can make a circle!

This game is a fun way to learn the names of the students and to get to know each other.

In this game, pat a steady beat. Pat-pat - then gesture with hands out 2 times.
When the hands go "out" you say your name.

Say names, favorite food, a sport they like, someplace they went in the summer etc.

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 and 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.

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.

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.

Playing and Creating: Have the students create 8 beat patterns using the words “chugga” and “choo.” For example: Chugga Chugga Choo Choo Chugga Chugga Choo rest

Have them play the patterns on body percussion or non-pitched instruments or improvise melodies. Use the patterns as an introduction or an interlude between repetitions of the song.

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)

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

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."

How does the music change? It gets faster!

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

Copy what the kids in the video do.

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