Echo Bobo

Echo the patterns that Bobo sings.

Teach “The Old Gray Cat”

Teach “The Old Gray Cat”. This game is one that the students love, and it gives them experience using 6/8 and changes in tempo. Teach song “The Old Gray Cat” by rote. Teach and play the game. If you’ve made cat ears, you can give them to the three students who are being the "cats."

Learn the game “The Old Gray Cat”

Play the game “The Old Gray Cat”

Students are scattered around the room, pretending to be mice. Choose one or more cats. (I choose three.) The cats sleep while the mice act out other verses: e.g. The little mice are playing; the little mice are nibbling. When you come to the verse “The old gray cat is chasing”, the cat(s) give chase and catch the mice. When a mouse is tagged, he lies on his back with his feet and arms in the air. The game continues until all the mice are caught and then choose a new cat or cats.

You may want to designate a “safe” area in this game for the mice to go to. The chase would continue, until the mice are either tagged or in the “safe” area. This game works best in the gym. Caution needs to be used if playing it in the classroom.

Alternative: Hold a cat and mouse challenge
Choose one child to be a cat, and one to be a mouse. Both stand. Issue a challenge. The first to complete the challenge and sit down is the winner. (For example: jump 10 times, crabwalk 5 steps, touch toes 10 times, do 10 criss-cross jumps...) Think up as many challenges as you can to get kids moving!

Sing and play the game with “The Old Gray Cat”

Optional: Illustrate a Song Storybook of “The Old Gray Cat”

This activity is especially helpful for in-person music classes where you aren't allowed to sing.

It's a great way to use music to support literacy - and literacy to support music.

Watch and Listen to “The Cat”

Review "The Cat" from Peter and the Wolf.

Watch the Clarinetist Play “The Cat” on the Clarinet

Optional: Color or Draw the Cat and the Clarinet

Read the poem “John, John the Leprechaun”

Move to “Lucky Leprechaun”

Invite the students to tell you what they know about leprechauns. (if too many want to share, invite them to share with a neighbor)

Keep the beat as you listen to the song. The teacher could be the leader, or choose leaders from the class and have all copy the leader.

Play again and sing along

Adapt the game:
A section: march in place.
B section: do a “sailors horn pipe” - fold arms and jig in place.

Review “Mr. Potato Head”

Use guessing games to assess pitch matching.

Play the game for “Mr. Potato Head”

“Mr. Potato Head” is a guessing game. You need to purchase a potato head toy or create a visual. All students must close
their eyes and hold hands out as they sing the song. Give out three or four of the body parts to students. While eyes
remain shut, the teacher sings, “Who has the arm?” and the student who has it sings back, “I have the arm.” Continue
for all the parts that you’ve given out. Then have the students open their eyes, and ask them to guess who has the arm,
feet, eyes, etc.

Prepare/Review the note ‘do’ with the “Mr. Potato Head” Solfa Challenge

Use the song to prepare the note do. Students could sing the song and show the notes go higher and lower. Show students the note highlights video. If you have already taught do, have the students sing the song with hand signs, notate one or more phrases of the melody on individual staff boards, or complete a writing worksheet from MusicplayOnline.

Optional: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Mr. Potato Head”

Sing “The Music Time is Over”

Sing "The Music Time is Over."