Sing and move to the song.

Echo what Bobo sings.

The next song begins with "Apple tree, apple tree."

Singers use the solfa notes so and mi to name these notes.

Sing some do-so-mi patterns to warm up for the "Apple Tree" song.

Use this song to read rhythms and melody. At this point in the year, the students may be able to read the song instead of teaching it by rote. Read the rhythms first.

To introduce the student to singing in parts, add an ostinato to the song. An ostinato is a pattern that repeats. You can perform an ostinato using body percussion (stamp, pat thighs, clap or snap) or on rhythm instruments, tone bars, or Boomwhackers. Try this ostinato with the song: ti-ti ti-ti ta ta. Try it with body percussion: pat pat pat pat clap clap. If you have tone bars or Boomwhackers, play it on G and D. You could use any unpitched instrument that you have. If you have no instruments in your classroom, it is possible to use found sounds instead - pat on the desk, then on the chair. Have the students create new ostinatos to try with body percussion or instruments.

Form a standing up circle. The teacher walks with an apple around the inside of the circle, tapping a student on the head on each beat. The student tapped on the word “out” is the next person to walk with the apple. If it’s difficult for your students to reach the tops of the heads, have the students hold out their hands and tap hands instead. You can also play this as an elimination game, where the student that is “out” sits down. Elimination games sometimes lead to someone having hurt feelings. Instead of eliminating, the student that is “out” could go to a barred instrument and play an F-C bordun. If you don't have Orff instruments, you could have a selection of unpitched rhythm instruments to play.

The activities you choose for your students will depend on their prior experience.

If your students have not labeled ta and ti-ti yet, start at the beginning.

If your students are already reading ta and ti-ti, start at activity #6 - How Many Sounds.

Creative Ideas: Think of apple poems or tree poems to use between repetitions of the song. For example: Way up High in the Apple Tree, An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

I do - we do - you do is an awesome teaching technique.

I do - model with the interactive activity how to create and play a word rhythm composition with kinds of fruit.

We do - invite the students to suggest words to use, then what kind of instruments/body percussion/found sounds to play the rhythm. Invite their help in deciding if you should use the rhythm as an introduction to the song, or maybe 4 beats of it as an ostinato.

You do - a printable set of manipulatives is given for this activity. Give a set to each child and have them create and play their own word rhythm composition.

If you have a printer at home, print the 'One Sound or Two' worksheet.

If you don't have a printer, make two columns on a piece of paper. Label one column 'One Sound'.
Label the other column 'Two Sounds'.

Clap the fruit words. Decide if they have one sound or two.

Write the name of the fruit in the correct column.

Watch the intro.

How does it make you feel.

What is your first reaction to the music.

If you have 2 paper plates for each student, hand them out.

If not, students can move their hands to the music.

The teacher should project and point to the map as the music plays.