Warm up with body percussion

Copy the body percussion that is shown for the A, B, C, sections.

Invite your students to make up new body percussion patterns and play the music again.

Echo sing with Bobo

Review “Old Dog, Full of Fleas”

Teach "Old Dog" by rote or by reading the song. If your students are able to read the rhythms have them read the rhythms of the song. If students can read the solfa notes have them sing the song using Solfa notes and hand signs.

If the students are not ready to read the song than teacher by rote instead.

“Old Dog, Full of Fleas” is a reading song. Have the students read the rhythms, lyrics, and if they have been learning solfa, read the melody from the projectable slides. If you don’t teach solfa, have them show the high and low notes with arm motions. Sing the song and play the game.

Denise Tips: I’ve named my “flea” Florence. When I pull Florence out of my pocket she tells me all kinds of things. Florence “whispers” in my ear and tells me things like, “Your Grade 1s are really singing well today!” or, “Someone in this class sang the song really well in tune!” My students really sit up and listen when I tell them what Florence said.

Review the game for “Old Dog, Full of Fleas”

Form a single circle. One to three students hide their eyes in the middle. While you sing the song, pass a “flea” around the circle. Another way is to have a beat keeper go around the outside of the circle with the flea. This has been a better way for keeping the beat than passing it from student to student. You can go to the dollar store and buy a package of the ugliest bugs you can find to be the “flea.” At the end of the song, all students hide their hands behind their backs and the students in the middle guess who has it.

Sing and play the “Old Dog, Full of Fleas” game

Sort the rhythms for “Old Dog, Full of Fleas”

Optional: Teach the Orff arrangement for “Old Dog, Full of Fleas”

Playing and Creating: Give the students packages of plastic bugs or pictures of different kinds of bugs or creepy crawlies and have them make word patterns. Use 4-8 bugs. Play the rhythm of the word chain on pitched or nonpitched instruments as an introduction or B section.

Dance “La Raspa”

"La Raspa" is a fun dance for Cinco de Mayo.

Teach “Oats and Beans and Barley”

Sing or play verse one and the chorus of the song. Teach the song by rote and add the actions that are suggested. Sing and play the game.

Learn the movements for “Oats and Beans and Barley Grow”

Form a circle and choose one student to be the farmer in the middle. On the chorus, the circle walks to the left, while the farmer walks to the right. On the verse, all act out the words. Choose a new farmer and repeat.

Sing and do the movements for “Oats and Beans and Barley Grow”

Teach “That’s My Mom”

Echo sing the melody for the song "That's My Mom."

Listen to a phrase, then sing it back.

Optional 1: Make a Card for Mother’s Day

Make a card for Mother's Day.

If you have a printer, download the printable card with the words to the song.

Save Paper! If you don't have a printer or don't want to print the card, make your own Mother's Day card.

Optional 2: Illustrate a Little Reproducible Book of “That’s My Mom”

Copy the book for each child.

The children illustrate each page.

Then cut it out and staple it together.

Move Like a Tortoise to the Music

This video features the music "Tortoise" from Carnival of the Animals.

Is the tortoise fast or slow?
Is the music fast or slow?

Can you find a way to move like a tortoise to the music?

Try spider-walking or crab-walking. Will you go slow or fast?

You'll go very slowly to show that you're listening and responding to the music.

Optional: Complete the Worksheet for “Tortoises”

Complete the "Tortoises" worksheet or work on the Carnival of the Animals mini book that is in the supporting resources.

Sing “The Music Time is Over”