Depending on the reading abilities of your students, teach the song by rote or have the students read the solfa and the rhythms.

Practice simple patterns first: Clap own hands, clap both partner’s hands, clap own hands, clap both partner's hands.

When your class is proficient, try more difficult patterns: Clap own hands, clap right hands with partner, own hands, clap left hands with partner.

This is an opportunity to sing an action song in French. Teach this song by rote. Add the actions.

Read about the song, "Napoleon"

Echo sing do-mi-so-la pitches with the teacher.
These patterns are in the same key as "Johnny Caught a Flea"
If your students are successful with echoing the solfa, they may be able to read the song from the notation.

Depending on the reading abilities of your students, teach the song by rote or have the students read the solfa and the rhythms.

Form a single circle. One, two or three students hide their eyes in the middle. While you sing the song, pass a “flea” around the circle. At the end of the song, all hide their hands behind their backs and the students in the middle guess who has it.

Tip: I go to the dollar store and buy a package of the ugliest bugs I can find to be the flea.

Name the solfa notes for "Johnny Caught a Flea"

Create B sections with note interactive or manipulatives.

Teachers can use the interactive to model.

Create the rhythm, then decide how to perform.
Try playing line 1 on one instrument and line 2 on a different one.
Try playing one note value on an instrument and other note values on a different instrument.
Decide how you like it the best.

Decide on the form. Song is section A, rhythm is section B.
ABA or AB or however you'd like.

Students can do this activity on devices or with the printable manipulatives provided in Supporting Resources.

Creative Ideas: 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 non-pitched instruments as an introduction or B section.

Sing "The Music Time Is Over".