“Pondering Penguins” has many applications and can be used across a variety of grade levels. There are two versions - one with a simplified melody and one with a melody that uses jumps of a 4th and an octave. For younger students, the simplified melodic line removes the large interval jumps.

Simplified movement for younger dancers:
- Beats 1-4 Sway, sway, sway, sway,
- Beats 5-7 Bend your knees , bend your knees, bend your knees
- Beat 8 Jump

Teacher note: We don't have a kids demo for "Pondering Penguins". If your students would like to see themselves on MusicplayOnline please review the submission requirements here: https://help.musicplay.ca/can-i-submit-a-kids-demo

Sing the song for the students with the solfa hand signs or arm motions, showing how the melody goes up and down. Have the students sing the song with hand signs or arm motions. Teach and play the game.

Stand in a single circle. While you sing, pass a stick around the circle. One student is outside the circle holding a pair of cymbals. When the outside student crashes the cymbals, the person who is holding the stick is "out" and becomes the next cymbal crasher. If two people have hands on the stick, they are both out and share the cymbal crashing responsibility jointly. If someone drops the stick, they are also out.

Alternatively: As students go "out" have them go to the Orff instruments and play a C-G bordun with the song.

Use only the notes do-mi-so (C E G) to create your composition.

Sing your new melody!

Oliver Twist provides opportunities for students to sing a song in 6/8 time and to create movement. Teach "Oliver Twist" by rote. Teach and play the game.

"Oliver Twist” is a traditional ball bouncing game.

Denise Tip: I’ve adapted it for classroom use by having one student in the middle make up an action that students have to perform while touching knees, toes, clapping hands and turning around (i.e., Jump and sing the song). When you get to “touch your knees,” do it while jumping. This variation of the game was a huge hit with my students.

Stepping or skipping? The purpose of stepping and skipping to songs is to feel the difference between songs that are in 6/8 time and songs that are in 2/4 or 4/4 time.

Play a 2/4 pattern on a drum and ask the students to move to the music - they should step to 2/4.

Play a 6/8 pattern on a drum and ask the students to move to the music - they should skip to 6/8.

Creative Ideas: Have the students choose four of their favorite kinds of movements and make this into a word chain. Play the rhythm of the word chain on pitched or non-pitched instruments as an introduction or B section. For example: twisting, twisting, reaching, jump