Teach or review the Music Room Rules
Have the students give examples of good choices, being responsible, good manners, etc.

Review "Number Concentration". If students are good music readers, have them read the rhythms and the solfege (or pitch letter names) for the song, Number Concentration.

If students are not confident, teach the song by rote.

Watch the kids play the game!
Number the students in your class, and play the game.

Give every student in the class a number. The teacher sings a number, and that student sings back their name. As you sing, tap a beat with one finger. If you don’t respond with your name after your number is sung, you go out or sit down. (or change tempo for a non-elimination version.). Invite students to be leaders and sing the numbers.

Playing and Creating: To extend the activity, use the song and orchestration as an A section, and have students create a B section using number patterns. Discuss and decide on a final form for the performance.

B Section Idea:
Have the children create ostinato patterns using numbers to try with body percussion or instruments.
For example: 1, 2, 3-4, 5 ta ta ti-ti ta or 1-2 3 4-5 6 ti-ti ta ti-ti ta
Select one of these to be the B section in the performance, or select several of them and perform them as variations in a rondo.

This song is a good song for learning about accented beats. The process below is given as a projectable in the song. Give each student a tennis ball and have them bounce and catch as they sing. When they bounce the ball, the beat feels stronger than when they catch the ball.

"Plainsies, Clapsies" is a ball bouncing game. While you sing, you try to bounce a ball and do all the actions that are indicated by the words of the song.

Read the rhythms for the song "Missus Tong."
Teach the melody of the song by rote.
Sing or play a line and have the students echo.

Listen to the song "Missus Tong" and make a list of the ways the song changes.

(It went fast, slow, loud, quiet, high and low)

Play the song again and sing along!