Make a double circle with equal numbers in each circle. One student, or the teacher, is needed to be the miller. The students in the inner circle must have a partner in the outer circle. Partners join hands and walk to the beat as the song is sung. On the word "grab," students in the outer circle must move to the next person in the inner circle and “grab” them. The miller in the center tries to steal a person from the inner circle, so that one student in the outer circle is left without a partner. If that student goes out, you need to take a student from the outer circle to be the miller so the number of students in inner and outer circles remains equal. It makes the miller’s task more challenging if the miller has their eyes shut during the singing of the song and only opens their eyes on the word “grab.”

Playing and Creating: Improvise or create 8-16 beat melodies using DE GAB. Play the melodies between repetitions of the song.

Play poison rhythm!

This is a children’s song first published in German song collection in 1700. It’s based on a conversation between Liza and Georgie (in some versions Henry) about a leaky bucket. In honour of the song, people celebrate National Hole in My Bucket Day on May 30 every year. This song is probably familiar to your students. Sing the song with the recording. Divide the class into “Georgies” and “Lizas.” (Allow students to choose their part.)

- this class performed "There's a Hole in My Bucket"

- what do you notice about their performance?

Optional: Use the worksheet or save paper and ink by using what you have already!

Illustrate your favourite verse in the song.

What makes the verse in your drawing your favourite?

Choose instruments, body percussion, desk drum, or found sounds and play along!

Read the rhythms and note names for “Built My Lady.” If the students have not seen the tika-ti rhythm or the eighth rest before, point it out to them, and explain that the rhythm names. Sing the song. Teach the “Real Estate Game.”

Have your students make groups of three, with at least one student that is not in a group. Two in each group represent the “house” and join hands around the third student who represents the “real estate agent.” Sing the song, swinging the middle person back and forth. On the words “she jumped out,” the real estate agent in the middle jumps out of the house and finds another house to enter. You can’t go to the same house two turns in a row. While the real estate agents are changing houses, the student who was not in a group tries to steal someone’s house. The student without a house is the new one out who has to steal a house. Change the students roles in the game frequently. The author learned the game from Dr. Kim Eyre, who teaches in London, Ontario.

To teach the body percussion:

1. Teach and practice patting the 1st line. Sing the song, doing the body percussion for just line one.
2. Teach and practice patting the 2nd line. Sing the song, doing the body percussion for lines 1-2. Leave out the 8th note at the end of line 2.
3. Teach and practice patting the 3rd line. Sing the song, doing the body percussion for lines 1-2-3.
4. Teach and practice patting the 4th line. Sing the song, doing the body percussion for lines 1-2-3-4
5. Try the whole song, just using body percussion.

Extensions: Substitute instruments for the body percussion!

There are 9 activities in this set.
The worksheet that follows aligns to Activity 6 or 8

Choose from the activities available:
1. Sing and point to the beat
2. Interactive beat chart - "turn off" some of the beats and have the children sing those beats "in their head." Develops inner hearing or audiation.
3. Clap the words (the rhythm of the song)
4. Beat Rhythm switch game (Beat - step beat, Rhythm - clap words)
5. Is it beat or rhythm? (assess)
6. How many sounds do you hear? (figure out the rhythm)
7. Create a new rhythm
8. Rhythm Sort
9. Rhythm Erase

Optional: Complete a rhythm writing worksheet for this song.

A printable version of this is in supporting resources