Tell students they'll be learning some rain songs in this lesson.
The first rain song is "Ame Ame" from Japan.
Play sticks (or clap) along with the song!

Translation:
Raining, raining, how it’s raining rain a little more
Mother’s bringing my umbrella, it can rain and pour.
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter, drip, drip, drop.

Yoshi Shichi was a Japanese exchange teacher at Notre Dame High School in Red Deer.
His wife Harumi and daughter Ayane were kind enough to sing this Japanese children’s song for me.

Use this song to show melodic direction. If you have a bird puppet or a blue bird from a craft kit, use it to show how the melody goes. You could make the students bird “responders” by copying the bird printable onto cardstock. Cut them out and glue them to a craft stick and have the students use the responders to show how the melody goes as they sing. Ask them if they can identify the highest note in the song. (Oh) Can they identify the lowest note in the song? (last note or the end of the word tired) Give the students the pointing page that is available as a printable on in the Song List. It shows the melodic direction of the first half of the song. Sing the first eight measures and have the students point to the birds as they sing. Ask them again if they can find the highest and lowest notes in the song. Use the pointing page to find the phrases that are the same and the phrase that is different.

Form a circle with arms raised up. Choose one student to be the “bluebird.” The “bluebird” weaves in and out of the upraised arms until the words “Oh, Johnny aren’t you tired?” The student then chooses a partner and taps him on the shoulder. Both of them are “bluebirds” when the song repeats.

Teacher note: We don't have a kids demo for "Bluebird". 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

Watch and Listen to the Song "Rain Rain."

Watch and point to notes as they go higher and lower.

Play it again and sing along.

Learn the Pitter Patter Poem.

Try adding sounds to the poem.

Choose instruments or found sounds to add to the pitter patter poem.
Soft taps on a hand drum or quietly clicking sticks could sound good.

Or use found sounds:
Tap a finger on a table to make the sound of rain.
-or-
Tap a finger into the palm of your hand.
-or-
Tap a pencil on the counter.

Use the song "Rain, Rain Go Away" and the Pitter Patter Poem in a story.
Watch and listen to the story.
When the Pitter Patter poem and the other sound words come, say them and do your sounds.

When the song comes, sing along!

For the teacher: There is a literacy study: Using Nonverbal Sound Effects to Support English Word Learning in First-Grade Music Classrooms: Students develop deeper knowledge of words that were taught with an associated sound effect. Read more:
https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/rrq.280

Introduce the song as a listening example. Have the students play the copycat game as they listen. In the copycat game, the teacher or a student creates movements to the beat, and all the students copy. Change movements about every 4 measures. After listening to the song, ask the students questions to see if they can recall any of the lyrics.

For example:
- What does the singer want the raindrops to be? (lemon drops and gumdrops)
- What does the singer want snowflakes to be? (candy bars and milkshakes)
- What does the singer want sunbeams to be? (bubble gum and ice cream)
- Where does the singer stand? (outside)

Teach the refrain by rote. Listen to the song again, and sing the refrain.

Listen to Verse 1 of "We've Got the Whole World" for Earth Day.
This song will be familiar to many students.

Play the video again and sing all the verses.