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In this lesson you will
Extensions:
Musicplay is a menu. The teacher is not expected to teach every song or activity. Choose the songs and activities from the list that will best fit your schedule and the needs of your students.
Sing the echoes in our welcome song "Welcome to School".
Review "Take My Little Car".
Create your own movements for the song!
Teach the song by rote.
High-Low: This song is good for reinforcing the concept of high-low because of the big jump in pitch that happens on the
words “first one.” Ask the students to sing the song and to tell you where the very highest part of the song is. (On the
word “first”) Have the students show how the melody goes with arm motions.
Form a circle. Choose one student to be the “king.” The king walks around the outside of the circle. On the words “touch the first one, the second one, the third follow me” the king touches three students who leave the circle and follow him. Sing the song again and repeat. On the repeat, each student in the line touches 3 more students who join the line. Continue in this way until there is only one student left. That student becomes the new king
Sing the song for the students, showing them movements to the song as you sing. Invite the students to sing the song with you, and do the movements
Show how the melody goes for "Teddy Bear."
The series of interactive activities below will help students to understand how pitches move higher and lower.
Show the phrases by drawing a rainbow shape with your finger. Count the phrases. Ask the students to tell you which phrases are the same and which are different.
The first phrase of this song uses only two notes - a higher and a lower note. Project a copy of the Teddy Bear Pointing Page. Model how to point to the melody as you sing the song. Give the students their own copy of the pointing page and have them point to the melody as they sing. Some students may not be successful when you first ask them to point to the song by themselves. You may need multiple repetitions. Think of different ways you can use the pointing page so that you have the students repeat the song and point to the melody many times.
This song is included to teach the children the days of the week. The students can snap as indicated in the music. If they can’t snap fingers yet, tell them to “rub their fingers together.” If they rub their thumb and middle finger together enough times, a snap will eventually result. You could also play the snap on rhythm sticks.
As each finger is sung about, do the action that is suggested by the words of the song. On the words “dancing all around the town” I raise alternating hands in time to the music. On the words “tuck them into bed,” I tuck my hands underneath the opposite armpit. Even Kindergarten students are aware of the symbolism of the middle finger, so when the “bad one” is sung about, I show ALL fingers and wiggle the middle one. The music slows for the “hard one,” because it often takes young students a long time to isolate that finger. This gives you another opportunity to talk about how music goes fast and slow, and why the composer might have slowed down the music at that part. Finger plays like this song help students to develop finger dexterity essential to learning good printing skills or to learning to play piano or guitar.
Teach the song by rote and play the game. This song is a call and response in which the response is an echo.
Have the students make a circle. Choose one student to be the turkey. The "turkey" struts around the outside of the circle while all the students sing the song. At the end of the song, the "turkey" tags a student, who chases and tries to tag the "turkey" before the "turkey" reaches the inside of the circle. Both the “turkey” and the “chaser” sit in the middle of the circle until all the students have had a turn.
Teach the song by rote and do the movements.