Echo sing.

Say the poem and demonstrate the actions for them. Ask the children if there were parts of the poem that you said in a quiet voice (hidden away where nobody sees). Discuss why you might say that part of the poem quietly. Invite the children to say the poem and do the actions with you.

Dramatize the poem. Choose five children to be the “bees” and have the other children make a circle around them to be the “hive” (or cover the five children with a large scarf). Say the poem, and when the bees come out of the hive the children “fly” out and around the room, buzzing like bees.

This song can be used to prepare or teach many concepts including steady beat, differentiating between beat and rhythm, preparing to read rhythms, and showing melodic contour. Teach the song by rote and play the game. Sing or play a phrase and have students echo. Combine phrases. Sing or play the whole song and have students echo.

Form a circle. I’ve tried having students pass a “bee” to the beat, but have had greater success choosing one student to walk around the inside of the circle, and point to the students in the circle, one at a time, on each beat. I call that student the “beat keeper.” In this game, the beat keeper holds a bumblebee (use a stuffed bee, a bee fly swatter, or picture of a bee) and points to the students in the circle, one at a time, as they sing the first six measures of the song. On the first beat of the seventh measure on the words “Take your wings and fly away,” the beat keeper gives the bumblebee to the child he is pointing at and that child flies around the circle and back to their place. Choose a new child to be beat keeper and continue the game. The game will go faster if you don’t choose the student who “flew” around the circle to be the new beat keeper. Students should get a turn to be bee or beat keeper, but may not get turns to do both.

Have the student that “flies away” make a buzzing sound as they fly. For students who haven’t been able to match pitch, this is one more way that you can help them develop in tune singing. Buzzing low to high and high to low sounds will help develop flexibility in their voices. Have your students “buzz” the melodic line of vocal exploration shape cards as a warmup or as an exercise following the game.

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

Print the pointing page found in the supplemental resources.
- or -
Have students point to the beat. Sing the song and point to the beat as you sing. Do any of the beat and rhythm activities that your students are ready for.

Sing “Burnie Bee” and show how the notes go higher and lower.

Optional: A printable is available if you want to use this as a pointing page.
(I'd print either the beat or the melodic, but not both)

Model for the students how to create a bug composition.

Optional: If a printer is available, have students create their own bug compositions.
Students will cut out the bugs and create a pattern. (Bug manipulative cards will be created to do this activity without cutting or glue)

Use the creative process in this activity.
Have students try out their pattern.
- do they like it? - if they do, glue it in the boxes.
Have students choose instruments or body percussion to play it.
- do they like it? - if not, refine it

Sing the song "Burnie Bee" as the A section. Use student compositions as B, C, D sections. You can accompany "Burnie Bee" on Orff instruments. Play a simple bordun on D-A.

Have the students listen to the song (sing the song for them or play the recording) and pat the beat. Pat the beat four times on one hand and then four times on the other hand. (or pat four times on one leg, and then four times on the other) Ask the students to listen for the different ways to move that are in the song. Write the ways that the students are to move on the board: march, hop, tiptoe and skip. There is a 16 beat instrumental section in the song. Invite the children to find a new place to show the beat during this part of the song. If you wish, you could give the students rhythm
instruments and invite them to play the instruments on the beat during the instrumental section.

Perform the song using the actions or movements that are suggested in the words. Use the song as a discussion of St. Patrick’s Day. Sing the verse as written. During the instrumental break march, hop, tiptoe or skip to the song as suggested by the words. After the students have moved to the music, ask them if there are any verses that they might sing more quietly or loudly than the others. (tiptoe could be sung quietly) Try out the verses with the dynamics the students suggest.

Create new verses and actions for the song and sing them instead of the ones that are suggested. (slide, glide, swoosh, twirl, whirl, flap, wave, jump, dance) Discuss what a march is with the students. Ask them to tell you where they might hear a march. (parade, concert)

Sing and move as the words suggest.
Create new ways for the leprechaun to move!

Have fun with the body percussion play along to this Irish tune.

Listen to the video, and pause when there are questions. Discuss the answers.
- What instrument do you hear?
- How does the music make you feel?
- Is the music fast or slow?

Play the video again and keep the beat or add instruments to play along. Alternatively, invite students to create movement to the music.

Identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music.

Introduce the song as a listening selection. Have the students count how many “p” words they hear in the song. Write all the “p” words on word strips (write the word “purple” in purple felt pen) and place them in your pocket chart. Have the students read the “p” words while you sing the song. (Do this slowly without the audio.)

Form a single circle. One student is chosen to go in the center. All students do the actions as indicated. On the word YOU, the student in the center closes his eyes and turns in a circle until the end of the song. The person he is pointing to becomes the next one in the middle.

Teacher note: We don't have a kids demo for "Purple Stew". 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 and move to “Skinnamarink”.