When the song is well known, have the class stand up each time they come to the words, “We love to sing!” Later, divide the class into two groups. Have one group sing the “alleluias” and the other group sing, “We love to sing!” Have each group stand up when it is their turn to sing.

Denise Tip: I like to have both groups stand and sing the final two measures, “We love to sing!”

This song is a good song for learning about accented beats. The process below is given as a projectable in the Concept Slides for 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.

1. Have the students show the beat for the first line of the song as follows. Pat the stronger beats, and tap shoulders on the weak beats.
2. Count the beats. There are eight. Each beat is a ta,or a quarter note. Draw the eight quarter notes on the board.
3. Place accents ( > ) on the quarter notes that feel stronger.
4. Tell the students that a bar line always comes before a stronger or accented beat.
5. When the beats are in groups of two, the music is in 3/4 meter.

"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.

This song is used to teach or review tempo terms. Play one verse or sing the song to the students. Teach them the actions for the song. Tell the students you’re going to try singing "Chester" at several different tempos. The actions get more and more challenging as the tempo increases. Repeat the song four times, getting faster each time. When you teach or review a musical term, add that term to your musical word wall.

Invite students to create 8-16 beat drumming patterns with rhythm sticks on the floor (or on beat boards) between repetitions of the song.