PreK Lesson 15
Teaching Procedures
Sing "It's Music Time"
Sing "It's Music Time".
At the end of each verse, there is an eight-beat interlude. During the eight beats, continue the verse movement and count the beats. Tell the children that when they count to eight, they are counting the beats in the song and explain that the beat in music is the steady pulse you can feel, clap, or dance to. Use the hearts in the supplemental resources as a visual to show the beat.
Say the "Hello Beat Chant"
Review "Here is the Chimney"
Say the poem for the children and demonstrate the actions. Invite the children to say the poem and do the actions with you. Use this fingerplay to explore using quiet and loud voices. Ask the children to tell you which parts of the poem they should say in a quiet voice, and which parts should be in a loud voice. Try out the student's suggestions.
Magic Lips: To engage the students and to help them develop “internal hearing” say a fingerplay with “magic lips.” You do the actions, and “mouth” the words. They are often more attentive doing the fingerplay silently than they are when they say it out loud. After doing “magic lips,” when the little ones say it out loud they are much more confident speaking the words.
Review "Zed the Zebra"
Review "Zed the Zebra". Invite the children to suggest instruments that you could play with the song, and create new verses for. For example play along with a drum.
Teach "Christmas Cookies"
Teach the first verse of the song by rote. Create movements to accompany your singing. Teach the other verses and create movements to go with each verse.
Ask the children to tell you which parts of the song use a singing voice (A section) and which use a speaking voice. (B section)
Playing and Creating: Invite the children to suggest instruments to use to add accompaniment to the B spoken
section. You could try playing sleigh bells for 2 measures, then rhythm sticks for 2 measures. Repeat.
Review "I Like to Ring the Bells"
Teach the song by rote. Invite the children to suggest new instruments that you can use as new verses. Sing and play the new verses.
Review "Five Little Bells"
Say the poem, and discuss which parts should be fast or slow. Do the actions.
Move to the beat with "Trepak" (Tchaikovsky)
Keep the beat with "Trepak" by Tchaikovsky. Use the choreography that is suggested in the song activities or creat your own ideas that your students come up with.
Parachute idea: Put some pretend snowballs (large white pom poms or rolled-up white socks) on the parachute and do the suggested movements together with the parachute.
Review "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
Teach the song by rote. Invite the children to suggest new ways of moving that you can use as new verses. Sing and move to the new verses. Invite the children to suggest instruments that you could play with the song, and create new verses for.
For example:
Let’s all play a little shaker,
Let’s all play a little shaker,
Let’s all play a little shaker,
‘Cause Christmas is here.
