#55 ThemeMusic Ideas: O-Z - Updated 06/16
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(Just click on the category you want to view)
(For 'OCEAN' see #40 PROGRAM IDEAS N-Z)----
Patriotism [See also #55 Program Ideas O-Z/Veteran's Day AND #31 Movement,Drama,Dance
Peace, Tolerance--Penguins----Pigs----Pirates----Plants----Positive Attitude----Presidents----Quilts----Rabbits----Rain--Reading Week----Responsibility
Rhinosaurus----Safety----FSailors--School----Seasons----Five Senses--Seuss (Doctor)----Seventies----Shel Silverstein----Sixties
Snow----Spiders----Spinning--Spring----Squirrels----Stars & Space--States----Superheroes----Technology----Teddy Bears
Teeth----Thankyou----Tolerance--Toys----Storms---Transportation(Trains, Planes, etc.,)--[for 'CARS,' see file #53 Theme Music Ideas: A-D/Cars]----
Trees----Trumpet--Turtles---- (Roaring) Twenties--------(for "WATER" see "OCEAN" at Program Ideas II (N-Z)
Weather--[For Western theme see file #53 /Cowboys]----Where the Wild Things Are----Whistling----Witches----Zoo
[Also see: 'Rehearsals' at Junior High/Middle School Music---Program Ideas----American Song----African, African-American Music
Native American----Multicultural Ideas----Theme Music Ideas: A-D----Theme Music Ideas: E-O
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OLYMPICS
10/12 THEME: by Leo Arnaud. The listening map was great...but you can still do it without the map. Listen to it, you'll hear ABCBA. Move differently for each section. A is timpani with a fanfare, marching, C is lyrical (good with scarves), B is fast ( carry your torch!) A is marching again.Bugler's Dream http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiDaId3w3sA&feature=endscreen&NR=1
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LESSON: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/2014-Winter-Olympics-Music-Listening-Lesson-Olympic-Fanfare-by-John-Williams-1101206
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06/10 PROGRAM (Early Elementary)*Winter Games (choreography with torches---I found a really easy torch craft online that my art teacher is helping me with...)
~ Commercial Break ~ (I'll film each class making a short Olympic clip that I'll show between some of the songs, instead of doing speaking parts. The first clip's theme is American Pride) *Star Spangled Banner
*My Country Medley (from Classroom Classics-I Love America---- choreography with scarves)
*Spirit of America (Let's Sing America)
~Commercial Break 2 - Olympic Spirit
*Xtreme Winter
~Commercial Break 3 - We Are Family
*What a Wonderful World (during this song we'll run a slideshow of artwork the kids make that matches the lyrics.)
*We Are Family
*We Go for the Gold
*I also ordered the Music Olympics-Winter Games book with great activities that I'll use during the month of February
I introduced the program to the kids by showing them the highlight video from the 2006 Olympics on YouTube. (they were 3 & 4 years old during the last Winter Olympics, & most of them didn't really know what I was talking about! Haha The other music teachers in my district are doing Olympic programs as well this Winter, with some other song choices, like singing "O Canada" in English & French, & adding some other great songs, like "There Are Many Flags...." There are so many great songs to choose from! --- Karen Brownfield, Russell Ball & Beth Jones
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03/02 ACTIVITY: 4th graders: Need a stopwatch and kids need their recorders (a stopwatch can be borrowed from the PE teacher or bought at a sporting goods store in the RUNNING section. I shopped around for one fora few hours yesterday!! Cost for a decent one? $10.
Category I: Longest Long Toner
First a practice run. Everyone plays "G" using correct hand and position. Remind how to take a deep breath from the abdomen (don't raise shoulders, etc). Then, each child takes a turn playing "G". If there is an immediate squeak, then a do-over is possible. Any further squeaking results in disqualification. Time the length the note is played. I had one child play just over 21 seconds on a "G". They loved it and it was easy enough for everyone to be successful, to some extent! They're also practicing breath control!!
Category II: Fastest player of Hot Cross Buns.
Rules: must be tongued, no squeaking. Everyone gets two chances. Must use correct playing/holding position and well as good rhythm and correct notes. Time each child after a 30 second practice for everyone. Shortest time wins.
I had one child do it in just over 3 seconds. They're practicing tonguing and technique.
Child who has the best time, or beats the previous time gets to put the "time to beat" on the board, the class winner gets a piece of candy. Then there was gold, silver, and bronze for the entire 4th grade, and then I'll do it district wide. Different little prizes for each higher level of winning. They thought this was just the best thing!!
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03/02 TEAM RELAY: Divide the kids into two teams. To start, they have their recorders in their right hand at their side. I say three consecutive letter names (G,B,A) and say "go." The first one to get their left hand on top, and correctly play (with tonguing and no squeaking) wins that round and advances to the next round. Each turn, the notes would be in a different order.
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03/02 LINEUP W/STOP WATCH: We are playing "Lickety Split Line Up". I play a gong and start the stopwatch. Kids line up, single file, line basics... when all is silent I stop the watch. Kids are all lined up in less than 8 seconds! Kids proceed out the door. I'm calculating all "scores" and will have the gold medal class announced in mid March. This is Sooo easy and kids love it.
"Composer Contender" (name that tune with 25 different pieces kids have learned through the year)
"Melody Marathon" (reading solfeg cards)
"Note Name Relay" (teams of 5 race to put notes in order on staff to spell a word on a card)
"SWAT the symbol" (idea from this list with flyswatter race to identify symbols, notes, terms, etc) PS...those Olympic Power Points are fabulous!
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This year we will hold the Violympics 2000. Each student is assigned to a country depending on their ability to play the most advanced piece in that level. The countries names are:
Twinkland National Anthem Twinkle Twinkle
Bachland National Anthem Minuet 1
Handelia National Anthem Chorus
Paganinia National Anthem Witches' Dance
Violaland National Anthem To be chosen by violists
Vivaldiland National Anthem Vivaldi A minor Movt 1
Each student tries for two Olympic medals.
Medal 1 - Practicing
There are three possibilities for this medal. The parent chooses one of the three and then the teacher chooses one.
The three possibilities are * Practice 7 days a week * Practice with a positive attitude * Practice the amount of minutes of your lesson times 5 for the week.
Medal 2 - Technique event: The teacher chooses anything that the student needs to improve. Some event medal possibilities are Bow Hand, Tone, Vibrato, Posture, Left Thumb, Left Hand Formation, Pinkie, Bow Arm, Concentration, Left Wrist, Straight Bows on Highway, Relaxed Left thumb and Intonation.
A. EVENT - Bow Hand B. EVENT - Tone C. EVENT - Vibrato //Preliminary exercises: D. EVENT - Posture
E. EVENT - left thumb (Early Book 1 student) F. EVENT - Left Hand Formation; (more advanced student)
G. EVENT - Pinky (without pinkinest) Early Book 1 student and more advanced students who need to improve this point H. EVENT - Bow Arm I. EVENT - Concentration J. EVENT - Intonation
Medal 3 - Repertoire There are four possibilities for this medal. The four possibilities are:
* Play through at lesson to teacher's satisfaction, from Twinkle through to Perpetual Motion. Performance must be fluent and by memory. BLUE medal. * Play through at lesson to teacher's satisfaction, all of Book 1 except Etude. Performance must be fluent and by memory. BRONZE medal * Play through at lesson to teacher's satisfaction, all of Book 1 and 2. Performance must be fluent and by memory. SILVER medal * Play through at lesson to teacher's satisfaction, all of Book 1, 2 and 3. Performance must be fluent and by memory.
GOLD medal GOLD MEDAL in this section will also earn an engraved trophy. The teacher may hear these performances at the weekly lesson. Credits can be earned throughout Terms 2 and 3. Performances must be a minimum of four consecutive pieces at any one lesson. Teachers should mark credits earned into a Violympics book.
Medal 4 - Parent's Medal We will begin our Olympics with an opening ceremony. We will have Parade of Nations (to the Olympic theme), country flags, national anthems played by each country. There will then be a play-in and some extra day's events such as "Javelin" (straight strong bows when playing "Twinkle"; Sprint - the winner is the vioathlete who can play Perpetual Motion as fast and accurately as possible; High Jump " (leaps from low to high positions in specific pieces)...... The Olympics will conclude with a Closing Ceremonies complete with Parade of Nations, medal ceremony and concluding remarks. All students will be presented with a participating medal in the public ceremonies. There will also be special gold prizes for the day's events.
BACK to Theme topics
***********************************************************************100TH DAY OF SCHOOL
02/02 Here's a 100th Day of School activity that I am doing with K and 1. Have them count to 100, patting their legs on each number, but clapping on the 10's.Then give them all handdrums and have them play on every number, but rest on the 10's.Then I made a chart with the 10's numbers and a picture of the following instruments that will play on the 10, 20, 30, etc.: 10-guiro , 20-tamborine , 30- vibraslap , 40- cabasa , 50- woodblock , 60- triangle , 70- finger cymbals , 80- cowbell , 90- maracas , 100- gong
Play again with children playing the drums on all numbers and the special instruments on the 10's. Trade places and repeat.
They love it because there are lots of instruments to play and the teachers love it because it helps with counting, etc.
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02/02 (Tune of "Matilda" - Harry Belafonte et. al.)Chorus
One hundred (rhythm instruments on rests) (2x)One hundred, a nice round number for our celebration.
Verse 1:
1, 2, 3, 4, up to 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, up to 10,
One hundred, a nice round number for our celebration.
Verse 2 (accents on wrong syllables on purpose)
10, 20, 30, 40, and fifTY,
60, 70, 80, 90, one hun-DRED,
One hundred, a nice round number for our celebration.
Verse 3
Count by 20's to get ahead,
20, 40, 60, 80, one hun-DRED,
One hundred, a nice round number for our celebration.
(Tune of "Yankee Doodle")
One hundred days of school have passed, This day in February,
To celebrate this day of note We sing this song so merry.
__________ School is number ONE! We work hard and we have fun.
___________, we can count on you Each day the whole year through.
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Here is a website with 100 day activities:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/100thday.html
I've always wanted to come up with something for 100 day that was relevant, other than strictly counting. I was amazed at what some of our kids our listening to, ( my building only goes up to 4th grade!!) so that has started a whole other topic, especially with the older ones. I've told them I consider it my newest mission to come up with some alternative in their listening choices. So now when kids enter the room, I am playing a "CD of the week", We've listened to Bobby McFerrin, Sweet Honey in the Rock, wynton Marsalis, now I'm using some world music- from some Putamaya CD's I found. I also found a neat one at the library "For the Children", a Disney CD from a benefit concert for Pediatric Aids. It is really neat, Paula Abdul, Chris Cross, some really nice upbeat music to child appropriate lyrics ( some great nursery rhyme rap). I'm planning for Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Jim Valley, TickleToon Typhoon. I know some of the mature 4th graders will turn up their noses, but a lot of them have asked where I found my CD's.
BACK to Theme topics
***********************************************************************OWLS
08/14 "Over in the Meadow" has a verse about owls. I did a quick google search and found quite a few owl songs. I am not sure what grade levels you need, but it might be a starting point.------
See also the file #18 HALLOWEEN
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Yolen: "Owl Moon"
Web Site: "All About Owls: Owl quiz, information, printouts, coloring, etc.,
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/info/Owl.shtml
Everything to do with owls. Detailed descriptions of different species, including photos and sounds....
www.owlpages.com/
BACK to Theme topics
***********************************************************************PATRIOTISM, AMERICAN HISTORY
06/10 SONGS: I teach "This is My Country" every year as well as God Bless America, America, America, the Beautiful, The Star-Spangled, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Yankee Doodle, The Stars and Stripes Forever, God Bless the USA, Dixie, When Johnny Comes Marching Home This Land Is Your Land, You're A Grand Old Flag and more. I try to include as many as I can. Every class does not sing every song but I build throughout the years and by 6th grade, they sing them all. -- Kristin Lukow-------------------------
10/05 COSTUME: Francis Scott Key: (Star Spangled Banner) Wig, Pilgrim-type shoes (looks like they have a big, square buckle on top in the library's book), knickers with white knee-hi socks, 3-corner hat, ruffled white shirt, jacket with tails
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10/05 FAMOUS QUOTES: One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation, evermore! -- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Our flag is our national ensign, pure and simple, behold it! Listen to it! Every star has a tongue, every stripe is articulate.-- Robert Winthrop
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.-- Thomas Jefferson
America - the place where miracles not only happen, but where they happen all the time.-- Thomas Wolfe
I shall know but one country. The ends I aim at shall be my country, my God's and truth's. I was born an American; I live an American; I shall die an American.-- Daniel Webster
France was a land, England was a people, but America, having about it still that quality of the idea, was harder to utter - it was the graves at Shiloh, the tired, drawn, nervous faces of its great men, and the country boys dying in the Argonne for a phrase that was empty before their bodies withered. It was a willingness of the heart.-- F. Scott Fitzgerald
We defend not only our precious freedoms, but the freedom of people everywhere to live and raise their children free from fear. Sacrifices are being made by members of our Armed Forces who now defend us so far from home, and by their proud and worried families. They are dedicated, they are honorable. They represent the best of our country. And we are grateful. We will not waver. We will not tire. We will not falter. And we will not fail. Peace and freedom will prevail.-- George W. Bush
I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.-- Patrick Henry
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.-- Confucious
Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we will pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.-- John Fitzgerald Kennedy --Patty Oeste in AR
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07/05 My favorite is "By the Dawn's Early Light" by Steven Kroll, published by Scholastic.
Ray Charles singing America the Beautiful with awesome background pictures 08/04 “Songs Sung - Red White and Blue” by Ace Collins (The stories behind America's best-loved patriotic songs. It is a great teacher resource. ISBN -06-051304-7 USA $14.95
07/05 http://www.symbolicmedialounge.com/America/flash/flash.html -- Johanna Beebe
07/05 “The Star Spangled Banner” by Amy Winstead has illustrations for two other verses, too, so I always talk about those. Last spring I got another at a Scholastic warehouse sale that's got a story - something about a boy and his father or older brother or someone who are in Baltimore harbor fishing or something when the British come, and they end up on the boat with Francis Scott Key and watch the battle and all. It's got the words of the song in it, too, I think. The illustrations are beautiful. -- Ann in GA
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(Open and format Karen Reynold’s rating sheet for patriotic songs)
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RATE THE ANTHEM: My 6th graders enjoy this unit every year - they learn about all the main patriotic songs of our country (I focus on about 10 of them) and we end up choosing our national anthem two different ways - subjectively (based on our emotions and feelings) and objectively (looking at various criteria and rating each song). This unit not only teaches them the background of the different songs, it also opens their eyes to how difficult it is for a consensus to be made among their classmates, let alone an entire country!
The first day of class we briefly discuss our National Anthem. I mention the Ann Landers unofficial survey from her readers about this topic and I tell them we are going become the unofficial committee designated to study this issue and make a recommendation as to the most appropriate song to serve as our national anthem.
Then, we sing through each of the songs listed... most they know, but a few are not as familiar. We don't discuss them in any way. We then take a subjective vote. I explain that a subjective vote is one based on feelings, not facts. Almost always, God Bless the USA wins the subjective vote.
The next class I talk about studying this topic from an objective viewpoint, examining at each song for its own merit. We discuss what criteria is or is not important when choosing a national anthem. Among them are (there are a few more that I can't remember...): - easy to sing (I define that as one octave range or less) - meaningful text - birthplace of the composer and lyricist (My students usually feel that our national anthem should be written by people born in America.) - text mentions God (This one always stirs up some heated discussion. I think it's good - that's exactly what is happening in our country right now with other issues, especially the Pledge of Allegiance, and many of my students already feel strongly one way or another about the role of God in our government.)
I then show them the rating sheet that each of them will fill out. For each category listed above, they give a number rating for each song. In the instance of God, they must make a decision whether or not God should be mentioned in the text, and there are two sets of ratings to circle depending on their viewpoint. The following two classes are spend filling out the ratings sheet. I provide each student with a fact sheet about the composer and lyricist, the complete text (all the verses to all the songs), info about the singing range of the song, etc.
The students need to look up the information on the fact sheet to fill out their rating sheet.
I put posters around the room, one for each song. When they are done filling out their rating sheet, they post their total score for each song on the corresponding posters. I take these home, average the scores for each song and come up with the top ten in rank order. For the next two days, we sing through the songs again in order from #10 to #1, but this time we stop to discuss the song and I share background info not included on the fact sheet.
I think my students always come away from this unit with an appreciation for our patriotic songs and the heritage they represent. They also come away with a new-found respect for decision-making and how impossible it is to please everybody. As far as which songs rate the highest each year, it's pretty evenly divided between the Star Spangled Banner, God Bless the USA and America the Beautiful. There is a book called Patriotic Companion (I think it can be found in MK8 Marketplace or other music specialty catalogs) that I have used to find background information. -- Contributed by Karen Reynolds
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has really cool timelines, including information on specific inductees, that could be used within a lesson plan; http://www.rockhall.com/search/?q=timeline
ARTICLE, LINKS, ACTIVITIES: http://www.42explore.com/rocnroll.htm -- Contributed by Kristyn Johnson
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06/04 RESOURCE KIT: Rap Of The States, An Awesome, All-American Teaching Resource by Teresa Jennings: http://www.musick8.com/
From the ABC song to TV commercials, one of the quickest, most enjoyable ways to learn is by singing. This clever musical unit helps teach all of the states with their capitals, all set to a hot rap track that your students are certain to enjoy. If your school is one of the thousands that has used Teresa's Rap Of The Presidents, you know how much fun this type of project can be...and how much the kids learn!
The Teacher's Handbook includes the entire rap with full accompaniment, as well as teaching suggestions, staging ideas, ideas for customizing the rap and even suggestions for using Orff and classroom instruments with the tune. It also includes several important reproducibles, including a complete Student Part (with rights to reproduce parts for every student, no matter how many you have) as well as a distinctive poster, a reproducible map of the U. S. and other resources for teaching this unit across the curriculum.It's a great way to teach rhythms, grab the interest of hard-to-reach singers and get classroom teachers more involved with your music program.
TE-516 Rap Of The States - Kit with CD
Teacher's Handbook with Reproducible Student Parts & Performance/Accompaniment CD $24.95
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06/04 SONGS: K -Yankee Doodle - song and dance, God Bless America - song and sign
1st -review Kindergarten, America the Beautiful - song and sign, The Star Spangled Banner - song/book/drama
2nd -review 1st + This Land is Your Land - song and book, Stars and Stripes Forever - beat keeping activities
3rd -review 2nd + Preamble of the US Constitution - rap, You’re a Grand Old Flag - song and flag routine
4th -review 3rd + America - song, TAPS - recorder, Fifty Nifty - song and actions
5th -review 4th + Hail to the Chief - kazoos, Battle Hymn of the Republic - song/history
6th review 5th + When Johnny Comes Marching Home - recorder, Armed Forces Songs - songs and choreography -- Contributed by Kristin Lukow
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11/03 EIGHTH GRADE: focus on the SSB, flag songs, and national anthems of Eng. speaking allies, I pulled something completely out of my hat today and the kids really seemed to love it...
SSB: set up: I placed a red, yellow, or orange scarf under the chairs of 2 rows (10 chairs) before class.
The fun: After singing thru the SSB, I asked the class to count the no. of half notes in the melody (12).
Then I asked rows 1 & 3 (those without the scarves) to kneel in front of their chair facing the back of the room, while those with the scarves sit facing the front. (row 1 & 2 are facing each other, same with 3 & 4). Ok, I told those kneeling to slap their chair on beat one of each half note. Those with scarves are to gently toss their scarf into the air, letting it float back down to their laps on beat 2 of each half note. The slap would be the gun blasts, the scarves the fireworks!
We started a little slowly at first to practice. When they got the hang of it, we did it up to speed. They were also all singing along. It was sooooo cool. I had the rows switch roles too so everyone could do both actions. It was great. Contributed by Gretchen in IL
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SSB GAME: Split students into 2 teams and pick a team captain/co-captain. The team captain is responsible for answering for the entire team/co-captain is responsible for shaking the instrument or "buzzing in". (I usually use jingle bells or a tambourine for 1 team and maracas or castanets for the other team). Teams may also opt to choose a team name (the Raiders, Titans, etc.) for scorekeeping purposes.
RULES:
1. The questions will be read by the teacher and the first team to "buzz in" gets the first opportunity to answer. That team has 20 sec. to answer (this is very flexible as I often forget to look at my watch). If the first team cannot answer is suggested that the team captain already know the answer before buzzing in.
2. The team captain is the ONLY person that can answer. Team members that know the answers may whisper, the team captains are the ONLY people that can use their speaking voices. If the assistant happens to shake the instrument too soon, the question is thrown out (you may opt to return to it later). This rule is meant to cut down on yelling, overexcitement, arguing, etc. Thus it is important to realize that arguing, using loud voices, or getting on the teacher's nerves in general can result in loss of points for your team. This pretty much ensures fairness and good sportsmanship.
3. Each question is worth one point (up to you) and the team with the most points at the end of the game wins! Have fun and keep in mind it is only a game and remember to always show your good sportsmanship and respect for the other team.
POSSIBLE JOBS: timekeeper/scorekeeper
THE GAME: This game contains 3 sections: trivia, vocabulary and spelling.
TRIVIA
1. Who wrote the SSB? Francis Scott Key
2. What 2 countries were at war when the SSB was written? US/England
3. What fort was under attack when the SSB was written? McHenry
4. Where is Fort McHenry located? Baltimore, MD
5. The SSB is also called our national _____________. (anthem)
6. What is an anthem? it is a song of ___________. (praise)
7. Actually the SSB didn't start out as a song, it really started out as a __________. (poem)
VOCABULARY
What do the following words mean?
8. dawn-sunrise
9. twilight-sunset
10. broad-wide
11. perilous-dangerous
12. ramparts-walls of a fort
13. star-spangled-decorated with stars
14. banner-flag
15. fought-past tense of fight
SPELLING (you may want to let the team captain switch over to the best speller on the team)
How do you spell?:
16. attacked
17. warship
18. national
19. official
20. anthem
21. twilight
22. perilous
23. rampart
24. gallantly
25. streaming
You can add a big bonus question at the end worth BIG points like what year did Congress adapt the SSB as our national anthem or can you name another patriotic song?
Please feel free to adapt this game to your personal classroom needs and have loads of fun. - Contributed by Tamela Cook
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09/03 I made up a Red White and Blue song which I use with kinders and they love it. I add giant streamers made out of plastic tablecloths cut from end to end in strips about three inches wide and when they sing a color they do the movements with the color that each one is holding when it is mentioned...ie three color groups. This is much simpler than trying to teach them the Star Spangled Banner which does not use words that would be understandable to kinder and the melody line is too hard for them. The accompaniment for the Red White and Blue Song I use is good old MK8 ' Stars and Stripes Forever which is on one of the boomwhacker CDs....I think it is on the All American Boomwhacker CD. This is a show stopper.....great for Flag Day, Memorial Day etc,. He handles for the streamers are three pipe cleaners folded in half and twisted......easy and cheap to make. Words for the song to Souza’s March: Stars and Stripes Forever:
Red,red,red, White, white, white
And blue, blue, blue. (last line everyone does the flag motion)
Are the colors on our flag.
Red, red, red White, white, white
And blue, blue, blue (Last part goes fast)
There are 50 stars... We wave the flag to you.
The same CD has a great rendition of you're a Grand Old Flag which is nice and slow which I also do with the Kinder and the Pre-K also likes that one. - Contributed by Sue Michiels
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03/03 "STARS AND STRIPES" - I have done a "marching routine" as a part of the First Grade Flag Day Program for several years. I have 3 first grade classes and we perform on the gym floor with the audience mostly in the bleachers, but each class practices in my classroom to get the basic patterns before we put it all together.
Each class stands in 3 rows (when the classes get together the rows are the same, only longer). For the program, they were on risers and held small American flags.
- row 3 marches forward, when row 2 is out of their way, arms move from shoulders up (half note beat)
B - all rows turn and march to their left using the entire space, turn and march behind their own line until they reach the place where they started. (In a small space, you need to repeat)
C- rows 1, 2, and 3 from each class do a Right Hand Star(flags are in right hands) then change to a Left Hand Star (flags still in RH). With 3 classes there are 9 stars moving at the same time, it looks great!
D - each class marches to form their own circle
C - march in large circle, flags to inside, then flags to outside (on repeat)
D- march to center, wave flags, turn and march out, wave flags (repeat)
C- each class then marched to form one letter of U S A, waved flags to beat until the end. - Contributed by Sandra Raff
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02/03 There are two books that I use often. "America the Beautiful" by Tom Glazer (Doubleday) and "The Great American Songbook" (CPP Belwin) both have lots of patriotic music in accessible keys.
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YOU'RE A GRAND OL' FLAG: (Streamers Choreography)
I have never used streamers before, but we are having an absolute blast creating a choreography to "You're A Grand Old Flag". I bought some red/white/blue streamers from Oriental and we have been practicing for our upcoming Veteran's Day Program. Believe it or not, the kids actually came up with alot of it. This is what I am doing:
8 beats circling forward (forward-back in a circular motion)
8 beats waving right - left, right - left
8 beats circling your body (kind of like a lasso around yourself)
8 beats turning and making a squiggly line about waist high as you turn.
8 beats circling in front of your body like a giant O
8 beats figure eight
8 beats tornado (isn't that funny Kristen - I read your post and you are also doing a tornado. The only bad thing about tornado is that the steamer can tend to tangle. I encourage them to make a big and slow tornado)
8 beats reaching up as high as possible, then squiggling down in front of their bodies.
At the end, raise up arms and wave.
Contributed by Patty Oeste
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02/03 STAR SPANGLED BANNER: Star Spangled Banner UNSCRAMBLE:
I cut up all the words to the "Star Spangled Banner " into small groupings....Oh say can you see by the dawn's early light etc. and put them in envelopes. I then divided my class into 5 groups and had them lay out all the pieces in the correct order. Harder than it looks. Every few minutes we would sing through a bit - and when they were all done we sang it together. I think they finally understand what o'er means! (I've also done this activity in the past with other patriotic songs.)
PATRIOTIC CHIMES :
I made a chart of America The Beautiful and color coded it for 1 -4 -5 chords and have the children sing along as they rang their chime.
CEG =red
FAC = blue
GBD = green
I just wrote out the words to the song and underlined them according to the chords. (You have to fudge the 4 chord a little bit!)
They rang during their color the rhythm of the song. Then we switched chimes. They love doing this.
This is also fun with just the notation for the melody. Good form activity.----Contributed by Carol Richardi
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PASS THE BEANBAGS: pattern for patriotic music in 4/4.
Everyone starts with a bean bag in their left hand.
Beat one: R.H. goes up to forehead in salute position.
Beat two: R.H. moves out from forehead in a salute.
Beat three: R.H. picks up bean bag from L.H.
Beat four: R.H. passes bean bag to their neighbor's(on the right)L.H.
(attention, salute, pick, pass)
OR
Beat one: R.H. picks up bean bag from L.H.
Beat two: R.H. raises bean bag to forehead in salute position.
Beat three: R.H. moves out from forehead in a salute.
Beat four: R.H. passes bean bag to the neighbor on the right.
(pick, attention, salute, pass)
I made bean bags with patriotic fabrics for this activity.
Contributed by Nancy
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USING PATRIOTIC SONGS: 1. I ALWAYS tell the story, in whatever version is age appropriate. The little ones love knowing that this is a TRUE story. I don't glamorize the war, but we do talk about soldiers and ships, prisoners (the Dr.) and how cannon balls exploded with shrapnel, and the explosion would light the sky.
2. I have to remind all age groups of the technology of the time. They need to be reminded that the ships didn't have motors, no electric lights on the flag, etc..
3. One year we measured the dimensions of the flag in our auditorium. I describe to all of the classes how big it would have been since they have all been in the aud, they are stunned to think of a flag bigger than the Perkins flag. They are surprised that it would have been bigger than the floor of the room.
4. The Get America Singing Again Teachers Book has several fine activities. Little ones can trace the melodic line. I copy the history page for grades 3-6. I use the flag code page with fifth and sixth grade students. There is a page to match words with written melodic phrases. I use this as a challenge with grades 5-6.
5. I get a video from our AEA called "The Story of The National Anthem" from a series called "My America - Building a Democracy". It shows the actual fort, and narrates the story using art work visuals along with "real" visuals in about 12 minutes. It goes on to talk about "America the Beautiful"
6. We sing the song. In grades 5 and 6 we sing all three verses. I drag them through a lecture discussion on the meaning of the text. The vocab is way beyond most kids.
7. With older classes we discuss problems with the song - why would people want a different anthem. (Originally music to a drinking song, difficult range).
8> Scholastic has a great book out called "The Star Spangled Banner" with super pictures.
I DO THIS EVERY YEAR. Takes two or three class periods, depending on how involved I get, and how long I see the kids.
Contributed by Carol Hallberg:
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02/03 STAR SPANGLED BANNER: We had the audience stand and join us. The kids made a flag by each one having a piece of typing paper that when held together made the flag (kind of like a puzzle). Then at the very end, we created fireworks with streamers on popsicle sticks and some kids popped bubble rap.
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HISTORY OF TAPS: http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/taps.pdf
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02/03 SSB FLAG HOUSE: Home of America's Flag! Navigate through history and learn about Mary Pickersgill ... Description: Information on the former home of Mary Pickersgill, maker of the flag that inspired the National Anthem.... www.flaghouse.org/
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06/22/02 THEME: "AMERICA SINGS!" I used 11 quotes (see below) from founding fathers to George Bush. The quotes were used while classes were getting on and off stage and to keep the show moving. John Jacobson has a wonderful upbeat song called "America Sings" that the 3-4th graders opened with. For the finale the 3-6 all sang "Let There be Peace in the World" by Berta and Sonja Poorman, 1998 Warner Publisher. Than the curtains closed and the 7-8 sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" in front of the curtains while all the K-2 entered the stage behind the curtains. The curtains opened and 250 kids were on stage. A soloist sang the 1st verse to "God Bless America" 1x chorus the kids sang; 2x chorus the audience joined us. It was simple but impressive and moving. The K8 songs we sang were: "Lift Every Voice and Sing" "The Heart of America" "You Are Our Hero's" "Lady liberty" "The Road to Freedom" The choir sang"Freedom" from Shenandoah. The show choir: "America" from West Side Story and "Proud to be an American".
I got the quotes from many sources. The main source was a musical called "Liberty, A Musical Celebration for Freedom"; and from the books: "The Real George Washington"; "The Real Thomas Jefferson". I also found a couple of small books of quotes and prayers written after 9/11 which had George Bush's quote. Some of the quotes I just had from other programs. I also have a resource book called "Great American Speeches" which had Martin Luther King and JFKeneny's quotes. I think one was God Bless America. They were 1.99 in a Christian Book Store.
Another thought I had after I put my program together was to have kids read original essays. Our 5th and 6th grade students wrote essay's about freedom for a contest. Their teacher showed them to me and she printed them on Patriotic paper and laminated them. We displayed them in the lobby of our performances. It was too late for our program, but it would have been nice to have had some of them read during our show.
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QUOTES: #1 “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and assume among the powers of earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and nature’s God entitle them…they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” -
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
#2 “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…"
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
#3 “We therefore…do solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and ought to be free and independent states…and for the support of the Declaration…we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
#4 “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, secure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for our selves and our prosperity. Do ordain and establish the constitution for the United States of America.”
Preamble to the Constitution, 1787
#5 “I am an American. Let my song be a song of freedom. Let the melody sound the call of liberty. Let the rhythm beat the drum of justice. Let the words be a testament of our gratitude that proudly declares: “I am an American!”
Sing, America, Sing!” (In the song “Sing, America, Sing”)
#6 “…I say to you today, my friends…I still have a dream. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. And when that happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every…state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
Martin Luther King Jr. 1963
#7 “We here then highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom…and that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, 1863
#8 “Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge…and more!”
John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, 1961
#9 “God grant that there may be wisdom enough assembled to make, if possible, a peace that shall be perpetual, and that the idea of any nations being natural enemies to each other may be abolished, for the honor of human nature.”
Benjamin Franklin, 1782
#10 “My first desire is…to see the whole world in peace, and the inhabitants of it as one band of brothers, striving who should contribute most to the happiness of mankind.”
George Washington, 1785
#11 “A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep the light from shinning.”
President George W. Bush, 2001
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05/21 VISUAL FLAG EFFECT: I heard an idea at a workshop by Pamela Thompson to simply shine a spotlight on the flag and point a fan on it so it "blows." Also, could add some sort of visual/slide show. She said she would add more effect by making the slideshow slightly above the heads of the students so that their shadow outline is seen along the bottom of the screen (rather than putting a slide show off to the side or far above).
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SONG LIST: Grade 1-3 Concert: -The Star Spangled Banner -America (My Country 'Tis Of Thee) -America The Beautiful,-Hail To The Chief (with homemade instruments) -A Dandy Doodle (recorder), -Red, White And Blew March (recorder) -Yankee Doodle's Pony -You're A Grand Old Flag, When The Flag Goes By/This Is My Country -There Are Many Flags In Many Lands , -Heart Of America -Sing Out For Your Country -America, My Home -Lady Liberty , -This Land Is Your Land -God Bless America
Grade 4 and 5 Concert: , America (My Country 'Tis Of Thee) - Choices - My Heart Is Home , When Johnny Comes Marching Home (recorder) , When The Saints Go Marching In (recorder) , Allegiance Rap - Blue And Red And White - Stars And Stripes Forever , America The Beautiful - You're A Grand Old Flag
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01/02 RECORDING: "GOD BLESS AMERICA" and includes: God Bless America -Celine Dion, Land of Hope and Dreams-Bruce Springsteen (live), Hero- Mariah Carey, Amazing Grace- Tramaine Hawkins, Blowin' in the Wind-Bob Dylan, Bridge Over Troubled Water- Simon And Garfunckle, Peaceful World - John Mellencamp (previoulsly unreleased, Live acoustic version) There's a Hero- Billy Gilman, and America The Beautiful- Frank Sinatra, God Bless the U.S.A.- Lee Greenwood, This Land is your Land - Pete Seeger, Coming Out of the Dark - Gloria Esefan, We Shall Overcome - Mahalia Jackson, Star Spangled Banner, Morman Tabernacle Choir, and Lean on Me-Bill Withers.
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01/02 MAJOR HOLIDAYS HISTORIES: www.patriotism.org -- I liked the poem "I am the Flag". Has real dramatic possibilities!
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01/02 SSB Idea: Our oldest group, a 4/5 chorus, sang the 1st verse along with the audience, then went on to perform the 3rd verse alone. On 2 cue words throughout the verse, each of the 7 classes involved created a "fireworks" display (the concept came from a person on this list-sorry I can't remember who to credit). There were 10 pom-poms per class, 3-4 bubble wrap players, and 2 drummers. On the cue word, drummers played THEN poms went up in the air while bubble wrappers each popped a bubble. Poms were made from metallic looking grass from the dollar store which was secured by rubber bands & tape to dowels. (WE also made a practice set of poms with different colored crepe streamers attached to dowels).
In my opinion, this was the most spectacular piece in the program (because of the special attention it received)and a fitting tribute to our National Anthem. Being last, it left the performers & audience with a very special feeling.
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01/02 PLATE CHOREOGRAPHY: HEART OF AMERICA: (musick8.com) red, white, blue plates with hearts glued in the middle. verses: hold plate two handed about shoulder height and move right to left back and forth with the beat.
chorus: hold plate with right hand and tap on heart on the word "America", take plate to salute above right eyebrow and then extend arm up and out to the right and then down to the side. repeat sequence.
listening measure, hold plate to left ear lean left, stomp-stomp, tap plate to heart
hold plate to right ear lean right, stomp-stomp, tap plate to heart
repeat sequence
ending: one side does the "America" salute and down. other side does "America" salute and down.
back and forth with the words. on the words "the heart" with both hands everybody extends plate straight up over heads
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here's how:
take two pieces of khaki colored felt (army green). lay them on top of each other so the edges match. position in front of you lengthwise.
cut in the shape of an army hat like this: leave the bottom (long) edge flat. on each side make diagonal cuts through both pieces (approx. 45 deg. angle) up 5" one side and 5 1/2" the other.
now cut across from the top left to the top right trying to scoop the cut out slightly in the middle.
sew ON THE OUTSIDE around both sides and top leaving the bottom open. measurements: 11" across bottom, 5-5 1/2" diag. edges, and approx. 4" in the middle straight up.
they are great for swing dance lessons too! we have performed with them dancing like V-Day in a canteena and threw them in the air at the end. the aud. went berzerk!
(open at the bottom. the taller edge is the front. position on head with front point right between the old eyebrows and back point in the middle of your head in back. nudge it down on the sides and collapse the middle a bit. there you go. from far away, good enough to salute!)
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11/01 PARODY: "LONDON BRIDGE": Fifty stars are in my flag, in my flag, in my flag,
Fifty stars are in my flag, My dear country.
Thirteen stripes of red and white, Red and white, red and white,
Thirteen stripes of red and white, My dear country.
It waves so proud to show we're free, show we're free show we're free,
It waves so proud to show we're free, My dear country.
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11/01 HISTORY OF PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The first pledge was one sentence of 23 words written for the first Columbus Day celebration in 1892 and published in a magazine for young people. Later "my flag" became "the flag of the United States of America" and the hand over the heart was added. Later (1954, I think) "under God" was added. Along the way, the Supreme Court ruled that no one could be compelled to say the pledge, as that would infringe on their "liberty and justice."
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11/01 PLATE CHOREOGRAPHY: YOU'RE A GRAND OLD FLAG: I bought red and blue plastic plates that are sturdy enough to last, and a bag of 100 styrofoam . white that don't hold up. The principal gave me some money from his "cookie jar." Some of the kids cut out white stars and glued them to the blue plates, and red hearts and put them on all the plates. These were 8th grade helpers who did all the cut and glue. On the words, " Every heart beats....." they show the heart side and gently tap their hearts. I'd have to be at school to get the rest of the choreography. Let me know if you want it. They also do some with the Star Spangled Banner which I use to end the program and after the last big cadences they get to fly them out over the gym floor. It looks really neat and sends the "dignitaries" running for cover. I just retrieve the plates from the gym floor and store them for the next time.
Choreography
You're a grand old flag you're a high flying flag and (soft-march in place) Forever in peace may you wave
(arms above head, wave arms from elbows) You're the emblem of
(Hand over heart) the land I love, the home of the
(other hand crosses over 1st to make the love sign) free and the (wrists together in front then separate quickly to the sides as if breaking the chains or handcuffs from wrists)
brave every (arms up at shoulder level like a muscle-man pose)
heart beats true for the (hands crossed at fingers beating on heart with song)
Red, White and Blue (count on fingers 1,2,3)
where there's never a boast or brag (first finger up, follow with head to left/right as saying no)
but should auld acq., be (hand over heart as if dear friend)
forgot (move hand to opposite side and down as negative
motion Keep your eye on the (2 fingers of right hand at right eye)
Grand Old Flag (2 fingers point on each word out to flag, on the & of the beat LIGHTLY touch the temple to help keep the rhythm of the music)
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11/01 K-1ST GRADE: PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN
I'm (G) proud to be an American, To wave the red, white and (Am7) blue. (D) I'm (Am) proud to be an (Am) American; (change on second syllable) And I hope that you are (G) too! (Fine) (D7) Even though my years are (G) few, I (D7) really want to (G) say, "In (Am) all our (D7) sad and (B7) happy (Em) times, God (A7) bless the U.S. (D) A! (D.C.al Fine)
(Rhythm code: ta= q.note, tam= dotted q.note, ti=8th note, Z= q.rest, ta-a= half note, ta-a-a= dotted half, / = bar line)
(Meter signature is 4/4, and it starts with a q.note pick-up.)
ta / tam ti ta ti-ti / ti-ti ta Z ta / tam ti ta ti-ti / ta-a Z ta / tam ti ta ti-ti / ti-ti ta Z ti-ti / ta ta ta ta / ta-a-a Z /
ti-ti ti-ti ta ta / ta-a Z ta / tam ti ta ta / ta-a Z ta / ta ta ta ta / ta ta ta ta / ta ta ta ta / ta-a Z
(Pitches in key of G)
low D / B B B A-G / D-D D D / B B B A-G / A >br? low D / A A A G-G / F#-F# F# E-E / D D B A / G
F#-F# F#-F# G A / D D / F# F# G A / B
B / C' C' B A / B A G G / A A G E / D
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10/01 GAME: "BANNER BOWL"
Materials: Tally sheet/board for scorekeeper. Small rewards(opt.) for winning team. Visual showing list of simple definitions for vocabulary words.
Previous knowledge: Students are familiar with the historical back- ground concerning the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." This background can come from books, illustrations, videos, internet, etc. Students know the song and have a basic understanding of the vocabulary included in verse one.
Rules: The team must decide on a group answer. Only the captain can give the answer. If he/she gives the correct answer, 2 points are given. If someone else on the team says the answer, only 1 point is awarded, even if the answer is correct. The team with the most points at the end gets a music sticker for their folder. (any reward, or none at all, can be substituted) If the first team misses the answer, the other team captain can get 1 point by answering correctly.
Part I: vocab. (3 questions per team): dawn/hailed/twilight/perilous/ ramparts/gallantly
Part II: multiple choice (5 questions per team)
1. The words for "The Star-Spangled Banner" were written by 1) John Philip Sousa 2) Francis Scott Key 3) W.A. Mozart
2. The words were written in the year 1) 1775 2) 1492 3) 1814
3. The words were written near the city of 1) Baltimore 2) Chicago 3) DesMoines [we're in Iowa]
4. The words were written during the 1) Revolutionary War 2) VietNam War 3) War of 1812
5. The symbol described in the song is 1) the flag 2) the bald eagle 3) the Statue of Liberty
6. The words tell how the night sky was lightened by 1) the moon 2) the sun 2) rockets and bombs exploding
7. The fort watched by the poet was called 1) Fort Scott 2) Fort McHenry 3) Fort Apache
8. "The land of the free and the home of the brave" means 1) Russia 2) England 3) the United States
9. Since 1931, "The Star-Spangled Banner" has also been known as 1) our national anthem 2) a dumb song 3) "My Country 'Tis of Thee"
10. We think the original poem was written on 1) s stone tablet 2) a computer 3) a scrap of paper
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10/01 K- MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE 1- Yankee Doodle Boy (review songs from K)
2- You're a Grand Old Flag Battle Hymn of the Republic (verse 1)
3-Star Spangled Banner America, the Beautiful
4-When Johnny Comes Marching Home The Caissons, Marine's Hymn and Anchors Aweigh
5-Rap of the States or Nifty Fifty Allegiance Rap (review other years)
6 - God Bless America Sousa stuff
7-8 God Bless the USA (review previous years)
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10/01 Say something good about America What makes you happy? What makes you proud? Say something good about America Shout it right out loud Say something good about America Let¹s wave the flag and make a little fuss Say something good about America because She¹s sure been good to us Music can be picked up at: http://www.concentric.net/~Gamba/saysomething.html which also has a link for the first song I mentioned. --------
Cup Game - Stars and Stripes
A pattern: q q q q | qr qr q q | q q q q | q q q Q ||
clap clap clap clap |
play on cup clap hit cup clap hit cup
clap pickup pass rest
B pattern: q q qr q | q q q q | q q qr q | q q q Q ||
clap snap hit hit
hit clap hit cup clap hit cup clap snap hit hit
hit clap pickup pass rest
C pattern: q q q q | q q q Q | q q q q | q q q Q ||
clap turn palm floor
| R knee, L knee, floor clap turn back palm
floor clap pickup pass rest
D pattern: q q q q | q q q Q | q q q q | q q q Q ||
hit cup on the floor floor palm palm floor floor palm
floor palm knee knee floor floor pass rest
Begin the game with the cup turned upside down. When the directions say: turn: grab cup on the opposite side that you normally would and turn it right side up The next turn you’ll grab cup on the opposite side that you normally would and turn it upside down again. Rest during the 2 bar intro.
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10/01 SONGS: 1. Raise flag to National Anthem
2. All say Pledge of Allegiance
3. Sing America (My Country Tis Of Thee)
4. Song: Hola Amigos (3x)
{Second graders demonstrate a greeting game: After Hola Amigos 1X through, they turn to their neighbor, shake his hand and say " Let's shake hands, say how do you do?" "clap clap /pat pat (pat neighbor's hands), Toodle-oo!" (I got this idea from some wonderful K8-er). I will ask the audience to do this , too, and join us in our song. Do song again, game again, song again.}
5. Hellos in many languages. I will say, "We want to welcome you and greet you with hello from many parts of the world. We just sang "Hello Friends" in Spanish, how about in German? All kids "tip their hats" and say Guten Tag. We have about 8 different hellos we'll do- the kids love to do: India- nameste, Israel- Shalom, Africa (Swahili)- Jambo, Russian-Sdrast-voo-tsi, French (more hat tipping)-Bon Jour, Chinese-Ni Hau, Japanese-Konichiwa. They like to bow, on these, etc.
6. Song: "I'm so glad to be here"- Tell audience they may participate in the actions, too. (no doubt small brothers and sisters will be happy to)
7. Song "Say Hello" from Greg & Steve's "Everybody Has Music Inside" show. This is an echo song so the audience and singers will echo me.
8. That's it- the parents should feel throughly greeted and everyone will go off to their classrooms.
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See also the file #4 AMERICAN SONG HISTORY
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VIDEOS: Yankee Doodle America, Grand Old Flag, America the Beautiful, Battle Hymn of Rep. Yankee Doodle Boy, God bless America, This land is your land, Star Spangled Banner
The cover says this is a great video for children and adults interested in Learning American Sign Language. Donce by Production Associates, 1206 W. Collins Avenue, Orange, CA 92867. (714) 771-6519 Cost $10.
I viewed it once. It looks good.
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AIR FORCE SONG (Lyrics) http://www.af.mil/Questions.aspx
This is the official Air Force song, and there is great info on the web ---------------
9/01 STAR SPANGLED BANNER LEARNING TOOL: I mimeographed 2-inch circles on tag board. The kids cut them out, or you could use a die-cut machine. On one side they write the words of a musical phrase (e.g.: "the rockets red glare") and on the other they draw a picture which corresponds to those words. Then, I paper punched a hole in the top of the card and they strung the circles in order on a piece of string. They could try to say the song just by looking at the pictures, or they could turn the circle over and read the words if they forget them. This picture also puts a "concrete" picture in their minds of what the words say.
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9/01 UNIT: Each of the classes will learn America the Beautiful in sign language (I've been practicing for weeks :)) for Sept., then I'll add Mk8's America My Home
4th: will focus on America's beginnings, the 50states,our state song, and songs that depict our legendary history. Some of the songs will be 50 Nifty, Illinois, Erie Canal, This Land is Your Land, and several others. They'll listen to an Aaron Copland selection for SQUILT (not sure which one yet).
5th: will focus on battle songs from our American history. Including songs like "Yankee Doodle, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", and other Civil War Songs. They'll listen to "American Theme" for SQUILT from STM gr. 4 (Battle Hymn & variations). I'll also include other songs from the union, confederacy, and underground railroad like "Follow the Drinking Gourd".
6th: will focus on America, our country, and will be singing numerous songs like "This Is My Country", "What A Country", "America", "God Bless the USA", etc. For a SQUILT here, I'm planning on playing the Dixie Chick's "Ready To Run" which will lead in to MK8's "Heart of America." We'll compare the 2 and also use these to focus on 16th notes in our rhythm drills.
7th: will focus on the songs of the American Armed Forces and listen to various Patriotic Marches for their SQUILT sessions.
8th: will focus on the National Anthem and songs about the American Flag. They'll listen to "National Emblem" for their SQUILT. They're going to have a big test on the Nat. Anthem too!!
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STAR SPANGLED BANNER IDEA: Basically you have the kids standing on risers singing the song. Meanwhile, someone down front is holding signs with all the words to the song with certain words circled and color-coded. There are 3 groups of kids on risers in oval clusters. (There could be more than 3) They are all holding colored rhythm sticks, which have (this is the part that's hard to explain) shiny, poufy things attached to the top of them that look like fireworks- kind of in the shape of a weeping willow tree- going up and then hanging down.
We bought them at Party City in gold, silver, and multi-color (they had stars at the ends of them), but you could probably make them out of laminated paper. So they start singing and when they get to a certain word, like "light", all the people holding the gold things raise their right hands up really fast and hold that pose like the Statue of Liberty for about 2 counts, then they swizzle the stick down. Then on the next circled word on the chart, another color goes up.
Then you have different color combinations going up together, then towards the end of the song, they keep getting closer together like how they shoot up a lot at the end of a fireworks display. The kids don't have to be rocket scientists to do it, and they really enjoy it. I've done it with young and older students and they all liked doing it (you know how kids are tactile and want to hold something), and the audiences love the effect! They actually told me it looked like fireworks!
SONG: THE BLUE, RED AND WHITE - a k8 song- was such a hit at my Veteran's Day program last November. My kids absolutely LOVED this song, and people in the audience were crying. I had a few veterans come up to me after it was over and comment on the beauty of the song. It will be a huge hit for you!!!!!!
Have you looked at the other verses to "America the Beautiful"? Most people only sing the 1st and the one that begins "O beautiful for patriot dreams..." but the others have some very powerful words for our time. If you use the accompaniment from a past issue of Music K8, you also get that spine-tingling "Carmen Dragon" effect!
"YANKEE DOODLY DANDY" with fifth grade. We had half using drums, the other half used tambourines. I choreographed different rhythms and movements for each half and it looked really cool when it went into the two parts. I also used "You're a Grand Old Flag" and used a Norwegian Sword Dance that I learned from Paul Halstead.
SONGS: "Sing a Song of Peace", written by Jill Gallina. Marines Hymn, Anchors Aweigh, U.S. Air Force Song, Caissons Go Rolling Along, Over There, Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree, Johnny Comes Marching Home, Blowing In The Wind, Voices That Care and chorus from America the Beautiful. We are signing the chorus to Voices That Care (Desert Storm) and America The Beautiful. Battle Hymn of the Republic would also be an appropriate selection for a Memorial Day program.
PROGRAM: We did this three years ago (when the program was called "Get America Singing Again!") and it was a great big success! All the parents brought lawn chairs or blankets. We took the keyboard, PA system,and risers outside, and sang all those old favorites, such as "I've Been Workin' On The Railroad","SwingLow",and "Oh, Susanna".
People said they almost expected to see horses and buggies pulling in the drive, it was just such a neat, old-fashioned thing! Anyway, I was explaining to my first graders the other day how we were going to learn all these wonderful songs all year long, and they could go home and get their parents to sing along, because they would probably know most of the songs from when they were in school, and then we would have this big sing-along in May...well, you know how it is, you're using your most excited, enthusiastic teacher's voice to drum up some enthusiasm from the students....One little boy raised his hand and asked "Do you get paid to do this?" I guess he thought I was having too much fun!!! boy! And I get to back tomorrow!!
This has worked for me for big patriotic program: assign plates so the end result will look like a flag.........several rows in upper left section have blue plates.....other rows alternate with red and white plates.......We used "Grand Old Flag" and did choreographed rhythms with the plates (tapping, sliding them back to back like sand blocks, up & down motions, etc.). At the last chord, we held plates up facing the audience and choir looked like a giant flag.........we had glued big white stars on all the blue plates. (kids are on risers) Two cautions: check position of kids prior to performance (absent kids in the blue section make the design not crisp).........also WAVE the plates for another year.
If you have a great group, you can even make the flag ripple and wave. The effect is like the old card designs used at big football games...and at the olympic ceremonies. In our case, we used the plates on the second song of our show....kids walked holding plates down beside them. After the number, we had practiced how we would pass and collect plates quietly and quickly so show could continue Great effect that also works well if elem. students perform at a football game (you know how small towns are sometimes.......)I use cheap white plates for rhythm activities in class and just toss 'em out when we wear them out.... the plastic ones are pricey but worth it for a show.
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***********************************************************************PEACE, TOLERANCE
06/09 SONG: Peace Is the World Smiling? By Karen Stokes-----------------------
SONG: I LOVE the song, Circle of Friends, from Learning Workshop. I bought it back when I was a classroom teacher and we've done sign language and movements by starting with just 3 kids and they keep going to get more friends until their circle is huge. You can listen to it at:
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12/07 VIDEO: Four online videos - http://www.peaceoneday.org/home.aspx?band=hi
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06/07 I ordered a wonderful book/CD from "Teaching Tolerance" magazine a few years ago that I love. It's called "I Will Be Your Friend" (Songs and Activities for Young Peacemakers). The book and CD were free if you wrote on school letterhead and had your principal co-sign the letter.Go to their website at www.teachingtolerance.com for more information. -- Leslie in Ohio
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04/03 WHERE IS THE PEACE? - MUSIC K-8, Vol. 1, No. 4: www.musick8.com
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BEAUTIFUL PARTNER SONG, called Dreams of Harmony. It's on one of the Amidons' CDs, as well as being in the 340 Rounds and Canons book.
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04/03 PARTNER SONG: This Is My Country/Sing a Song of Peace. I believe Jill Gallina did the partner song to This Is My Country.
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04/03 SONG: SIMPLE SONG OF PEACE BY Jerry Estes - octavo
Gorgeous 'goosebump song' - you can get it any place they sell music such as Malecki or JW Pepper
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09/15 PEACE ROUND-ORFF: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Peace-Round-for-Orff-Instruments-and-voices-801314
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09/15 PARTNER SONGS: PEACE SONG/AH POOR BIRD http://www.beatinpathpublications.com/BMH/documents/Basic_Level_2_2015.pdf
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02/02 MUSICAL: PROJECT PEACE is a musical by Roger Emmerson. It has the subtitle: What Kids Can Do to Build a More Tolerant World.
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02/02 We made a big dove out of cardboard with an olive branch in its mouth and had it hanging in the center of the convention center. We found some fabric with the world map on in and stitched up two huge banners with the letters Project Peace on each world map banner. We had those on either side of the dove. Very easy to do and very effective. We had over 1500 children in the program as we did it district wide--it turned out beautifully!
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10/01 SONG: Zol Zain Sholem (let there be peace) an Eastern European Jewish song in Yiddish and English that can easily include audience participation on the "yum pa pums" and is call and response. It has a very "klezmer" feel to it, and is quite old and traditional.
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THE POWER OF ONE (Poem) by Cheryl Sawyer (written after the September 11th atrocity) --- www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOFHGS8JzRo
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Theresa Jennings: "Shalom" Plank Road Publishing
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10/01 RECORDING: "LET THERE BE PEACE" is sung by the Irish Tenors on their CD "Ellis Island".
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SONG: "A TIME FOR PEACE" MK8, vol, 7 or 8, I love that song. I did it on my black history program last year.
-SONGS: SING OF PEACE (from THE MUSIC TEACHER'S ALMANAC by Loretta Mitchell - page 1-3........it is a 4-part round.......absolutely beautiful and easy to perform)
-IT'S IN EVERYONE OF Us (from the Muppets Christmas album.......great piece!)
-PEACE MUST BE OUR GOAL (B A G recorder piece)
-JOY TRIUMPHANT (GREAT Orff piece for 5th grade......"sing a song one of joy triumphant)
-SHOUT (from HOW THE PENGUINS SAVED CHRISTMAS......Teresa Jennings musical.....nice upbeat song)
-SING MERRILY, SING FOR JOY (nice choral piece.......with piano accomp.......5th grade)
-MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE (great Orff piece for 4th or 5th graders........)
-SHALOM (from vol.10/2 of musick8.com..page 34.......beautiful accomp. track)
"THIS PRETTY PLANET" It can be done in a round or not, and the kids loved it. I heard it in Tampa last year, but I've seen it else where.
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***********************************************************************PENGUINS
01/07 CLIPART: http://abkldesigns.com/penguins1.html---------------------------
ACTIVITY 2D GRADE: One of the biggest pluses was that the students could take over reading their parts by the 3rd time through, taking the story completely out of "teacher's" hands! There are no page numbers, so I've given the first couple words from each page as cues for following the activity. All sounds are added after the page of dialog except as noted in directions.
Materials: FIVE LITTLE PENGUINS SLIPPING ON THE ICE by Steve Metzger, illustrated by Laura Bryant, Scholastic Books
Bass xylo (BX), alto xylo(AX), soprano xylo(SX), alto glock(AG),
2 sop. glocks(SG), large drum (we used a 12" Tubano), 5+ sets of jingle bells,
Objectives: 1. Compare/contrast "pitched" and "unpitched" percussion.
2. Add pitched and unpitched percussion colors to a book to enhance the story. Process: 1. Share story and pictures with class. 2. Organize players in a large arch, with instruments/cue-sheets moving in story order around the arch.
3. Demonstrate and discuss each instrument, whether it is pitched or unpitched, and how it will be used in our story.
4. Teacher read pages and students add instrumental colors. (takes about 5 min.)
5. Trade jobs and repeat as time allows
6. (optional) Students take over reading of lines that go with their instrument.
Activity: "Five little penguins....." BX ascending glissando
"One fell down...." slap large drum on "ouch"
"The mother called....." 8 steady beats on jingle bells each time this comes back.
We used 2 new players each time, moving around the arch.
"No more penguins...."
All students read this together from a visual each time it occurs.
"Four little penguins...." AX ascending glissando
"One fell......" wind chimes throughout line
"Three little penguins...." SX glissando - ascending/descending/ascending
"One flew..." SG ascending glissando on "up" and play and low tone on "down!"
"Two little penguins...." AG ascending/descending glissando (like the outline of a hill)
"One slipped off...." slap stick or wood block
"One little penguin....." SG glissando "Broke the ice....." student(s) "cry"
"Now there's no...."
All or selected readers from a visual "Let those penguins....
All shout or add a tune and sing! Connie Herbon
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***********************************************************************PIGS
06/09 Not a song, but the book, "3 Swingin' Pigs"....you can add lots of echo singing, and it's a good intro to Jazz for little ones. --- Jane Rivera----------,BR> ORFF ARRANGEMENT: "The Old Woman and the Pig," based on the folk story of the same name. You know the one, where the woman comes to the stile, her pig won't get over the stile, so she can't get home...and then the story goes on from there. The Orff arrangement is definitely not a beginner one but is quite do-able if your kids have been working in the Schulwerk for some time. I used to do the arrangement with upper grade kids--it is a tonic/dominant chordal harmony.The song can also be sung on its own, w/o the Orff accomp., accompanied by guitar or such. It's a fun song! --- Louise Eddington, Muncie, Indiana E. Luane Campbell Elementary Music Instructor & Talented and Gifted intervention specialist Mt. Gilead Schools, Ohio
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06/09 POEM for high/low voices:
Where are you going Big Pig, Big Pig? (high)
Out in the garden to dig, dig, dig. (low)
Out in the garden to dig, dig, dig? (high)
Shame on you Big, Pig, Big Pig! (high)
I'm sorry Ma'am, but I'm just a pig, (low)
And all I can do is dig, dig, dig. (low) --- Beth Jahn
Greg and Steve's "Three Little Pigs Blues" in the CD "Playing Favorites"--- Nikki Febinger
Mortimer Mooner Stopped taking a bath (mortimer's a pig)
Your older student might enjoy the book/CD "Grunt" by Sandra Boyton. It has Gregorian chant with a twist... pig latin! --- Sarah Davies
There is a song on Jill Trinka's album "Bought Me A Cat" called  "The Old Sow".And on her album "My Littlr Rooster" there is the song "Old Woman and the Pig", not sure if it is the same one. For a stretch you could do "Hambone"--- Monica in CT
In my new Singing Games Vol. 4 (Grades 3-6) we have "Our Old Sow". This is a great singing game for upper elementary - it was the favorite game of our older kids when we worked on DVD. It's a great teaching piece - low so, drm tone set. Rhythms - introduces ta-m ti or dotted quarter-eighth. A teacher I knew had taken ETM training, and had learned it there. --- Denise Gagne www.musicplay.ca Musicplay – the Sequential Text Series [email protected]
I know of a neat arrangement of Three Little Pigs by CJ if you go to NEN.com It's the National Education Network and they have tons of great songs.
01/07 "The Three Little Pigs Rock Out" CJ and Friends
05/21 Cross Curricular Pig lessons, http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/YLP/96-97/96-97_mini_units/Pig_KPelak/pig_unit.html
ACTIVITIES, LESSONS, UNITS (FARM ANIMALS):---http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/themes/farm.shtml
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***********************************************************************PIRATES
01/16 SONG: How about Veggie Tales, "We are the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." What a hoot!
12/11 SONGS:
BLACKBEARD AND REDBEARD - : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exads7KV-Y0
Lyrics & chords: http://www.erichermanmusic.com/blackbeard_chords.pdf
12/07 TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY For any of you wanting to do something special in class for this day, Anne & David Ellsworth's song " is available as a Downloadable Kit, so you can order it and download it immediately:
http://www.musick8.com/
07/05 "THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING" My middle school students often ask for this from Veggie Tales.
The Alee Alee Oh (singing game -
trad.)
07/05 "A PIRATE SAYS ARRR!" Both of my daughters love this from Backyardigans. If you can use internet during class, you can go to this site and play the video (or my favorite, turn off the monitor and just play it through the speakers). You will also find printable lyric sheets for quite a few of their songs. Watch the video for choreography ideas. It would be great to contrast speaking vs. singing voice and high/low.
01/07 "TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY" by Tom Smith. [www.talklikeapirate.com/songs1.html] Because of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie I had bought the soundtracks to both movies for quiet listening, and lots of
eye patches, hats, pirate bandannas, stuffed parrots and stick on mustaches and beards. In 1st and 2nd grade we learned "Talk Like a Pirate" using flashcards to read the 8 pirate phrases. When everyone had learned to sing and speak the whole song, I picked 8 kids and gave each one a card to say, lined them up in order and put a hat, eye patch or mustache on each one. The little hams did great and we ALL had a great time! -- Jane Rivera 01/07 I just did the most fun "Talk Like a Pirate Day" lesson today. The fifth graders, (who normally think they're so old and so cool), had a blast! I ran off copies of the pirate-y words and laminated them, then handed them out to the student who was most pirate-like when reading the word. Then we sang the song, directed by the group of pirates.
We're off to sail the rollicking sea, pirates all are we! But ARRRR, and shiver me timbers! There's a stowaway on board! Perhaps the King of the High Cs will know what to do. Join this salty crew of colorful scallywags
when Bluebeard, Yellowbeard, Whitebeard, Purplebeard "HOW I BECAME A PIRATE" by Melinda Long and David Shannon. We sing the song, read the book, then using pipe cleaners and black paper circles I cut out and punched a hole in, we make eye patches to wear while we act like pirates and sing the song. Great fun! Lori Langan
SONGS:
"HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THE RAIN" by Mary Lynn Lightfoot, Heritage Press, I think. It's a lovely two-part choral piece, includes Rain, Rain Go Away and a rain stick. "LISTEN TO THE FALLING RAIN" (2 votes) Music Connection I think grade 2, my kids love it every year around spring time. LISTEN TO THE RAIN A nice number: (HV396) Cynthia Gray Heritage Music Press
RECORDING: John Lithgow has a children's CD out (which my husband, my two year old and I ALL enjoy) with "Everybody Eats When they Come To My House" on it. CD is called "Singin' In the Bathtub" and I got mine from Amazon.
"I. . . can see. . .a rainbow in the sky. . .the moon and the stars and the sun." based on Orff book
Volume 1 page 62 #2. presented by Steven Calantropio Orff Specialist from River
Edge, New Jersey.
Great Song For Right To Read Week
https://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=1287
Read Across America Day - 4th Grade Song
https://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=584
Read Across America Day - Activities For Each Grade
https://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=198
It's My Book - Volume 13-3 - is fun and can be very visual on stage.
https://www.musick8.com/store/alphadetail.php?product_group=1021
This one may work; it is to the tune of "Yankee Doodle"
Reading For America
https://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=148
Denise is right the music is truly beautiful. My 3rds did "Seasons" and my 5ths did "Snowflakes" for our December concert last year and we got rave reviews. They are both pretty easy 2-part (mainly echo or responses) but they sound really high level when the kids sing it. They know how good it sounds, too, and that's what makes this composer's music so wonderful! -- Rita Ogelsby 02/03 I did How Does Your Garden Grow with 1st
and 2nd graders. They had a blast and the parents loved it! John Jacobson had
some great choreography written in. The song, "Hop Old Squirrel" is all in 'mi-re-do.' The
actions are good for movement: hop, dig (for acorns), hide (the acorns), swish
your tail, run (I have the kids twirl instead of run to avoid
collisions).
"The Tree Song" for Arbor Day a number of times, usually for upper grade performance. I've also used "The Rattlin' Bog," "The Lollipop Tree," And "The Birch Tree," a song from Russia which adapts well to recorder and Orff accompaniment.
I use my turtle puppet and do
it with (for!) my K's. Then I found "A Turtle Is So Well Prepared," set to the
tune "I've Something in My Pocket." I may have gotten the words from someone on
the list but don't have a copy home to check the source. It is cute and much
easier for the K's to sing than the other song. It could maybe be used up to
2nd.
I know Penny Whistle is different than a whistle we would do puckering up,
but they love it, and it is a type of whistle. I am thinking about using Kazoos
for a song too, maybe "A Little Kazoo Music"
*At the 'Quarium (Tom Paxton, also recorded by Two of a Kind, on "Love
Makes a Family")
*Baby Beluga (Raffi, on "Baby Beluga", and in book)
*Blue
Crab Blues (recorded by Magpie, on "Circle of Life")
*A Capital
Ship
*Charlie's Over the Ocean (game-song)
*Drunken Sailor (many
recordings, incl.: Kent Courtney Sings Shenendoah)
*Golden
Vanity
*Greenland Whale Fisheries (recorded by many including the
Weavers)
*Henry Martin
*Hugh the Manatee (Magpie, on "Circle of
Life")
*Baby Beluga (Raffi, on "Baby Beluga", and in book)
*Blue Crab
Blues (recorded by Magpie, on "Circle of Life")
*A Capital Ship
*Charlie's
Over the Ocean (game-song)
*Library Bookaneers (Monty Harper) - THE perfect
song for this theme!
*Magic Penny (Malvina Reynolds, recorded by many -
"treasure")
*Octopus's Garden (Beatles, on "Abbey Road"; also in Raffi book
and others)
*A Pirate's Life (from "Peter Pan")
*Pirate Song (Judy Caplan
Ginsburgh, on Sing Along Video with JCG)
*"Rise Up
Singing" (published by Sing Out!) has a section called "Seas"
*Three Pirates
Came to London Town
http://www.nickjr.com/playtime/shows/backyardigans/video/back_pirates.jh tml
Delynne in AR
Believe it or not, I read the HOW I BECAME A PIRATE storybook, and I've never had such an attentive, active group of listeners. (One of those magic moments in teaching!). Then we sang "We are the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything", ( with GREAT expression, while I simply accompanied them in C, G, and F. Finally..... I set out five islands, (hoola hoops), and gave each group of about 5 a treasure map, (torn, wrinkled, tea stained, and slightly burned), with a scavenger hunt list.
Since we only have 30 minutes, I shortened my original list to only include six things. (Most of the items could be found in the students' grade level books which gave individuals things to hunt for):
1. Search for a song that is written in 3/4 timing.
2. Search for a song that demonstrates ABA form.
3. Search for an instrument that is in the percussion family.
4. Search for a song that pirates might like to sing-- but be ready to explain why. (Have FUN with this one!)
(I got answers like "Give My Regards to Broadway", "Walk the Line", "John B. Sails", etc. Their explanations were great!)
5. Search for a song that has a syncopated rhythm.
6. Search for an nstrument that is in the wind family.
The first group to find all objects and place them on/in their island yelled Arrrrrgh! and was the first to collect their silver pieces from the treasure chest. (Walmart-popped popcorn divided into small 1/2 cup portions wrapped in aluminum foil).
Although it was mostly just a really fun lesson, the scavenger hunt allowed for some music theory to be presented, and boy did those kids sing with gusto! -- Laura Bryant (NM)
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06/09 MUSICAL: PIRATES! By Roger Emerson, John Jacobson. (Teacher/10 Sgr/PerfAcc CD). Expressive Art (Choral). Children's Musical. Published by Hal Leonard. (9971155)
Just a note to tell you all what a great time we are having preparing this Jacobson/Emerson show. The kids are the most excited! The music is wonderful! What a great show! I will be sure and share pictures when we are finished. BTW we are planning on building the front of a pirate ship across the entire front of the stage using 4x8 pieces of styrofoam! I CAN'T WAIT! Very excited! (when I no longer get excited, it's time to retire),Kathleen Bragle
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12/07 EXPRESSIONS: http://www.piratetreasure.org/pirate-phrases.htm
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06/07 LISTENING: --how about "Sailor's Hornpipe"? There are many recordings of hornpipes--often played on solo fiddle or concertina--that were an authentic part of sailors' shipboard work and leisure time. There are a lot of jigs as well. You could use them as follow-the-leader movement activities or recorder descant follow-the-leader activities. There is a choral setting which includes "A Pirate Story"--based on the poetry of Robert Louis Stevenson (I will have to double check the composer--I THINK it is the Perrys) and Don Besig's "Ghost Ship". Don't forget organ music (like Davy Jones) and movement activities with slow, sustained,
movements--like when they summon the Krakken in Movie #2. It's a good way to give students the idea that people used music as they worked cooperatively--whether in a field, on a ship, or on a railroad. - Donna
Boylan
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01/07 BOOKS:
HOW I BECAME A PIRATE by Melinda Long
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06/06 Just type in your full name and you get your pirate name.
www.mess.be/pirate-names-female.php -- Kathie Burlow
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05/02 ACTIVITY: The children place giant cannonballs (black die cut circles) on the floor staff. Lines and spaces for preschool and the difficulty increases to intervals and dictation for older children.
After completing the whole activity children who want can fire a 'cannonball'. I have black balloons blown up that they can poke with a push pin to create an big BOOM!
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05/02 RHYMING ACTIVITY: Each year I do a large unit on rhyming in grades 1 through 3. Consider having each class write their own verses to a piggyback song? We did this and then published a book complete with illustrations. It was called "A Pirate's Life".
Here is a sample from one first grade classroom: (Tune is O Susannah)
"I wear a scarf around my head, In my ear I wear a ring...
I like to find treasure and gold, but I especially like to sing."
The refrain was not an original piggyback composition...rather, it was passed along from a classroom teacher, I don't know where she got it, but it goes like this:
"Hey there matey! Now don't you cry for me.
For a Pirate's life is filled with such Adventure on the sea!"
The song is introduced by a poem, also passed along from the same teacher:
"Ahoy there, matey! And what will you say on the day that capture your boat? ........."
The class that is performing this will actually wear scarves around their heads...maybe clip on earrings. The costumes will be simple. Here is a verse that a 3rd grade class wrote:
"A buccaneer can sail a ship And ride across the waves
While searching for their gold and gems And finding treasure caves".
To teach this unit I ask the students to brainstorm their ideas about the subject...then I will usually set up the first line and ask them to write a second, rhyming line. The line using the word "Buccaneer", however, was generated by a student. They love this activity...and when the words are student generated, you can be sure that it adds pizzazz to their performance.
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PLANTS
SONGS:
06/15 The "Garden Song" is a great one. (Inch by Inch, Row by Row....)
GITC has a whole chapter of garden and farm songs in our Green Songbook...so many great ones out there. My favorite is Sarah Pirtle's "My Roots Go Down" which is simple and lends
itself to songwriting about all plants and Nancy Schimmel's "Two Field Farm" which teaches real science! ---- Jessica Baron
0/15 Oats, peas, beans. Inch by inch. The seed song by the Amidons
http://www.theholidayzone.com/spring/songs.html---- Lori VerMerris
MUSICAL: How Does Your Garden Grow. My kids still remember the
song about the weeds! Some other great garden songs-Inch By Inch ----- Bonnie Lomax
EACH OF US IS A FLOWER My kindergarten loves this song from the Silver
Burdett We have sang it many times and used sign language with it. ---- Robin Lavinder
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POSITIVE ATTITUDE
AC-CEN-TU-ATE THE POSITIVE
HAPPINESS IS... This song is also in a medley of "happy songs"
It
has: Accentuate the Positive and Happiness is from Charlie brown and Whenever I
Feel Afraid, etc.
I think I ordered it about 3 years ago from Clarus, but
I've seen it other places too.
High Hopes
In "The Music Connection" Silver
Burdett, In the grade 5 book, first song: "Think Positive". It's a lively rap
song.
"Don't Worry, Be Happy" is by Bobby McFerrin
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PRESIDENTS
..
AMERICAN HEROES by Jonathon Sprout "
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IDEAS: Sousa march entitled "George Washington Bicentennial" A great idea would be
to plan a concert/program for your school around the theme of Presidents' Day.
Add narration, band, music associated with the presidents, Lincoln's Gettysburg
address, "Hail to the Chief," "Hail to the Chief," the official music of the
President of the United States,
Aaron Copland composition "A LINCOLN PORTRAIT." teacher
friendly one is the album U. S. HISTORY IN MUSIC, BOL 75, from the Bowmar
Orchestral Library Series. These records are available from many dealers or can
be ordered. Many of them are now available in updated formats, too. One company
which features the series in their catalog is LMI of Illinois. Their toll free
number is 1-800-456-2334. Be sure to tell them where you heard of them. AND
THEN, (get ready for this - it's super cool!) there is the album SONGS OF THE
PRESIDENCY (talk about good correlation!), B 589 S, again from the Bowmar
Orchestral Library Series. This recording includes, for instance, "Lincoln
Medley," Jefferson and Liberty," and many other presidential campaign songs. The
album also contains information on ordering reproductions of portraits of the
presidents and other materials.
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QUIILTS
12/08 SONGS:
Fly Foot - Mister Fly Climbed Up A Tree, Storm at Sea - Night On Bald Mountain – recorders, Log Cabin - Little Cabin in the Wood, Pieced Star - Stars Shining, Road to Oklahoma - Oklahoma!, Bear Tracks - The Bear Went Over the Mountain, Pennsylvania Barn Door - Barnyard, Barnyard - Silver Burdette --- Juanita Bellavance
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06/07 SONG: “Endless Chain” to quote someone who wrote a review at Amazon.com, “The last track on the album, Endless Chain, recounts the imagined conversations of quilts calling out their names as they flap on the
clothesline, richly accompanied by various strings and dulcimer, which builds to an amazing, layered climax of harmonies and words, much as if all the hands that created the quilts were all in the same room on a phenomenal quilting bee.” If you go to “Grey Larsen - Online Store,” you can listen to a recording of it. -- Jane Weimer-Godwin
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SONG: "SWEET CLARA & THE FREEDOM QUILT" by Deborah Hopkinson is a Reading Rainbow book that tells the story of a quilt as it relates to the Underground Railroad, so perfect tie-in to African American history. This opens the door to use songs such as "Great Gittin' up Morning" -- (easy to orchestrate- - this song is in the 5th grade Spotlight on Music series.) - Becky Ventura
06/07 BOOK/PRESENTATION: I did a musical presentation of the great book, "Agatha's Feather Bed" by Carmen Agra Deedy. (Peachtree Publishing). There's a great little chant in the book that lends itself to song. The plot centers around a quilt. Carmen is a wonderful Cuban/American storyteller. Her stories for children are also a joy to hear. They're available on cassette. - Beth Orris
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How about a visual/musical piece with layered ostinati, pitched or unpitched, that unfolds as a quilt is displayed, square by different square, on something like a powerpoint slide show? Isn't a quilt with it's many parts very much like an elemental sound piece, only visual? -- Martha Evans Osborne
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06/07 BOOK: You may want to check out children's author, Patricia Polacco. She has a book called "The Keeping Quilt." Also, Margaret DuGard gave out a copy of one of her original pieces "Hand Me Down My Mother's Work" but it does specifically mention quilts. -- Helen Tormey Elementary Music Teacher New
Burlington Elementary, Cincinnati, OH
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RABBITS
WHO STOLE THE COOKIE FROM THE COOKIE JAR: we have been using the plastic Easter eggs filled with dried split pea soup. The eggs are then taped so they don't come apart. We use the eggs to keep the beat during the rhythmic song, shake them like maracas. Then we put the eggs in from of us in the circle. When your name is called during the song, the students rolls the egg to see how close they can come to the Easter basket the basket is in the middle of the circle. All my kids have loved it. My 3rd graders wanted to do it again. So I changed it a little more, off the top of my head. They throw the egg into the air and had to catch it using a 2 beat throw. Man, the boys loved this. They were even throwing back and forth to each other and still keeping the beat. My rule was that they still had to say the rhythmic chat when they were doing this.
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RAIN
07/05 SONG:
A G E Stop the rain (quarter tied to an eighth, eighth, half)
G G G G E Blow the clouds away (eighth eighth eighth eighth half)
A G E E E Thunder lightning rain (quarter tied to an eighth, eighth
eighth eighth quarter)
E E E D E Make it fade away (eighth eighth eighth eighth half) -- Sabrina
I CAN'T STAND STILL UNDER THOSE RAINDROPS See MK8: 6-#4 for 2 rain songs; musick8.com worth the cost
Great song!!
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IT AIN'T GONNA RAIN NO MORE, arranged by Paul Jennings. (musick8.com) It was great! My kids loved it! Terrific sound effects!
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SINGING IN THE RAIN We did this with choreography and umbrellas. Looked great.
"RHYTHM OF THE RAIN" by Jerry Estes (2 votes) (Alfred Publishing). It is a 3-way partner type song and it has a nice Orff accompaniment using woodblock, shaker, triangle, drum, bells or xylophone. The words and melodies are easy enough to teach by rote. I've used it with my 5th grade chorus as an introductory activity and warm-up.
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VOCAL POEM SPRING POEM/SONG Spring Has Come & Poem/song April Rain Chant Combined the three to make a rondo pattern Marilyn Davidson
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SOUND EFFECT: Rubbing hands together, snapping fingers, patting legs, stomping feet, patting legs, snapping fingers and finally rubbing hands. When they do it in a wave effect it sounds like a storm coming and going in the room.
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ORFF: There's also a WONDERFUL little Orff echo activity called Doctor Catchell that has words as follows:
Doctor Catchell With his satchel
Through the rain the doctor goes Splishy spashy Squishy squashy
She (he) makes music with her toes
And my last little item is (drum roll, please or at least flip over your rain stick now)
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READING WEEK
06/16 Library Song by Tom Chapin (available thru Itunes)BACK to Theme Music Ideas topics
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REINDEER
PROGRAM: Run, Run, Reindeer - Jay Althouse, The Reindeer Rock - Suzanne
Hunt Paterson , It's Raining Reindeer - Jeff Funk, Reindeer On The Roof -
Jay Althouse, RUDOLPH'S , Slate Stacy and Pippin Steve Diffie, Joe -
Reindeer Redneck The, Leroy Mitchell Bob Rose, Rudolph's Ragtime
Razza-ma-tazz! - Saundra Berry Musser, Reindeer Power - Mary Lynn Lightfoot, The Reindeer Rap - Sally K. Albrecht, Where Is Rudolph - J. Paul
Williams, Jackie O'Neill, Dwaine The Reindeer - Stephen Lawrence, Dealing
With The Reindeer - Sally K. Albrecht, The Reindeer Hop - Stephen Lawrence, The Reindeer Hula - Stephen Lawrence, Wranglin' Reindeer - Angela Darter
Stogsdill, Cristi Cary Miller, ROLLER
- Reindeer Shaw Kirby Roll, Rock Huff Mac Skatin?
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RESPONSIBILITY
"Yes I Can Songs, by Ronno". The kids just love it! There is a great song on there about being responsible for your own actions, self control, being a 'sore loser', making choices, and lots of other subjects. Many of the songs involve some sort of participation -- dancing, rote singing, movement, etc. One favorite of my students is "I Can Dance". The Children practice alternately sitting still and moving like crazy.
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RHINOSAURUS
Barnyard Dance (Sandra Boynton/Ford,
on "Rhinocerous Tap") musical setting of the Boynton book
Horns to Toes
(Sandra Boynton/Ford, on "Rhinocerous Tap") musical setting of the Boynton
book
Mama Don't Allow - song which inspired the Thatcher Hurd book
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SAFETY
FIRE SAFETY SONGS:
http://www.preschooleducation.com/sfire.shtml
New Zoo Review Episode 90
http://www.songsforteaching.com/safetysongs/firesafety/
http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/preschool_themes/fire/fire_safety_songs.htm
Elaine Lifton's album of fire safety songs, "The Firehouse Five", which is
mentioned in the ASCAP Playback Magazine:
http://dps.sd.gov/emergency_services/state_fire_marshal/fire_safety_songs.aspx
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SAILORS
06/09 [This wonderful video of sea chanteys] is one of the early scenes in the 1956 version of Moby Dick. Shows the men singing and pulling on the ropes with the music! If you want, you can talk about "foreshadowing", with the women watching the men board the ship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdiFYCUP9oU --- Susan Simandle, Music Specialist
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04/03 SHANTIES AND SEA SONGS
*Blow the Man Down, etc.; *The River Is (Lorre Wyatt) *The Rivers, Lakes and Seas
(*Rose, Rose & Up She Rises (new words to "Drunken Sailor")
*The Sailing Song (Mary the Fleur) Mary: "I've got a song called "Then
Sailing Song" about a group of us who go sailing the high seas till a storm
comes up and almost drowns us. We are saved by Pirates (Lego Pirates as it turns
out). There's a fun narrative at the end, too. (one pirate captain, one first
mate, one parrot, a mumbler for the crowd part and me"
*Sailing to the Sea (Tom Chapin, on "Mother Earth")
*Sailing Up, Sailing
Down (Lorre Wyatt, rec. by Pete Seeger & Paul Kaplan..
*Searching for a
Whale (Ann Limor and co-writer, Betsy)
*Sharon, Lois & Bram have a video
with a "Treasure Hunt" theme, many pirate songs
*The Slide at the Bottom of
the Sea (fingerplay)
*Song of the Whales (on Magpie, "Circle of
Life")
*"Songs from the Seven Seas" (Routlidge & Keegan-Paul, 1984)
complete collection of sea songs
*Swimmy (David & Jenny
Heitler-Klevans/Two of a Kind - based on book by Lionni
*There's A Hole in
the Bottom of the Sea (In "Wee Sing" book)
*Three Pirates Came To London Town
*Tropeo the Pirate (Monty Harper, not recorded)"The song tells a story - two
runaway children want to join the pirates - they are captured by Tropeo, "the
terror of the seas".
*Turkish Reverie
*Underneath the Deep Blue Sea (on Two of a Kind:
"Friends")
*Water (Bob Reid & 6th Graders, on many recordings including Two of a
Kind: *Good Rocking Daddies, etc.)
*The Wheel of the Water (Tom Chapin, on "Mother Earth" - 5 overlayed
ostinati)
*The Wiggles (Aussie kids supergroup - http://www.thewiggles.com.au) have a
character called Captain Feathersword, the Friendly Pirate. They have lots of
songs featuring him.
Three Pirates Came to London Town
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SCHOOL
01/02 SONG: I Like School (From MK8)
ABC Rock (A Greg and Steve piece- I gave the kids big letters on colorful construction paper and they held up their letter when it was sung)
The 3 Bears Rap (got this from another music teacher friend-if you want it let me know and I'll post the words...unfortunately, I don't know who
wrote it.)
The Counting Song (Spanish song in Share the Music K)
Bingo (we used unpitched percussion for the different letters)
Do Re Mi (I had 1st graders play the scale on the Orff Instruments along with each do, re, mi, etc...)
Best Friends (a song from Silver Burdett World of Music level 2)
I Like to Have Fun (from MK8)--they really hammed this one up and it was adorable!
Johnny Works with One Hammer (They did movement with this)
Our school song
I'm So Glad to Be Here (from MK8)
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Be True to Your School; It's In My Desk;
My Sha-La-La-La Locker's Stuck; Book Bag Boogie.....
Leotha Stanley has 'Brain Power' and 'School Blues' on his "Be a Friend"
book/pa cassette. They are real crowd pleasers.
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SEASONS
(for Winter and Fall specifically, see ‘Holidays’)
Craig Cassils has written a beautiful collection of songs, title "Seasons". The recording alone is worth the price -- has a wonderful children's choir performance of the 5 songs. These are not cute little action song type
pieces - these are wonderful little art songs. Some are two part, but not too difficult. This is quality music and would make a very beautiful addition to a program on Seasons. The titles are:Seasons, Snowflakes, Water,
Mist, Wind
This collection also comes with integration ideas for the classroom teachers. For example: (There is a song titled Water: Related Ideas - Science:
1. Brainstorm on water needs. The main categories
of use are agriculture, industry, power, sports and recreation, fire-fighting, shipping and transportation, human consumption. Use headings appropriate for the grade level. Create a word web that organizes these uses/gives examples.
2. Make a list of water conservation methods. (Keep water or drinks in the fridge so the tap doesn’t run and ice cubes aren’t thrown out, make sure laundry or dishwasher loads are full, water lawns less, have more trees and less lawn, have short showers are just a few ideas.)
There are many more ideas given - this is just a small sampling. You can hear samples from this collection at:
musicplay.ca
The collection doesn't come with separate accompaniment tracks, because this is music that should be performed with a piano accompaniment, but I do have accompaniment tracks now for all the songs if someone wants them. ( I can email the accompaniment MP3s to them) -- Denise Gagne www.musicplay.ca Musicplay - the Sequential Text Series [email protected] 888-562-4647
I have this collection.
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FIVE SENSES
http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/fivesenses/songs1.htm
http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/preschool_themes/five_senses/sensory_songs.htm
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FIVE SENSES SONGS: These songs are part of a growing collection of science songs. For more information, please contact Suzy at [email protected]
©2003 Suzy Gazlay, [email protected], Used by permission
HEARING: "What Can I Hear?" (tune:Billy Boy)
Oh, what can I hear with my ears, with myears?Oh,whatcan I hear when I listen?
Children laughing, birds in trees, passing cars and buzzing bees; These are sounds that I hear when I listen.
Oh, what can I hear with my ears, with my ears? Oh, what can I hear when I listen?
Voices on the radio, Someone walking very slow These are sounds that I hear when I listen. Oh, what...
Airplanes flying overhead, Something nice that someone said; These are sounds that I hear when I listen. Oh, what...
Raindrops falling on my house And the squeaking of a mouse; These are sounds that I hear when I listen.
---
SIGHT: My Eyes Can See (tune: Down by the Bay)
I have two eyes, so I can see; So many things Look good to me I look around and I can see
The world is full of such wonderful things. My eyes can see!
My eyes are brown, or blue or gray, or black or green; They're made that way. I look at you, you look at me
Our eyes are made Such a wonderful way So we can see.
My eyes need light So I can see Such colors bright Are there for me. Just look around And you'll agree,
The world is full of such beautiful things Our eyes can see!
---
TOUCH: Sense fo Touch(a rap)
How much can I touch, Can I touch with my fingers? I can touch my knees and ankles, I can touch my toes;
I can touch my elbows, I can touch my head and shoulders; I can touch my middle, I can touch my nose.
I touch furry, I touch fuzzy, I touch soft or rough or pointed, I touch slimy, I touch gooey,
I touch sand and dirt. I touch cold, I touch warm Not too hot--my touch will warn me It's a way that touch protects me So I don't get hurt. It's funny how my brain is connected to my fingers, 'Cause no matter what I'm touching My brain can tell. And I know they are connected, 'cause my skin and brain together Let feel the world around me, And they really do it well!
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TASTE: "What Tastes Good to You" (tune: Turkey in the Straw)
What tastes good to you? What are special foods to chew? Is it chicken that you cook on the barbecue?
Is it soup you make, or some yummy chocolate cake? What tastes good to you? What tastes good to you? can you give us just a clue? Is it cocoa that you drink when the day is through?
Is it ice cream, cool and sweet, or the apples that you eat? What tastes good to you?
For your tongue can tell, and it does it very well; Special taste buds give you taste, Helped by what you smell.
Salt and sour and sweet and the bitter things you eat yes, your tongue can tell
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SMELL: "My Sense of Smell"(tune: Animal Fair)
I have a sense of smell and it helps me to tell When food tastes good the way it should
It does its job quite well. I smell a summer breeze sometimes it makes me sneeze. my nose can tell the wonderful smell of flowers, grass, and trees.
Now what can that smell be? I smell but I can't see My mom's perfume across the room It sure smells good to me!
I love to smell the sea, A piney Christmas tree, I'd love to tell my favorite smell Won't you tell yours to me?
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Science: The Five Sense:
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/
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DR. SEUSS
10/12 I am doing a Red, White, and black freeze game. When the music stops they will go to a color dot, then we will pull a color from the bucket that color then rolls the dice and does that action. I will incorporate the #
of the week with this also. ---- Dennice Harris
07/11 I downloaded "Seussical Canon" from Amazon. It uses the titles of Seuss books and other short phrases in 4-beat patterns. It starts by saying them individually and then layers the titles, and then goes back down to
one. You will have to listen to the whole piece or buy it to hear the layering. I thought I would use it as a speech piece and then assign a percussion instrument or Boomwhacker to each layer next week for Seuss week. I have a SB at one school, but at the other school, I may just use print outs of the slides from the PPT I made or even the actual books to cue them when to play. For the younger grades, I will simplify it to maybe 3 or 4 of the easier patterns. Some of the patterns are kind of tricky, but the words help, of course.
Scroll down to the title to listen to the whole thing here:
http://music.napster.com/miss-scherling-music/album/miss-scherling-sings-the-hits-for-music-teachers/12995073
.99 download at Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KTTV00/ref=dm_dp_trk9?ie=UTF8&qid=1298608463&sr=8-1
---- L. Cain
06/04 Book: The Cat in the Hat Songbook by Eugene Poddany..pub. 1967 by Random house. It's all Dr. Suess songs.
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Seussical the Musical.
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01/04 There are two great songs from the musical Seussical: "Green Eggs and Ham" and" a Day for the Day in the Hat". The easiest costuming I've done is sew 3"strips of red and white material together and then cut it into about 4"wide scarves ...much easier than making hats. I cut fringes on each end also. I've even used these for Winter programs! Fast and easy to make. - Contributed by Susan Michiels
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01/04 Bulletin Board: I xeroxed and enlarged Dr. Seuss pictures that showed his fantastic musical instruments. Each xerox was on a different color of paper, and I backed each with poster board. Then, I cut out the pictures around the shapes of the instruments, and laminated them. It looked really cool, and I can use it year after year. - Contributed by Sandi Ausberger
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01/04 There are ideas for “Read Across America” day at www.nea.org/readacross
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01/04 I organize programs and events for this day each year and have used songs about reading, books, etc. from Music K-8. We also have made Cat in the Hat pins using puzzle pieces, bracelets spelling out I- Love -
(heart shape for this) 2- R-E-A-D, colored cat hats, etc. Several times we've had guest readers. Before I helped with this, the school purchased a Cat costume and I have rented the Grinch costume for guests reading those
books aloud. We've also done some skits/short plays using these - there was a play in the Instructor magazine, I think. There is also a Cat in the Hat songbook and CD available. - Contributed by Bonnie Begeman
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04/02 Seuss to Rap: Use the "Rap Builder Kit" (Plank Road Publishing, http://www.musick8.com/ ) With very few modifications, the Blues Short Track fit perfectly and the kids love it. It is
even musical enough that I don't mind doing it; though I will have had enough by the time I teach it to all 500 kids (every class all week!).
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Sometimes we have fun with singing/playing Dr. Seuss's GREEN EGGS AND HAM to the tune of "Hot Cross Buns." My 2nds have identified and used "re" by then, so it works especially well for them. We sing it and learn it on the diatonic bells in G then transpose it to F and C. The lyrics are : ("title" means words of the book title to "Hot Cross Buns" tune)
"title"
"title"
I don't like them; I won't eat them.
"title"
After reading the book, we usually come up with several other verses using ideas from the text.
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"The Cat in the Hat Songbook"...by Dr. Suess...piano score and guitar chords are included for 19 Suess songs. published in New York by Random House 1967 approx. $12.00
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I just finished watching "Dr. Seuss's Many Colored Days" with my 1st and 2nd graders. I relates colors with feelings and moods and is set to appropriate (and original) music. It also has little glimpses of the orchestra as it features different instruments of the orchestra, which I used to find our how many of them recognized the instruments they were seeing. After the movie, it showed clips of the making of the movie and Dr. Seuss's house with his wife talking about him. The kids were very fascinated with the whole movie. I would highly recommend it, especially with this being Dr. Seuss's birthday month.
I also used the Dr. Seuss video over the past couple of weeks--but with grades 1-5! It began as a substitute lesson, but turned into a successful one with everyone. We did rhythmic speech activities using Dr. Seuss literature, and movement activities with scarves to illustrate articulation, tempi, dynamics, etc. Then, using drawing paper and crayons, students were askied to use words, pictures or designs to "describe" the moods/colors/music of each color portrayed in the video. Children were very creative in their projects! I did a program this year with My Many Colored Days using some music from Level II Orff class that a couple of friends had written. The art teacher I work with had a great idea for black. The kids made little masks with glow in the dark paint around the eyes. When it was time for black, they pulled the masks down and we turned off the lights. It was really cool.
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REFRAIN: Dr. Seuss we love you, Doctor Seuss, we really do, Doctor Seuss, we love you.
VERSE 1: With your rhymes so crazy, you are number one. Make us laugh and wonder, you make reading fun.
VERSE 2: We like Yertle the Turtle, we like Sam I Am. Like the Grinch and Lorax and Green Eggs and Ham
I just bought 2 "Dr. Seuss Presents" CD's yesterday at Barnes and Noble. One is "Dr. Seuss Presents the cat in the hat songbook." It also has "If I ran the Zoo" and "...Sleep Book" on it The other CD is " Dr. Seuss presents Green Eggs and Ham" and other stories. (I'm already waiting for the "Cat in the Hat Songbook" to come in book form...but decided to buy the CD . Now I can't wait for the book.
I just heard some of the selections from "...hat songbook." and I see possibilities w/ several songs.
Rainy Day in Utica NY is cute and I think can be done like Patty's Trepak activity [gotta wait for the book to get the lyrics. (Drip, Dibble, Drop, Dobble sounds done in all sorts of 3 beat combinations, and voice textures) (see See also file #52 TCHAIKOVSKY)
There is also a happy Birthday song which may be used for Dr. Seuss and I thought that we could tie it in w/ MIOSM (MIOSM plans coming later.
I also like the way they played the accompaniment to "Green Eggs and Ham" on the other CD (if you don't have time to do your own.) Someone last year had done this to a cute pentatonic tune that the kids loved (check MK8 archives)
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5/01 There is a CD which has a green eggs and ham song, but it is not a rap... it is from "Rock n' roll songs that teach" by the learning station....
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5/01 I just purchased the soundtrack, "Seussical, the Musical" (the new Broadway musical) from BJ's! You may want to check it out. It is really great listening for elementary students. The last number is "Green Eggs and Ham". Most of the words are Dr. Seuss, with the rest by Lynn Aherns.....and they are in the style of Dr. Seuss. I will definitely be using this CD throughout the year, and especially next March! -------------------------------
5/01 Well if you can't find the rap, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra premiered a version -2 years ago - really effective - more info if anyone wants it.
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SEVENTIES
06/06 70s - "Turn, Turn, Turn" or "Abraham, Martin, and John"
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04/03 Laurie Zentz has a CD full of 70's songs in one of her kits. Sugar Sugar is my favorite and has a beat sheet to go along. Laurie? But it has voices on the CD.
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Shoes with really clunky high heels, jeans with embroidered braid around the bottom, and bandanas in the hair are what I remember, that I'm seeing my kids wear now. (Of course, that would be the girls.....) All the guys I knew in the 70's wore T-shirts/sweatshirts and jeans. We were in college, and we were poor.
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SHEL SILVERSTEIN
"THE GIVING TREE with THE Pathetique Symphony: Tchaikovsky or "Sonate," op.13, (Pathetique) for piano) The symphony is so moving it makes the kids cry."
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It sounds like a great idea. Maybe you could develop something for "The Missing Piece" (my favorite) such as a sound story, orffestration, act it out? The story idea is a very good one.
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GIVING TREE PROGRAM: Great piece to do behind a scrim (white sheet) and do as a shadow piece with movement and singing. I believe that the whole book took 10 minutes or so. (I video taped it) I also had the kids draw pictures of trees which I used as a background for a song at the end of the program... Since the screen was already in place I made slides of the children's pictures. By the way do you know the Boa Constrictor song? It is on the Peter and Paul and Mommy record.? Best of luck. I will be doing a session in Phoenix using a Eric Carl book that might give you ideas too!
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POEM: It has a picture of a scraggly Christmas Tree and has phrases like:"No one's looking up to see a new star in the sky" "no one's baking cookies, no one's giving gifts" Last line: "and no one loves a Christmas Tree on March the 25th!"
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SIXTIES
07/05 We did the Jacobson musical "Rock!" last year and it is really quite good. - Laura McDonald
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07/05 When I did this unit with 8th graders we created our own radio stations. I gave them a person/group/genre from the 60's/70's i.e. Supremes, girl groups, folk (hippie) music, they created a station, commercials (from the decade if we could like "I like to buy the world a Coke)broadcast, music program. We also created our won videos when we discussed MTV (80's). We watched several 80's videos (CVH1has an 80's program), discussed it and then We did choose appropriate songs from the 80's to create our own. We talked about the Congressional Hearing about censorship. Does it work? What can we do? Does music influences us? -- Gwen I. Fitzgerald
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08/04 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a really cool timeline, including information on specific inductees, that could be used within a lesson plan:
http://www.rockhall.com/timeline/
The Rock and Roll Library
has suggestions for lesson plans (I'm not sure if these are all focused on the '50s though):
http://www.rocklibrary.com/education/LessonPlans.cfm
Education World's 1950's lesson plan, including an internet scavenger hunt for students:
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson148.shtml
This lesson plans seems more for older students, but it would be a great review of the era teachers:
This site offers some great links to other 1950s Rock 'n Roll web sites:
http://www.42explore.com/rocnroll.htm -- Contributed by Kristyn
Johnson
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02/04 60s fad for new dances brought us such wondrous things as:
( Thanks to Denver for many of the UK and American dances listed here.....)
--The Aba Daba Do Dance --The Afro Twist --The Alabama Shake --The Alley Cat --The Alley Oop --The Alligator --The Ants --The Arthur --The Baby Baby --The Baby Walk --The Baby Workout --The Bad Baboon
--The Banana Split --The Bang --The Barefootin' --The Barracuda --The Batman --The Bat-Tusi --The Beatle Boogie --The Beatle Bounce --The Beatle Stomp --The Beetle Squash --The Beguine --The Behemoth --The
Bend It! --The Big City Stomp --The Big Egg --The Billy-Jo --The Bird --The Black Stomp --The Blakes Beat --The Blue Beat --The Blue Chip --The Bolaro --The Bombie --The Boney Maroney --The Bongo Hop --
The Boo-Ga-Loo --The Boogler --The Boomerang --The Booty Green --The Bop --The Boss Walk --The Bossa Nova --The Boston Hop --The Boston Monkey --The Bounce --The Brain --The Breakdown --The
Bristol Stomp --The Broken Hip --The Bug --The Bull Nose Stomp --The Bumpsi --The Bunny Hop --The Burn --The Bushman --The Bus Stop --The Calypso Dance --The Camel Walk --The Capri --The Carnaby --
The Cat Walk --The Caterpillar --The Cha Jerk --The Charge --The Charleston Fish --The Cheater Stomp --The Chicken-Back --The Chicken Dance --The Chin-A-Ling --The Choo Choo --The Cinnamon Cinder --
Continental Walk --The Cool Jerk --The Cool Off --The Cool Shake --The Cow --The Crawl --The
Crazy Chicken --The Crossfire ---The Crumble --The Crusher --The Dartell Stomp --The Del Viking --The Dip --The Dipsey Dooble --The Dirt --The Dirty Boogie --The Dirty Dog --The Dish Rag --The Doctors
Boogie----The Dog --The Dogin --The Donkey Step --The Donkey Walk --The Doolang --The Drag --The Drum Stomp --The Drunkard --The Duck --The Duck Walk --The Ebb'n'Flow --The Egyptian --The Egyptian
Shumba --The Eighty One --The Elephant Walk --The Fatman --The Fine Twine --The Finger Poppin' --The Fish --The Flake --The Flea --The Flick --The Flip --The Flip Flop --The Float --The Fly --The Foot
Stomping --The Footsee --The Fox --The Freddie --The Fridge --The Frug --The Funky Broadway --The Funky Bull --The Funky Horse --The Funky Jerk --The Funky Mississippi --The Funky Walk --The Gallop --
The Gene Chandler --The Georgia Slop --The Get Down --The Get-E-Up --The Glide --The Goat --The Go Go --The Goblin Trot --The Good Time Stomp --The Goodfoot --The Goose --The Gorilla --The Granny --
The Grind --The Guitar Boogie Stomp --The Gully --The Handjive Workout --The Hanky Panky --The Harlem Shuffle --The Harlem Tango --The Heat Wave --The Hippies Waltz --The Hippy Hippy Shake --The Hitch
Hike ---The Hitch-It-To-Horse --The Hitler --The Hokey Pokey --The Honey Dipper --The Hoochi Coochi Coo --The Hook And Sling --The Hop --The Hop Scotch --The Horse --The Hucklebuck --The Huddle --
The Hula --The Hully Gully --The Hully Gully Bongo --The Hully Gully Rock --The Humphrey Stomp --The Hunch --The Jerk --The Jersey Bounce --The Jitterbug --The Jive --The Jivin' Around --The Joogie Boogie --
The Jordan Stomp --The Jump --The Jump And Hump --The Junkernoo --The Kangaroo --The Karate Monkey --The Krunch --The Limbo -The Limbo Rock --The Locomotion --The Loddy-Lo --The Lone Star Stomp
--The Loop De Loop The Lowdown Popcorn --The Luau --The Lurch --The Madison --The Magoo --The Malibu --The Mambo --The Mambo Boogie --The Manhattan Stomp --The March Of The Mods --The
Martian Hop --The Marvel --The Mash --The Mashi --The Mashed Potato --The Mashed Taters --The Massacre Stomp --The Matador --The Mexican Hat Dance --The Millie --The Mint --The Mojo Workout --The
Molecule A-Go-Go --The Monkey --The Monkey Bird --The Monkey Shine --The Monkey Stroll --The Monkey Walk --The Monster Mash --The Mope --The Moppety Stomp --The Mother Popcorn --The Mountain
Stomp --The Mouse --The Mozart Stomp --The Mule --The Munch --The Napoleon --The Nick Nack Hully Gully --The Night Stomp --The Nitty Gritty --The Olympic Shuffle --The Ostrich --The Pata Pata --The Pearl
--The Penguin --The Philly --The Philly Dog -The Philly Horse --The Philly Jerk --The Philly Walk --The Pogo --The Polka --The Polly Wolly --The Pony --The Pony Horse --The Pony Rock -The Pony Walk --The
--The Push And Pull --The Pyramids Stomp --The Rebel Walk --The Reel --The Rendezvous Stomp
--The Rhumba Boogie --The Rib --The Rifle --The Roach --The Robbie --The Rock --The Rock And Roll --The Rocksteady --The Roman --The Romp --The Rosy --The Royal Whirl --The Rush Hour Stomp --The
Scotch --The Scrape --The Scratch --The Scratchin' --The Screw --The Scrubs --The Scrumble --The Seaside --The Shake A Tail Feather --The Shake And Stomp --The Shake Rattle Snake --The Shampoo --The
Shimmy --The Shing-A-Ling --The Shoddy Shoddy --The Shotgun --The Shotgun Boogie --The Shotish --The Shout --The Shovel --The Sightseein' --The Simon Says --The Sissy Strut --The Ska --The Skip --The
Slauson --The Slide --The Slime --The Slip And Slide --The Slop --The Slop And Slide --The Slosh --The Slow Dance --The Slow Jerk --The Slow Locomotion --The Slurp --The Snacky Poo --The Snake --The Snake
Walk --The Soul Clap --The Soul Stomp --The Soul Twine --The Soulful Jerk --The Spanish Strut --The Spanns Stomp --The Spider Walk --The Spin --The Split --The Stereo Freeze ---The Stomp --The Stop --The
Stop Touch --The Strand --The Stretch --The Stroke --The Stroll --The Strut --The Struttin' --The Stupidity --The Surf --The Surfer Boogie --The Surfer Stomp --The Surfin' Bird --The Surfink --The Suzie --The Sway
--The Swim --The Switch --The Switch-A-Roo ---The Switchy Walk --The Tango --The Tantrum --The Teenagers Waltz --The Temptation Walk --The Thaxton --The Thing --The Tiger Walk --The Tighten Up --The Tip
Toe --The Train Stomp --The Trot --The Turkey Trot --The Twine --The Twist --The Twist And Freeze --The Twitch --The Two-Step --The Ubangi Stomp --The Uncle Willie --The Underdog Backstreet --The
Underwater --The Unwind Twine --The Wah-Watusi ---The Wak-A-Cha --The Walk ---The Wallop --The Wash ---The Weasel --The Wedge --The Werewolf Watusi ---The Whammy --The Wheel --The Whip --The
Whiplash --The Whirl --The Whoopee --The Wiggle Wobble --The Wild Stomp --The Wild Weekend --The Wobble --The Worm --The Yo-Yo --The Yuletide Jerk --The Zig Zag--The Zizzle--The Zonk -- Contributed
by Patricia Albritton
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06/01 http://www.rockhall.com/programs/plans.asp
Lesson Plans from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
More than 50 high-interest lesson plans for a variety of grade levels. Many are cross-disciplinary.
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I have a song 60's Partyline that the students love. It's My Party, Downtown, Chapel of Love, Sha Boom, These Boots Are Made For Walkin'. Teenager in Love. Also, California Dreamin', Leavin' On a Jet Plane, Happy Together ( a personal fave), Can't Help Falling In Love, It's Not Unusual, Hang On Sloopy, Breakin' Up Is Hard To Do, I Say A Little Prayer, Good Vibrations. The Ballad Of The Green Beret works real well honoring Vietnam Veterans.
Music by Barry Sadler and Robin Moore. "These Boots are made for Walking"
"I've Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher
"Locomotion" is one we used at our century 3rd grade musical in November.
"Let's Get Together" I did this song with my chorus the first year I taught music. I taught it to them by rote and accompanied on the guitar.
There's a book called "Great Songs of the 60s" edited by Milt Okun (?) that has lots of the oldies and goodies from my era, the 60s.Lots of librarires have it.
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My 3rd graders did the "Locomotion" for our Centennial Musical. I'll have get the steps at school tomorrow from the teacher who helped do the choreography. I remember that they started by standing on stage in three staggered lines so we could see all the kids from the audience. They all faced the left side of the stage. They bent their elbows at the waist and in unison made a chugging motion. On the next phrase after, "Come on, let's do the locomotion," they changed direction and chugged to the left. That is where I forget. On "jump back" they stood facing forward and jumped back in place and then came back forward on the last part of that phrase.
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"The Loco-Motion" can be found on "Everybody Dance" and sold by Kimbo Educational. The suggested steps in their guide is as follows "...a dance that can be done w/ a partner or in a line, One person behind the other. Hold on to the waist to the person in front of you. If doing the dance in a line omit the arm movements. The person leading the line will be he only one to do the arm movements:
ON THE WORD"EVERYBODY'S": jump onto the right (R) foot-Touch the Left (L) foot and jump onto the (R) foot again. Simultaneously, your arms do the following: Hands in front of you in fists- roll them in front of you in a circular motion(one fist over the other circling toward you)
ON THE WORD "DOING" repeat the same step to the (L)
ON THE WORD "BRAND" repeat the same step to the (R)
ON THE WORDS "DANCE NOW" repeat the step to the (L)
Continue moving in the same circular pattern. Jump onto the(R) foot moving to the front and step the(L) foot next tot the (R) (Jump -step sequence). At the same time, place your arms in front of you, hands in fists w/ your wrists crossed over the other. Then wriggle your hips right and left 3 times . Repeat the above step moving backwards."
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SNOW
See also the file #26 LITERATURE & MUSC
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POEM: Alice Wilkins, simply titled "Snow" It is short (4 lines), easy vocab. for Kdg., and metric, if you are planning to sing it or accompany it with instruments. --- http://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/203.html
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POEM/SONG: (Winnie the Pooh): Carly Simon has the lyrics on her website here: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/carlysimon/themoreitsnowstiddelypom.html
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MOVEMENT: The Snow Flower (possibly K or 1)
Movement to Vaughn-Williams' "Greensleeves"
Part I: 20 or so children seated on the floor curled up in a ball with their heads down during introduction (solo violin).
Part II: "On the longest night of the winter, the snow flakes flurry about as the full moon shines down." All children on stage get up and free form dance around with lots of hand and arm movements depicting snow during main Greensleeves theme.
PartIII: "The snow settles back down and the North Wind begins to blow." Five or six children with blue and white scarves run around the stage and wherever they go, the other children on stage (curled up in a ball again) rise up and move arms around to show the stirring-up effect of the wind on the snow drifts during second theme.Part IV: "The North Wind ceases to blow and all is quiet and still as the Snow Flower rises up out of the snow and blossoms in full glory.
It is crystal clear, made only of ice; it is very large and very delicate and very very beautiful." One (or more if you like) child in the center of the stage (who had been one of the snowflakes earlier) rises up in immitation of a flower growing and blooming during solo violin part.
Part V: "The snow begins to fall again and the Snow Flower shatters, becoming part of the snow once again." All children who had depicted the snow earlier rise up and dance about as before during the Greensleeves theme, settling back down into a ball again as the music ends.
Book: Froggy Gets Dressed
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SPIDERS
The first thing I think about is "Charlotte's Web." You can buy the music as a collection (from the movie.) Of course this is the perfect literature connection which your classroom teachers will love. You might ask your librarian to order the movie if it isn't already in your collection. There's another song that begins "Three little elephants went out to play on a spider web one day." Some of the other music teachers might know where to find that one.
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This really isn't a lesson but maybe you could develop a lesson around it....I think I got this idea from an MK 8 Network. I purchased a big spider web at the Dollar Store, put a spider in it (fake, of course!), used that white Halloween stuff that you can pull apart and draped it through the web. Then I printed out neat signs with music web addresses on them, placed them in and around the web and the title is: "Music On the Web"
From an old record, "Spin, Spider, Spin". Great with triangles and finger cymbals.
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Raffi's "Spider on the Floor" - I made cardboard "spiders" with black yarn legs and had the students move them up their bodies. Lots of squealing."Itsy Bitsy Spider" recording by Little Richard
Anansi stories - acting out book, adding sounds, etc
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I have the kids make spiders when doing any spider related music activity. One way is to give each child a big marshmallow. Then let them take licorice (the thin string kind) and cut it into 8 pieces and have them put it in the marshmallow-instant spider! Another way is to take 2 Ritz crackers and put peanut butter on one (of course allergies are an issue here). Then have them lay 8 Chinese noodles on for the legs. Put the other Ritz on-voila! It's a spider!
I made a bulletin board (I think I stole it from this list or from Network) that said "Music on the Web." I made a spider web out of string. Then I placed several music related web sites on it.
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After reviewing "Eency Weency Spider" and other spider songs, I use Stan Samole's "Childish Dreams" CD as an introduction to jazz with the little guys, It has a great arrangement of Eency Weency, but it is almost hidden in the jazz guitar arrangements. I tell them that there is a secret song inside this song, and they love trying to find it (and usually do, to the amazement of older students). If you're interested in his CD, you can order it at www.jazzinspiration.com It has wonderful arrangements of children's classics.
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I have the kids pass a ball of yarn around in steady beat. Once the person catches the ball of yarn, they hold an end of the string but pass the remaining ball. As they throw it, it forms the web. We did it to a simple poem (made up the melody)that went something like this:
Spin, spider spin (mi re-re do Z)
Spin, spider spin (mi re-re do Z)
In and out and round about (do-do do-do re-re re)
Spin, spider, spin (mi re-re do Z)
I counted 15 strong beats ( 16, counting the last rest (Z). It's been a while since I've done the song and activity.... so I'm guessing I either had 2 circles or sang the song twice to count everybody in.
>Can you explain the throwing part? If they're passing on the beat, when do they throw/catch?
The kids are in a circle.
The first person with the ball of yarn will hold onto the end of "string" (which is the beginning of the ball). That first strand becomes the first part of the web (and continues with a new strand formed each time the ball of yarn is thrown). Still clear as mud? They throw /catch on the same beat.
At the end of the activity...untangle the yarn or cut?
I have managed to untangle the web after singing "Spin spider Spin" about two to three times. BUT I am thinking of doing something like having the group experience pulling the yarn in their hands ALL AT ONCE. This could lead to a discussion about what they need to do to get along....about needing leaders and followers and taking turns etc.... (this last idea I got from the list last year---taking a post out of context)
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SPINNING WHEEL
"Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat and Tears
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SPRING
10/04 MUSICALS:
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? By John Jacobsen K-4K
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BUGZ! by John Jacobsen, John Higgins
(note: for costume ideas, see file #39 PROGRAM IDEAS A-M
08/04 SONG: Last year, at our garden dedication, the entire student body (K-3 - 485 kids) sang "Each of Us is a Flower" by Charlotte Diamond. STM and Music Connection has it. The kids loved it and so did the parents. --
Contributed by Carol Schmiedecke
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How about "Each of Us is a Flower." (2 votes) It's in Silver Burdett series and a lovely song. -- Contributed by Sally in ID
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SONG: The sweet and simple, yet profound "Inchworm" comes to mind... -- Contributed by Susan in Oklahoma
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04/02 If you go with a "Spring" theme...could you have the kids take a piece of paper (different
colors) and cut round and round and round until they make "springs?" (Do you
know what I'm talking about?) You actually cut around and around and when you're
done cutting, when the paper releases itself, you have a coiled spring! Maybe
you could hang these...they'd be quite "springy!"
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I have
used lots of Gallina stuff. Here are programs I've used in the Spring:
A-Z
Does- It is good for k-3
Critter Capers (may be out of print) works well for
any level
Get Hoppin is good for primary
Inside Pitch is good for the
older kids and great if you live in a baseball city
Spring, Spring, Spring
MK8 song vol 11/4 BeBop
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Kids and Gardens:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/kindergarden/kinder.htm (Lessons, etc.,)
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STARS and SPACE
06/10 MUSICAL: SOLAR SYSTEM by Janet Gardner, there is a piece called "Solar Introductions"
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06/09 SONGS:
3. MANY PLANET SONGS !! http://www.kidsknowit.com/educational-songs/index.php?topic=Astronomy
4. “Northern Lights” by John Riggio (Plank Road Publishing)
5. Planets Song (tune: Twinkle) http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems34.html
6. Big Bright Sun – syncho – Caribbean – “The Sunshine Road”
http://www.kidsknowit.com/educational-songs/play-educational-song.php?song=Big%20Bright%20Sun
7. The Earth Goes Around the Sun
http://www.kidsknowit.com/educational-songs/play-educational-song.php?song=The%20Earth%20Goes%20Around%20The%20Sun
8. Parody: The Planets Revolve Around the Sun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io478ihImuk
9. Going to Neptune by John Riggio Vol. 12:5 (musick8.com)
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"Hey Mr. Spaceman" by the Byrds. my kids love to sing ----Lisa Mandelstein
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12/08 "Ode to Pluto" by Mark Burrows written in 2007. It is a tongue and cheek ballad about Pluto no being a planet anymore. It's not "HIP" but it is cute. Ken Peters
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"Rap of the Solar System" Though you might have to change the verse about Pluto. musick8.com
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SONGS:
"Fly me to the moon
and let me drift amongst the stars, let me see what Spring is like on Jupiter
and Mars......"
"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...." (Dean Martin)
"In
the constellation Cygnus lurks a mysterious invisible force......"
(Rush)
"Moon river, wider than a mile......" (Andy Williams)
"You are my
sunshine, my only sunshine........"
"....and everything under the sun is in
tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon." (Pink Floyd)
"The Planets" (A
symphony by Gustav Holst)
"Moon Over Miami"
"Would you like to swing on a
star..."
"Blue moon, she keeps a shining in June...."
"Starry starry
nights...."
"When the Moon was in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligned
with Mars.."
"Are the stars out tonight......"
"Earth angel....."
"When
the ma-moon shines, over the ca-cow shed....."
"The Galaxy Song" (Monty
Pyhton)
"Oh little star of Bethlehem...."
"Staring at The Sun"
(U2)
"Got the sun in the morning and the moon at night..."
"Venus if you
will...."
Somewhere Out There in sign language
There were a couple of numbers from
the Music Connection( Silver Burdett)
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WE'RE A TRAVELIN'
THROUGH OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
(To the tune of "She'll Be Comin' Round The
Mountain")
We're a travelin' through our solar system now (2x) at the center is our sun,
a star,
We see it shining from afar, we're a travelin' through our solar
system. wow!
We're a travelin' on to mercury right now it's the closest planet to the sun,
88 days, the year is done, we're a travelin' through our solar system. wow!
We're a travelin' on to cloudy venus now we're a travelin' on to cloudy venus
Now it has co2 for air, it's too hot to live out there, We're a …..
We're a travelin' on to planet earth right now (2x) it's the only one with
living things, plants and animals, human beings, We're a ….
We're a travelin' on to ol' red mars right now (2x) it's a planet worth
explorin', huge volcanoes we'll be tourin', We're a …
We're a travelin' past those asteroids right now (2x) these are smaller
planets spinnin' round, thirty thousand can be found, We're a ….
We're a travelin' on to jupiter right now (2x) of the planets it's the
largest one, it's the fifth one from the sun, We're a ….
We're a travelin' on to lovely saturn now (2x) it has more moons than the
others do, this planet's rings are famous, too, We're a ….
We're a travelin' on to uranus right now (2x) it's the planet spinnin' on its
side, inside it 50 earths could hide, We're a …..
We're a travelin' on to distant neptune now (2x) from the earth it seems a
tiny star, because this planet's out so far, We're a ….
BR>We're a travelin' on to little pluto now (2x) it's by far the coldest planet
yet, and a moon named charon orbits it, We're done travelin' through our solar system. wow!
01/02 Mission Control from Silver Burdett is a popular song with my primary grades.
Hap Palmer has a song on one of his albums, but I can't remember which, about "Space Explorers." Then, in Silver Burdett "World of Music" Grade 2, there is "Mission Control." I have had students that would hate just about everything else, but would ask for that song all the time. It's a nice one about wanting to be on the next rocket in space. Now, if you can get hold of an old series from Tennessee Public Television called "Mrs. Cabbobble's Caboose" There was an episode about going into space, and the two songs were "I Want to to Go Up in a Rocketship" and "Riding on a Rainbow".
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07/05 Northern Lights: http://www.extremeinstability.com/04-11-8.htm
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12/08 "I'd Like to visit the Moon" by Ernie from Sesame Street, "Mr. Moon, Mr. Moon You're out too Soon", "Blue Moon," "The Galaxy Song" from Monty Python's Meaning of Life **warning! do NOT show the live
organ donation scene...or any of the other scenes, for that matter unless you plan on retiring today** (Might also want to change the last verse: "And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space, 'cause there's
bugger all down here on earth." ...then again, maybe leave it - the truth shall set you free) There are versions of it on iTunes...even a karaoke one. – David Thaxton
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07/05 The Galaxy Song". It's an old Monty Python song. I got a sound file and transcribed the melody from that. Also found a clip of Eric Idle singing it. It was done by Sharon Lois and Bram, one of my daughters old favorites. Linda in MD
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"The Conehead Song" (to the tune of "Little Cabin in the Woods)
Little spaceship in the sky, Inside spacey conehead guy.
Saw an astronaut floating by knocking on his door.
"Help me! Help me! Help me!" he said "or the meteor will hit my head"
"Come little astronaut, come with me. Coneheads we will be."
Once we've learned the regular version (and its actions), we do the 'micro' version where the actions are tiny and we use a very high voice. Then we do the 'mega' version with incredibly big actions and deep booming voices. Just when the kids think they have it nailed, I tell them that we are going to perform the "micro-normal-mega-normal-micro" version (think 3D). They love it!
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01/02 SONG COLLECTION: We do have an album called "Space." It used to be titled "I Want To Be An Astronaut"
-Through 12 sing-along songs, children learn that getting along with others, being in good physical shape, and studying hard are important in becoming an astronaut. Songs range from explaining weightlessness, to introducing the names of famous astronauts and their accomplishments, to describing tools and equipment that astronauts use, and much more.
"Space" is available on music CD or audiocassette, and also CD/cassette & activity book sets.
"Space" was critiqued and approved by NASA's Educational Program Officer. For more information, visit our website at www.twinsisters.com
Let me know if I can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Mara Bottger Marketing Communications Coordinator website: www.twinsisters.com, 800-248-TWIN (8946)
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12/07 MUSICAL: Spaced Out! by John Jacobson with my 2nd and 3rd graders two years ago. The kids and the audience absolutely loved it! The problem i Plutosince it has been 'demoted'and it is an official planet
in the musical! --- Kathy Jones
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12/07 MUSICAL: “Interplanetary Jammin”] and loved it. Now, it is very short so we had each class add alittle vignette between the songs. One class used the letters of Astronaut and said a word for each letter that
represented characteristics of astronauts. One class did an alien fashion show! :) one class told moon facts, etc.
Six classes were involved. We dyed white t-shirts blue and put a spacey decoration on the front -a
different one for each class. White poster board for the black lights. My kids and faculty loved it. -- Artie Almeida
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01/07 Tom Glazer - "Space Songs" An old musical that had an LP and a teacher
songbook. Lots of very good songs all about the science of space. -- Rita Oglesby
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01/07 [For stage background] I would make the background as black as possible, and hang flourescent-painted planet mobiles over the stage, suspended from nylon fish line. Simple and very effective. -- Judy Schneider
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12/08 LISTENING: The Planets by Gustav Holst Grade Level: 2, 3 Cross-Curricular? YES SCIENCE Length of Unit: 8 weeks
Musical Concepts: movement, improvisation, dynamics
Materials/Media: CD player, CD of The Planets, scarves, hoops, streamers.
Method: With the science teacher, have the children name the planets. Introduce them Holst’s description of the planets, and have them listen to the movements one at a time. Discuss how the music matches the composer’s description. Encourage the children to create their own movement to the music. When all the “planets” have been listened to, break the children into small groups and assign them a planet. Have them create, as a group, their own “planetary dance,” using as few or as many props as they desire. Have them perform their dances at the end of the unit for other classes, administration, etc. -- Marybeth Gunning Brand
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07/05 UNIT: -
1. My wonderful colleague (a third grade teacher) who works with me on the Musical, had beautiful, laminated pictures of the planets which we hung outside the Music
Suite. Every child in the building comes down to either my room or the other music room in the Suite so they have to pass by these pictures. I hung them almost at eye level and even to this day - almost three months later! -the children, especially the Ks and 1s comment about something related to the pictures each time they come to Music. The other music teacher told me, " DON'T take those pictures down! The children absolutely love them!" And they do! - I lined up ten children - nine were the planets and the tenth was the sun. Mercury was next to the sun, then Venus etc. I sent them out into the hallway to find their planet's picture on the wall and they had 2 minutes to find the range of temperature on their planet. They reported back to the class and we could see how their temperature related to the distance to the sun. Even the sun had to report back to us about her temperatures etc. -
2. We did the "Rap of the Solar System" by the Jennings and also "Galaxy Rap" from Schoolhouse Raps (I think that's the title. It is a collection of raps with CD on topics across the curriculum. I like their one on the Constitution also!)
3. There is a wonderful video about the Planets - and the name escapes me - which uses Holst's music as the background to share info about the Planets. What a beautiful video. The kids loved it!
4. We also listened to "The Planets" and had quite a discussion. When Holst wrote this in 1919, Pluto had not yet been discovered so there is no movement by that planet's name! The kids loved the music and I asked them (this was 5th Grade) to mentally decide which was their favorite planet. They then drew their reactions to Holst's music specifically when their planet was being played. Many of them at this point, had a bit more info under their belt, so they could make a fairly intelligent decision. Their artistic impressions of their planet were stunning. They were up on the walls outside the Auditorium during the Musical. -I was the Drama Queen with my classes one week :) I asked the children (Grades2 - 5) to think about where they were 6 years ago (maybe it was 8 - I am not sure - it has been awhile!). Many of them were infants or toddlers. THAT was when NASA sent a probe to Saturn and (at that point in January or February) it had just landed and it was transmitting pictures back to earth. This totally blew them away. Now you have to picture my being very dramatic about all of this - just as we all are when the spirit moves us - and especially with the little ones - they couldn't get over the implications of all this. What has their life been like for the past 6 years - think about that and then think that it took that amount of time for the probe to travel from earth to Saturn. At that point I showed them again, a picture of the entire Solar System. I think they got an idea of the magnitude and enormity of space and space travel. - We created a word wall of new words - many of the words were new to me too. -
5. There were SO many questions both the children and I had, so I started writing the questions down. Eventually, I typed up the questions and made it into three posters using a poster maker. I laminated them and hung them in my music room, outside the music room door in the Suite and over in the K- 1 section near the Cafeteria. On the poster, I explained that we were getting ready for the Musical and that many questions arose etc. We had about 10 really great questions like - "If the rings of Saturn are made of gas, how did the probe land?" (Answer - the gases are frozen) I'm telling you all - I am the most non-Science person around, mainly due to the fact that I took as few courses as I could. I learned SO much doing this musical and I can say honestly that the kids in my school now know the names of the planets and could probably give you a short little description of at least one of them! It was a fascinating journey
6. The musical (by Janet Gardner) was fun too. -- Kathleen Bragle
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07/05 BOOK: There's a lovely children's book called "Ulaq and the Northern Lights" by Harriet Peck Taylor.
Here's a description from Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0374380635/qid=1102602839/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-4129866-9432913?v=glance&s=books
You could come up with a song about searching for the lights, which would hold the whole thing together. Erica on Long Island
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09/03 PLANET MOBILE: 1. You need: cds, 2 inch diameter styrofoam ball cut in half. Various art supplies - whatever you want: glitter, glue, yarn, etc. Also, toothpicks and paper clips. 2. The CDs are the rings. Decorate both sides or just the printed on side, but don't let the decorations get into the center where the styro ball will be glued on. I'm thinking glitter with yarn running around the cds to indicate the gaps of the rings... 3. Apply glue to center. I'm going to try hot glue, but I'm not sure that will work due to the styrofoam's reaction to heat. If not, then just normal glue, although it takes so long to dry! Insert a toothpick in the center of the glued ball before putting on the other side of the styro ball. That should hold it together without needing to glue the second ball to the cd. 4. When finished, open up a paper clip so that there is only a hook left at the end. Insert the straight end into the styro balls - it will help hold things together and give you a hook for hanging them up, either with a string attached or as is. Also, insert it at an angle - like Saturn whose axis is tilted and rotates at 28 degrees. - Contributed by Patty
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LESSONS (science): http://nasasearch.nasa.gov/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&affiliate=nasa&query=LESSONS
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I have "Voyage to the Planets" - NASA - JPL images from Voyager and historic space probes. The background music is Holst. It is 1992-G. Schirmer and Co.; 1998 Today Home Entertainment. 45 minutes long. It is really good.-Contributed by Judy in WI
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09/03 CONSTELLATION information and links:
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellation_list.html - Contributed by Patty in AR
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04/03 ACTIVITY: This will take a little prep time on your part, but my fourth graders loved doing it...Find outlines of "famous" star constellations. Increase their size, if need be so that they will cover 8 1/2 X 11 paper, or larger. I think mine were a bit larger. Now, place the constellation face-up on a table. Cover the constellation with another sheet of paper the same size. Draw a staff that will fit the size of paper from top to bottom.
I made about six patterns of constellations. I used constellations they were going to study with their classroom teachers.
I put the class in groups of four and/or six groups, depending upon the size of the class. Each group was to lay down their the sheet of staff paper on top of their constellation. They then marked where each star was located on the staff. They were to draw notes where the stars were located - a few stars had to be shuffled somewhat. If there was not enough room for all the stars, then they were to select the brighter stars in the constellation. They then had to create a rhythm pattern to use with the melodic line. (I did not plan for them to be able to write out the rhythm patterns, because I knew that would hold up the project. They just had to memorize what rhythm they created. They would then play the melodic motif based upon their constellation. I prepared background ostinatos and BINGO! they had a nice piece of music based upon the constellations.
We also studied about each constellation, but not as much as the classroom teachers do. I only see them every other week (2 times,) so I don't have time to go into a lot of extra details as I would like.----Contributed by Pamela Rezach
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04/02 "MusicSpace celebrates music that is written for space exploration. Or is about space exploration. Or is played in space. Or makes you feel like you are in space. Or is actually from space. So the space hit list ranges from Elton John's Rocket Man to Holst's Planets to Bach played with the accompaniment of the winds of Mars.
http://www.hobbyspace.com/Music/
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01/02 Mission Control by Carmino Ravosa is a HUGE fav. of my seconds for the past decade! about a boy who wants to be an astronaut. mentions studying about the planets, stars, etc... we made helmets out of silver poster board one year and performed it. basically a big piece to go from ear to ear over the top of the head, then a small forehead piece taped on and a skinny strip across the chin area attached with brads so that it could be swiveled down away from their mouths during singing and moved back up for entrance/exit.
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01/02 Build a Solar System
ACTIVITY - BUILD A SOLAR SYSTEM: http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/
To get an accurate sense of space in our solar system, try this online calculator. Just fill in the blank for the sun's size in your model, and the JavaScript calculator will automatically fill in scaled sizes and distances for all the planets
I work in an urban magnet school that has a science emphasis. For the 2000-01 school year, our main focus was on space.
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UNIT: We explored the solar system, stars, methods of travel in space, books about space (fiction/non-fiction) and career exploration (not just astronauts, but all related aero-space areas). Our winter concert had songs that mentioned outer space in one way or another. For our youngest students, we sang: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; Aiken Drum (we created new verses - one of the teaching assistants made us a large figure with detachable body parts that we added to the figure as we sang the song) Big Beautiful Planet by Raffi, Mr. Sun (Share the Music - K).
Our primary team (grades 1-2-3) did recorder piece from MK-8, Volume 10, no. 4 entitled "Saturday Night Star". It's a "disco" version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." I borrowed sets of individual tone bells and we played it like a bell choir. Most students received one bell to play, but more advanced students were selected to play the entire song on Orff instruments and assorted melodic percussion. You probably could do this piece with BoomWhackers, too. This group also performed "Dancin' in the Moonlight" , Vol. 10, no. 4. We made simple props with stars mounted on paper plates to use for simple hand/arm movements during the rather lengthy interlude. We sang the song "Mission Control", which is in the grade 2 - Silver Burdett series.
-For our final assembly program, we did a 2001 version of Mozart's Magic Flute with a professional opera company from Madison, WI called Opera for the Young. We had a chorus of 20 students perform with the opera company, everyone in the school learned some of the music and we all dressed up like space aliens the day of the performance. I have the opera's adapted libretto (no score) if you are interested in seeing how the opera company adapted it.
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01/02 BULLETIN BOARD with space notes on the staff? I once did this and used big fluffy cotton balls for the notes. Also SB grade 2 has an instrumental piece called Moon Music which features music with and without a beat in it. We made up a movement game in class where we pretend to be walking on the moon. You have to freeze when the steady beat disappears or the "space alien" will find you and tag you out. I also played the Star Wars theme .
check out this web-site: http://www.hobbyspace.com/Music/
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01/02 PROGRAM: Space Music Odyssey. In keeping with the space theme, the band (this is a 5-8 band) played pieces like Star Wars, Star Trek, ET, and Themes from Jupiter. Our 4K class sang a few space-related tunes like Mr. Sun, Great Big Stars, and Star Song. The bulk of the show (presented by grades 4-7) involved a science experiment gone wrong which caused the science teacher (played beautifully BY the junior high science teacher) to be abducted by aliens (she IS returned during the happy ending).
It provided a great vehicle to showcase all kinds of space-themed K8 stuff. Grade 4 sang The Comet and Mission Control (Silver Burdett).
Grade 5 presented Rap of the Solar System.
Grade 6 sang Is There Life On Mars? and Northern Lights.
Grade 7 sang Dancing In The Moonlight and Catch A Falling Star (Silver Burdett).
In addition, we added 2001 Kazoos, The Countdown, Galactic Swamp Dance, and used March Of The Droids for the abduction music (with 9 7th grade boys doing a droid dance choreographed by a talented 7th grade girl as they perpetrated the abduction!).
Our grand finale (with grades 4-7 and audience participation) was Look To The Future, a real gem of a song with just the right ending theme. I am lucky to have a fantastic 4th grade pianist who played the accompaniment with added help from a 4th grade snare drum player. It was great; everybody loved doing it.
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01/02
RECORDING + CURRICULUM: http://www.astrocappella.com/ - Free Shipping and Handling on NEW AstroCappella 2.0 CD/CD ROM Orders!
Our new, multimedia CD contains: * 13 original, astronomically-correct songs spanning the Universe, from the solar system to the edge of space and time;
* Glossy, full-color 16-page booklet with lyrics and cool pictures;
* CD-ROM materials including astronomy background information, curriculum notes, lesson plans and activities for each song;
* Movies, slide shows, Web sites, music videos, and more! -- and it plays in a normal audio CD player or in your computer CD drive.
** As a special incentive, we'll waive Shipping & Handling for all orders to US addresses that we receive before the end of September! ** Just send us your name a postal mailing address and a check for $15 made payable to The Chromatics and we'll send along your CD, packed with music and classroom materials.(Unfortunately, we're not set up to process credit cards.) We're expecting high demand, so please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. Our postal address:
AstroCappella CD Order - The Chromatics P.O. Box 475 - Greenbelt, MD 20768-0475, [email protected]
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01/02 RECORDING: Greg and Steve have an album with a space movement story. It's in the Educational Record catalog and I would recommend Donna Amerosia's Interplanetary Jammin'. Was quite easy to do, very accessible, and I think it included classroom activities!
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There is a cute movement activity "An Adventure In Space" in Music and Movement in The Classroom by Greg and Steve (Grade 1/2). My kids LOVE it.
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01/02 LESSON: I wore my sweater with stars on it and star earrings. I ask the students to guess what the theme was for today. Then we talked about stars and what they knew. I ask them what the most famous star song was? Twinkle... We then discussed patterns in music. I used the chart paper put three stars one and two the same color. We sang the song recognized that one and three are the same. I passed out the melody bells. We sang and played the bells only on parts one and three. Next we did Star, from Holt 1988. It is a riddle song. We then discussed what a wish was.
Then we sang, Star Light Star Bright. We passed a star around on the beat, the person who has the star at the end of the song makes a wish. We did this about 5 times. The I let everyone make a wish. We then sang Bye'm Bye. We listened to When you wish Upon a Star. We then discussed other ways to use stars and where there were stars in the room. When we got to the flag we sang Star Spangled Banner from K8. Make a work sheet with a big star in the middle, put at the top MAKE A WISH, then they draw a picture of their wish. As they are doing them give them a star sticker.
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See also the file #9 COMPOSER/HOLST
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UNIT: K Classes: Learned a song about the stars and used sign language as they sang.
1st Grade: Learned a song about the moon and used body percussion during theB section. (ABA form) 2nd Grade: Learned a song about snow/rain, sang and did a movement activity while singing.
3rd Grade: Learned a song (composed by myself and my student teacher) that teaches the order of the planets. It is based upon a well known sentence used by academic teachers to help teach the order of the planets. They also had to color and decorate a spaceman. On the spaceman, each student wrote which planet he would like to visit and had to tell why. (They had some funny reasons! (For example: It is very small, like me. She is VERY short and her planet was Pluto.)
4th Grade: Fourth graders each received a constellation. Each student had to lay the constellation on a staff (measured to fit the size of the constellation handed out to the students) and draw notes where each of the bright stars "landed" on the staff. Then, he learned to play the melodic pattern, added rhythms and performed the piece of music, using Orff style layers. I purchased two spring drums to use as they played their melodies, which did a terrific job of sounding like a spaceship taking off:) th grade: Learned "The Comet" - a Music K-8 song. (Everyone loved this song.) They also made instrument constellations - thanks to someone's suggestion on this list - and wrote a story about the constellation they created. The instrument constellation had to have a name that included the real instrument's name as part of the name. They came up with some really cute names.
I made a video of all the classes in both schools - one video per school. Then on two different Thursday nights, the community/students/parents/families was invited to see the moon rocks and meteorites that we received from attending a NASA education class for teachers. (There were about 200 hundred people who attended the nighttime events!) At these events, the people saw the moon rocks and meteorites - displayed upon a table that we decorated as if it were the real moon. (We even put a flag on it!), many posters that NASA provided, slides provided by NASA and the video of all the classes. (Many of the people were fascinated that a music teacher would teach science.) The local paper was very nice to us. We had front page coverage and I received a "Thumbs up" from the newspaper editor. That was a big surprise! If you want to see pictures of the bulletin board (which has the space men, instrument constellations, stars and planets on it and pictures of the nighttime events, go to: www.eboard.com then type in the box provided (sharethemusic)
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9/01 I SONGS: For our youngest students, we sang: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; Aiken Drum (we created new verses - one of the teaching assistants made us a large figure with detachable body parts that we added to the figure as we sang the song) Big Beautiful Planet by Raffi, Mr. Sun (Share the Music - K). Our primary team (grades 1-2-3) did recorder piece from MK-8, Volume 10, no. 4 entitled "Saturday Night Star". It's a "disco" version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
I borrowed sets of individual tone bells and we played it like a bell choir. Most students received one bell to play, but more advanced students were selected to play the entire song on Orff instruments and assorted melodic percussion. You probably could do this piece with BoomWhackers, too. This group also performed "Dancin' in the Moonlight" , Vol. 10, no. 4. We made simple props with stars mounted on paper plates to use for simple hand/arm movements during the rather lengthy interlude. We sang the song "Mission Control", which is in the grade 2 - Silver Burdett series.
-----
Another favorite is La Borenquena. (it's their anthem...a pretty tune but I think difficult for non-speaking Hispanics IMHO)
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Jennings "Rap of the Solar System", SBG textbook songs. There's a cute musical out called "Interplanetary Jammin", also i think a video using the Holst has come out recently. Check out "Sounds We've Found." It has a song called (I think) "Cruisin' On My Spaceship" using metal spoons--also Galactic Swamp Dance from MK8....let me know if you need more.
Also these MK8 songs: (Plank Rd. Publishing: http://www.musick8.com/ )
"The Comet"- Great song; rhythm instruments easily incorporated for introductions and interludes
"Is There Life on Mars" fun east 2 part pieces
"Going to Neptune"
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INSTRUMENT CONSTELLATION: A few years ago the Phoenix Symphony gave a concert with music from Star Wars, Star Trek, The Planets, 2001 Space Odyssey . . . . you get the picture. To help prepare the students and to review musical instruments we made instrument constellations. We cut out pictures of instruments that were on tag board. The instruments weren't very detailed as we mostly wanted the outer contour of the instrument for our instrument constellations. Next we traced around them on black construction paper with chalk. Some students didn't like the chalk so they just used pencil. Anyway, after they were traced we poked holes with a toothpick along lines we traced. The ones that looked the best were about one-half inch apart. Some students added more detail to their instruments. We hung some in the music room and some in the hallways from the ceiling near the light fixtures. They looked really cool and the students had a good time identifying the many, many instrument constellations.
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ACTIVITY: "STARS ON THE CEILING" I sometimes use this with Mozart's "Twinkle Variations," but the concept could easily be applied to other situations and/or pieces of music. Have the kids poke holes in black construction paper (using pencils, on a carpeted floor). They could do realistic constellations, or random holes, pictures, names or whatever they want. You can tape these together w/masking tape, making a continuous flow (tape short sides together). While the music is playing, or being sung, the now-long strip of "star paper" is drawn slowly across an overhead projector pointed to the ceiling. I have successfully used this at informances where there have been people in tears because it was so beautiful.
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RECORDING by Tom Glazer & Dottie Evans, I believe, called "SPACE SONGS" It came with an LP, (remember those?) and it was filled with wonderful facts about our solar system. The songs were very singable. In fact, last summer my 16 year old daughter was going on about this great song recorded by her favorite alternative group. It was "Why Does the Sun Shine" from Glaser's musical!! Find the album on itunes
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BULLETIN BOARD: Draw the staff and put cotton balls on all the space notes to look like clouds. The kids and the principal thought my space note bulletin board was cool.
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ACTIVITIES: We made a composition to recreate the sounds of space. I used a big piece of bulletin board paper for each class. On the bottom of the paper, I drew a time line. I told the class that our composition was going to be 3 minutes long. Then they had to figure out how many seconds are in 3 minutes since most of our sounds are in seconds intervals. Next we talked through what we would hear. The first sound was usually a countdown. Then I ask how many seconds does that last, and they respond "10." We mark 10 seconds on the time line and one student comes up and draws the countdown on the paper above the space on the time line. Then we decide what instruments or voice sounds that we will use to create the sound. You can have them make the sounds with their voices or use classroom rhythm instruments to create the sounds. Next we continue deciding what will happen on our adventure. I had such things as meeting aliens to gathering moon rocks. We re-created every sound-even the space craft door opening. One class chose to make the sounds for such things as the solid rocket boosters falling off (man they surprised me with their knowledge!!). After we completed the poster with the time line, we played our composition. Each child had an instrument from the page (or was to make the vocal sound called for) and one child was the conductor while one was the timer. The timer has a stopwatch and tells the conductor when the new second increment was ready. The conductor then points at the correct player. After the composition (which we performed for their classroom teacher) was complete-tell the kids that you played a little trick on them because their is no sound in space! They love it!!
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GROUP ACTIVITY #2: This activity requires a little bit of musical knowledge. If you are unsure of any of the terminology, ask your music specialist and he/she may be able to clear things up for you! We made a rhythmic composition based on the planet names and ABA form. The A section was a chant of the planets with rhythmic notation. For example: Mercury can be notated ti-ti ta. Venus can be Ta Ta or ti-ti. The second-or B-section was the following chant: These are the planets of our solar system! I can name them all! We used a crescendo all the way to system and a decrescendo to them all. I encourage the students to speak loudly at the high point of the crescendo. They loved getting to shout!! There are also other parts that must be included in the compositional formula to build this chant: Ostinato (a repeated pattern that takes place under the melody), dynamics, Introduction (can be rhythmic or have words), Coda (ending-ours was "Who knows if there's more?"), Form (ABA-planet chant, These are the..., planet chant). You can use pat (legs) stamp (feet), clap, or snap for body percussion.
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LISTENING: -"The Planets." by Gustav Holst called Listen to 2 minutes of each of the selections. DON'T do this all in the same day. Start each day with one or two of the movements. Each movement is based on the mythological character that the planet is named after: Mars-the bringer of war, Venus-the bringer of peace, Mercury-the winged messenger, Jupiter- bringer of jollity, Saturn-bringer of old age, Uranus-the magician, and Neptune-the mystic (sounds like the sea). The CD that I have has an explanation of some of this in the cover. Pluto is missing because this piece of music was written before Pluto was discovered. Earth is missing for no apparent reason. You could compose your own Earth music as a class if you wanted to. You can make listening maps or just list the names of the planets with their respective titles. The music sounds like what the planet is nicknamed. Tape off the first minute or two of each movement -NOT IN ORDER. Have the kids put the names of the planets in the order that they are hearing it. When it is through, check them over. Tell them to listen to the whole song before deciding on the next one. I had a few kids do the first one then try and guess the next one before they heard it.
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SPACE WALK: this one requires LOTS of extra preparation. Tape off various sounds from Apollo 13. I have this on tape, but I would have to check with my sister on whether or not she wants me to send copies of it all over the world. Make pictures on 4 X 6 index cards of what it is they are hearing (T minus 10 and counting, Houston we have a problem, Give your oxygen tanks a stir, etc.). The kids listen to the space walk and put the cards in order that they are hearing them. Have them do this a couple of times then try to put the cards in order before hearing it. Write the number on the back of the card so you can remember which order they go in.
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COMPOSING: Students will use books on the planets to compose a song about them. Have them do this to the tune of Row Row Row Your Boat. Some of the ones that my kids came up with are : Jup-Jup-Jupiter with it's big red spot, It's the 5th planet that our solar system's got! Sat-Sat-Saturn has rings that are very nice, the rings are made of rock and dirt and also made of ice.
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RHYTHMIC COMPOSITION: Get a piece of foam board and draw the nine planets in order. Make a comet off to the side and planet X after the ninth planet. Draw the asteroid belt but leave one blank. Draw a big sun. Next make out of paper planets, asteroid, comet, sun, and planet X to place on the open circles. Give them 2 choices and on the paper, write a rhythm for the word. Planet X is the Coda, the sun is the intro, the asteroid is the ostinato, and the comet is the form. Place choices on each comet, asteroid, etc. as to what they can choose to say in their rhythmic composition. This will sound similar to the composition/chant that you made together as a class. This one will also require lots of extra time to make stuff. I have also probably thoroughly confused you on this one! Feel free to leave this activity out.
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BACK to Theme Music Ideas topics
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SQUIRRELS
05/21 There is a squirrel game "Hop Old Squirrel" I think it is where the kids sing and some are trees and some are squirrels and the squirrels have to get to a tree. BACK to Theme Music Ideas topics
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STATES
SONGS:
01/16 CAPITALS: Animaniacs version of Wakko -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNUDDaEOvuY
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01/16 One group performed a parachute activity with the song, "Under the Sea." I adapted a
routine found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7lkUdbIsZ8
The PreK class did a puppet show with the song, "Slippery Fish." If you don't have fish puppets, you can easily make poster board cutout fish for them to move during the song. We also learned the song in Spanish. English and Spanish versions are on youtube. PreK's also loved a simplified version of Baby Shark. They love the movements!
Another great movement/singing activity that I used was Artie's version of "1,2,3,4,5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive." I'm lucky to have A LOT of ocean animal beanies/stuffed animals. I used a parachute instead of a scarf. After singing, I asked the students to "go fishing" and they would go under and get an animal. After they sang their response, they'd put the animal in the center of the parachute, and we'd sing again. When all of the animals were on the parachute, they bounced them off to "Surfin' USA." (The reward for using their best singing voices.) Great fun! See Artie's original version here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGUbMb6wGG8 ----- Lee in GA
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07/05 Lights of Freedom - in the MK8 Vol. 13 has the states as part of the song. Fun to sing! (Plank Rd. Publishing: http://www.musick8.com/
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Rap of the States by Teresa Jennings ---musick8.com
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USA STATES SONGS: http://www.50states.com/songs/stsongs.htm
05/02 GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS: NORTHEAST -- Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
SOUTHEAST -- Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
MIDWEST -- Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
SOUTHWEST -- Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
WEST -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
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05/02 MICHIGAN: You can't go wrong with Bunyans and Banjoes, Michigan Songs and Stories (by Kitty Donohoe; ill. by Pasqua Cekola Warstler), Thunder Bay Press, Great Lakes Songbook, Volume I, bk. and cassette $19.95. Songs, recipes, loads of activities and information! Songs included are: Maple Syrup, Voyageurs, Mackinac Bridge, Red Iron Ore, I Never Will Sail (about the dangers of the Great Lakes), Louie Sands and Jim McGee, Roll Loggers Roll, Rivers, Little Loggers, Wheels (about invention of the automobile), Michigan Gals, Michigan Kids, Where I Live, Michigan ABC's, and Michigan Waltz.
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05/02 PRESENTER: Kitty Donohoe also travels to schools and sings folk songs from the Midwest (not just Michigan), plays hammer and plucked dulcimers, guitar, and demonstrates the jumping johnny. Our students k-5 were spellbound!
www.kittydonohoe.com
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05/02 www.sloanmuseum.com (for more info. about Michigan culture, esp. the auto industry). --------------------
02/02 The "animaniacs" cartoon have a song that list all the capitols in the United States. It is similar to the "50 Nifty United States" but a different tune: Wakko's America:
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01/02 Arkansas Traveler, Down the Ohio, This Land Is
Your Land (Calif., NY), Yellow Rose Of Texas
Deep In The Heart Of Texas,
Country Roads (WV), Whoopi-Ti-Yi-Yoo (Wyoming), Maine Is The Main Thing
Oklahoma, Davy Crockett (Tennessee), Old Abe Lincoln (Illinois), On
Wisconsin, Old Kentucky Home
New York, New York, California, Here I Come,
Colorado Trail, What Did Delaware? (also an MK8 song)
Carolina in the
Morning, Going Back to Indiana (old Jackson 5 tune), The Eyes of Texas are Upon
You, Carry me Back to Old Virginny
"Dinah"...is there anyone finer, in the
state of Carolina ------------------------------
MUSICAL Teresa's RAP OF THE PRESIDENTS, you know how much fun this type of project can be...and how much the kids learn! The Performance Kit consists of a Teacher's Handbook and a state of the art Performance/Accompaniment Cassette or Compact Disc. The Teacher's Handbook includes the entire rap with full accompaniment, as well as teaching suggestions, staging ideas, ideas for customizing the rap and even suggestions for using Orff and classroom instruments with the tune. It also includes several important reproducibles, including a complete Student Part (with rights to reproduce parts for every student, no matter how many you have) as well as a distinctive poster, a reproducible map of the U. S. and other resources for teaching this unit across the curriculum. The cassette uses children's voices, but the background tracks are straight out of the Top 10 for guaranteed great response from your students. It's a great way to teach rhythms, grab the interest of hard-to-reach singers and get classroom teachers more involved with your music program.
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BOOK:
State Songs, by Hladczuk co. 2000 ISBN0-8108-3723-4 ------------------------------
"State Songs of the United States : An Annotated Anthology" by William E. Studwell, Bruce R. Schueneman
(Compiler) http://www.amazon.com/
Contents:--Preface; Acknowledgments; A Tribute to American Song
TO 1860; 1860-1899,
etc., up thru 1971; HISTORICAL NOTES
(If you are looking for one of the following, check the library. Many
libraries have a reference book with all the songs cross referenced in a volume
indicating which collection they are in and whether they own that particular
book.) STATE SONGS:
Alabama: "Alabama"
Alaska: "Alaska's Flag"
Arizona: "Arizona March Song"
Arkansas: "Arkansas" "The Arkansas
Traveler"
California: "Oh, Susanna" "I Love You, California" "Sweet Betsy
From Pike"
"California, Here I Come" "Clementine"
Colorado: "Where the
Columbines Grow"
Connecticut: "Yankee Doodle"
Delaware: "Our Delaware"
Florida: "Old Folks at Home"; Swanee River;
Georgia: "Georgia" "Georgia
on My Mind" "Old Folks At Home"
Hawaii: "Hawai'i Pono'i"
Idaho: "Here We
Have Idaho"
Illinois: "Illinois" "Cat Came Back" "On the Banks of the
Wabash, Far Away"
Indiana: "Indiana" "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away"
Iowa: "Iowa Corn Song" "The Song of Iowa" Kansas: "Home on the Range"
Kentucky: "My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!" "Riddle Song"
"On Top of
Old Smoky" "Down in the Valley";
Louisiana: "Give Me Louisiana" "City of New
Orleans" "You Are My Sunshine"
"My Louisiana" "On Top of Old Smoky";
Maine: "State of Maine" Maryland: "Maryland, My Maryland!"
Massachusetts: "All Hail to Massachusetts"
Michigan: "My Michigan"
Minnesota: "Hail! Minnesota"
Mississippi: "Go, Mississippi" "Mississippi
Days"
Missouri: "Shenandoah" "Shiloh" "Liza Jane" "Missouri Waltz" "Jesse
James";
Montana: "Montana Melody" "Montana"
Nebraska: "Beautiful
Nebraska"
Nevada: "Home Means Nevada"
New Hampshire: "New Hampshire, My
New Hampshire" "Old New Hampshire"
New Jersey: "Ode to New Jersey"
New
Mexico: "O, Fair New Mexico" "Asi Es Nuevo Mexico"
New York: "The Sidewalks
of New York" "Tis a Gift to be Simple"
"New York, Our Empire State" "Erie
Canal" "Shall We Gather At the River" "Buffalo Gals";
North Carolina: "The
Old North State" "Freight Train";
North Dakota: "North Dakota Hymn"
Ohio: "Beautiful Ohio" "Beans in My Ears";
Oregon: "Oregon, My Oregon"
Pennsylvania: "Pennsylvania"
Rhode Island: "Rhode Island March Song" "There's a Hole In My Bucket"
South Carolina: "Carolina"
South Dakota: "South Dakota, My Dakota"
"Hail! South Dakota"
Tennessee: "When It's Iris Time in
Tennessee"
"Tennessee Waltz" "I Hear You Calling Me, Tennessee"
Texas:
"Texas, Our Texas" "Cowboy's Lament" "The Eyes of Texas"
"The Yellow Rose of
Texas" "Deep in the Heart of Texas" "I Ride Old Paint";
Utah: "Utah, We Love
Thee"
Vermont: "Hail, Vermont!"
Virginia: "Carry Me Back to Old
Virginia"
Washington: "Washington My Home" "Washington Beloved" "Acres of
Clams;
West Virginia: "The West Virginia Hills" "John Henry"
Wisconsin:
"On, Wisconsin"
Wyoming: "The Wyoming State Song" "Wyoming"
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TEDDY BEARS
07/05 "Kuma San" the Japanese teddy bear song (in an old Holt series book), also in the 3rd grade Share the Music 1995 - it's listed there as a Japanese jump roping song. Dramatize "The Three Bears" using the different sized Orff instruments to accompany the story.
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07/05 BOOK/CD: "Unbearable Bears" by Kevin Roth. I think I saw it in the Educational Record Center catalog. Also, Dr. Jean has a good version of "the Bear Went over the Mt. and "Cool Bear Hunt" on her Silly Songs CD. The "Three Boppin' Bears rap" is also on this CD. Cathy Fink and Marcie Marxer also have a recording of the three bears story. -- Teresa M. Wright
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02/03 RECORDINGS: Several commercial CDs are available, too. Greg and Steve's Kids in Action CD has a fun version of "Goin' On a Bear Hunt" that uses cameras, not guns. Jerry Garcia (yes, the one and only) has a CD Not For Kids Only (15949 10092) with a version of "Teddy Bear's Picnic." Unbearable Bears by Kevin Roth (17206 10142) has well known and original teddy bear songs including "That Bear Makes Me Crazy" (an all time favorite), Teddy Bear's Picnic, Honey Bear, The Garden, Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear (ala Elvis), The Show Biz Bear, The Bear You loved, The Bear That Snores, and Lullaby Bear.
This year I added another CD, Teddy Bear's Greatest Hits featuring Bill Shontz (65481 19132). He includes Bare Necessities, Me and My Teddy Bear, Teddy Rockin', Teddy Bear's Picnic, You're a Bear, Teddy Bear's Parade, Invisible Bear, House at Pooh Corner, Goldilocks Rap, and Teddy Bear.
I sometimes use the Silver Burdett series The Music Connection. The Kindergarten book has "Bedtime Friends," Kenny Loggins House at Pooh Corner (check archives here for lesson ideas), "Two Bears," and adaptations for the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears with Big Book pictures and music clings.
And there is the ever popular book and song "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See." I also read "My Brown Bear Barney in Trouble" (ISBN 0-688-10522-X LE), "Where's My Teddy?" (ISBN 1-56402-280-3), and "Berlioz the Bear" in print and also as a Reading Rainbow episode.
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SONG: Teddy Bears' Picnic:
http://www.teddy-bear-artists.com/TBsingalong.htm Has the tune and the words. A great version is by Anne Murray (Hippo in my tub) and Rosenshontz Teddy Bear is great too. I think the title is Rock n Roll Teddy Bear
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TEETH
06/22/02 MK8 Song: "Wash Your Hands" change words to "Brush your teeth" Plank Road Publishing: http://www.musick8.com/
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06/22/02 There's the Dinosaur Tooth Brushing Song in
Shawnee Press's "Sounds We Found." I've also seen it in one of the newer
textbooks, not sure which one.
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PARODY of My Boyfriends Back...
My tooth is loose and it's givin' me some trouble,
Hey na, Hey na, my tooth is loose.
Pull it now and it will come out on the double.
He na, Hey na, my tooth is loose.
Yeah! It's really is a'wigglin'
Yeah! A wigglin' and a jigglin'
My tooth is loose. My tooth is loose. Wah-oo. Wah-oo.
My tooth is loose. My tooth is loose. Wah-oo.
Wait and see! My tooth.
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How about Raffi's song..."When you wake up in the morning, it's a quarter to one, and you want to have a little fun...you brush your teeth..." and so on. It's in the Green Raffi spiral bound book...available on Amazon.com, I believe.
Also, I have an acquaintance (brother of a good friend) that wrote a GREAT little story about visiting the dentist, called "Bippo Visits the Dentist," and my friend wrote the accompanying song called "Bippo the Hippo and You."
----------------
"Gemini" group.....they have a fun song "Loose Tooth Blues" a favorite of kids
--------------------
ACTIVITY: LOOSE TOOTH
I have a loose tooth, A wiggly, jiggly loose tooth.
I have a loose tooth, A hanging by a thread.
So I pulled my loose tooth, My wiggly, jiggly, loose tooth,
Put it 'neath my pillow And then I went to bed.
Someone took my loose tooth, My wiggly, jiggly loose tooth.
And now I have a quarter And a whole in my head!
Here are the actions: Every time you say "loose tooth," clap 2x. Every time you say "wiggly, jiggly," alternate patsches on your thighs. Every time you say "thread, bed, or head," you snap. Also, it works best with the rhythms if you pronounce "wiggly and jiggly" as if they have an extra syllable..."wig-i-ly, jig-i-ly."
---------------------
Song: "You Brush Your Teeth" - cute Raffi
song
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SUPERHEROES
06/15 Last year our school theme was Be a Hero, with the letters in Hero standing for Help Everyone Respect Others. I didn't really turn it into anything specifically music, but I did use the musical about Heroes written by Michael and Jill Galina for the spring grades 4-5-6 program. ----- Karen Reynolds, Nebraska
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Superhero is the theme for my classroom. There?s great things on TPT. I bought WE'RE MUSICIANS, WHAT'S YOUR SUPERPOWER and WE'RE SINGERS WHAT'S YOUR SUPERPOWER? packets (Author: Amy Abbott on teacherspayteachers.) Lots posters etc,. solfeggi signs w/ superheros, rules, labels, etc. There are also lots of ways to decorate your door. I have a chair a student sits in and am making capes if they want to wear one in the chair. ---- Jodie Liess
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TECHNOLOGY
PARODY: HOME ON THE RANGE: Home on the Web : Oh give me a site where the links all work right -- one that doesn't take too long to load --
where the text can be seen on my 13-inch screen -- one that offers a "no-Java" mode.
REFRAIN: Home, home on the Web on my 486 IBM. Please take pity on me -- I'm still on Netscape 3 with a 14.4-speed modem!
VERSE: Though your video files give your pages some style I can't read them upon my PC;
Massive graphics and sound crash my system, I've found, so please put in some "alt" tags for me!
VERSE: Please don't ask me to "chat" with your favorite cat; I don't have an IRC code. And don't ask me to buy
games for Win 95 -- My PC is way too darn old!
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THANKYOUS
SONG: T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U. - musick8.com --I had a kindergarten class sing it, but it could be adapted for other levels. I mounted the letters THANK YOU on pizza rounds taped to paint stirrers. The kids held up the letter when it was sung in the song. At the end of the song, it seems the kids sang or shouted "Thanks" and the kindergarten teacher popped up from behind the kids with a glittery sign that said THANKS! ; "Thank You Very Much" form the musical Scrooge. (older students)
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TOLERANCE
SONG: Responsible? Vol.11 #2 ---
SONG: Love Can Build a Bridge or The World is a Rainbow (Greg and Steve)?
---
Ha someone
already told you about Red Grammar's Teaching Peace album? Its main theme is
tolerance and the songs teach about the diversity and the unity of the human
race. Here is his site: http://www.redgrammer.comThe site includes sound files
so you can listen. My favorite is the Barnyard Boogie, which says hello in 4
different languages.
Silver Burdett, 4th grade, starts with a song about tolerance (again unity
and diversity). Silver Burdett, 5th grade, has a goodbye song that says goodbye
in several languages. I used those songs for opener and finale of my
international program.
---
SONG: "Respect", from last year's k-8
MUSICAL: "From the Inside Out" musick8.com
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TOYS
10/04 Songs: Rubber Duckie!
Bounce High, Bounce Low (ball)
Toyland
Old Toy Trains (Tom Chapin)
The Marvelous Toy
Teddy Bear
Teddy Bear
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
(rhythm band)
"Let's Go Fly a Kite" from Mary Poppins
Miss Polly Had a Dolly
Teddy Bear's Picnic
"Eenie Meenie Beenie Beenie," MK8,vol. 10-3: http://www.musick8.com/
"Are My Ears
On Straight?" about toys getting ready for Christmas day. Very cute.,
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STORMS
07/05 STORM MUSIC: Wagner-Flying Dutchman Overture
Debussy-Nuages (excerpt)
Beethoven-Pastorale Symphony (excerpt)
Grofe-Cloudburst (excerpt)
Victory at Sea
Strauss-Thunder
and Lightning Polka
William Tell Overture storm scene
Vivaldi: Spring
Chopin'-"Raindrop Prelude"
Grand Canyon Suite/Grofe
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TRAINS
12/08 POEM: *Song of the Train* by David Mcord -- This poem is AWESOME! I have used it to begin our underground railroad units. Don't know if it is copyrighted . . . but it is real easy to find on the internet. My
students love it - - very easy to add instruments and dynamics to. --- Elizabeth Tummons
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06/06 SONG: In Musicplay (Curriculum: www.musicplay.ca) for Kindergarten, there is a very cute song, "Take My Little Car". There is a performance and an accompaniment track for it - it's very cute. In the Revised Musicplay 1 program, there is another cute song by Bob Schneider - Little Red Car. There isn't an accompaniment track, but we do have a piano accompaniment. In Musicplay 2, there is a cute arrangement of "Ridin' that New River Train" - again, it has performance / accompaniment tracks. If anyone wants information on the Musicplay K-6 curriculum email privately and I'll send song lists and sample lessons. (or see www.musicplay.ca) All is available from musick8.com-- Denise Gagne www.musicplay.ca
-----------------------------
06/07 SONG: The Atcheson, Topeka and the Santa Fe, Wabash Cannon Ball!
When the Train Comes Along; Train Is a-comin'; Chickahanka; Drill Ye Tarriers.
---------------------------
06/07 SONG: David & Anne Ellsworth's "Lunch" song, which is in Music K-8, Vol. 17, No. 1, and encourages kids to line up an move like a train!
Paul Jennings' new version of "Get On Board" is very cool:
http://www.musick8.com/store/alphadetail.tpl?&productgroup=1904
"Rhythm Express," from Music K-8, Vol. 8, No. 4, is also lots of fun:
http://www.musick8.com/store/alphadetail.tpl?&productgroup=063
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SONG: Drill Ye Tarriers Drill
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06/06 SONG: "Ridin' That New River Train" I have it in Grade 2 Musicplay, and it's always a hit with the kids. I added a verse, so it's even goofier! See: www.musicplay.ca -- Denise Gagne
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SONG sung by the teacher(T) in an enthusiastic manner as T moves around room picking up a child at the end of first verse to 'chug' (move arms like wheels of train) behind T. Next repeat is that child's turn to pick another friend up wherever the 'train' stops. It's sung fairly quickly and takes the kids by surprise if they've never sung it. You probably won't have difficulty with children waiting for their turn. Encourage children to first sing the 'toots' (doh'-sol in half notes) while pulling the whistle chain. Then have them join in as they learn the song. (Explain that you will run out of coal to drive the train unless they help keep it going by singing.) This can lead to other train songs.
Song:
1. Listen to the sound of the
2. Train coming in,
3. Toot, toot,
4. Hear the whistle blow.
5. When the train stops, a
6. Friend will come on board,
7. Toot, toot,
8. Hear the whistle blow.
Here's my attempt at the melody:
(I=tah, //=ti-ti, b=ta-ah,with solfeggio syllables d=do, etc.,d'=hi do)
1. / / / / (s s s s) I / / (s s s)
2. I / / b (s m m m)
3. b b (d'-s)(2x)
4. / / / / (s s l l) s (b)
5. / / I I I (s s s s s)
6. / / / / b (s m m m m)
7. b b (d'-s)(2x)
8. / / / / b (m m r r d)
----------------------------
06/07 IDEAS: How about adding a simple rhythm accompaniment using sandpaper blocks or cabasas? Steady eighth notes could make the traditional ch-ch-ch-ch sound, which of course, few of today''s kids have ever
heard. That was the old STEAM locomotives that went ch-ch-ch-ch, not the diesel engines. But the kids still associate the choo choo with trains. :-) You could do an intro with a gradual accelerando as the train leaves the station and gathers up speed, then when you get up to tempo, bring in the singing. Reverse at the end, as you slow down and pull into the station.
If you could get ahold of one of those wooden "train whistles" that would be cute to stick that somewhere, maybe between verses or something. Lacking that, I had 2 or 3 old beat-up "song flutes" that were in my room, and picked a few lucky kids to "blow the train whistle." Every kid's dream--just a LOUD whoo-whoo, unfingered, untongued, just blast away. I used those ugly little song flutes for that because, as my kids had been told repeatedly, recorders are NEVER NEVER played like that!!!
Recorders are REAL instruments where we play REAL music, the best we are able. These others are "toy" instruments so it's ok to do the train whistle blast on them. - Louise Eddington, Muncie, Indiana
------------------------------
06/07 LISTENING: Pacific 231 by Honegger
The Little Train of Capeira - by Villa Lobos
------------------------
12/08 LISTENING: I would suggest Duke Ellington's Daybreak Express. There is a whole lesson devoted to him on the Smithsonian Jazz website, which includes a series of free recordings. Look for it in the jukebox, and be patient while it loads. http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/ --- Elizabeth Taylor
---------------------------------
LISTENING: the Orange Blossom Special is a great train piece! , "Pacific 231" by Arthur Honegger
"Orange Blossom Special" (bluegrass) or
"Ghost Train" by Eric Whitaker (a symphonic band piece which a couple of drum corps have performed lately.)
Old Toy Trains on Raffi's Christmas album
---------------------
12/08 BOOK: Picture book entitled Train Song by Diane Siebert, paintings by Mike Wimmer. Harper Collier publisher, 1990. : Rhymed text and illustrations describe the journeys of a variety of transcontinental trains.
ISBN 0-690-04726-6
------------------------------------------
BOOK: Review : "Nicolai's Trains"
---------
01/02 CENTER:- I have a Science board with pictures of trains and different types of sandpaper glued on. I let the children rub sand blocks on the sandpaper for train sounds and use triangles for the railroad crossing signal. Instruments can tend to be played roughly in centers so stress gentle playing and sharing. Violators have to sit out a few minutes in the center of the room. I also have limits on how many kids can be in each center before it is "closed". I let the kids move freely between each center and do not set time limits (except with the computer).
ACTIVITIES, SONGS, ETC.,: http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/preschool_themes/trains/trains.htm
-----------------
RECORDING: Veggie Tales has put out a good little split track CD called On the Road with Bob and Larry. I'm planning to use it in April for a K program.
Here is a list of the songs: On the Road Again Stop! and Go with Mercy -- The Wheels on the Bus -- Surrey with the Fringe on Top -- Bicycle Built for Two -- I've Been Working on the Railroad/Down By The Station -- This Train -- Are We There Yet? -- The Bear Went over the Mountain -- Ease on Down the Road -- Driving Medley -- I'm Gonna Sing, -- I'm Gonna Shout -- Oh You Can't get to Heaven on Roller Skates -- The Waiting Game -- Happy Trails
-----------------------------
06/06 DYNAMITE CD!!! “The Most Amazing Truck, Train and Plane Songs” Great parodies and original songs with some twists - some songs would even appeal to older elementary students. Includes a parody on the
invention of the wheel (William Tell Overture!) - Sandy Toms
-----------------------------------
SONGS: Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
A Cowboy’s Lament MK8: 12-2
Down at the Station
El tren
Engine, Engine, Number Nine
Horsey, Horsey On Your Way
I Ride Old Paint
Little Red
Caboose
O'
The Trains Off the Track
Trot, Pony, Trot (Chinese pentatonic - add Orff arr. w/temple blocks)
Jig, Jog (primary)
The Kettle Valley Line
Ride the Train
This Train
Train
Is-A Comin'
The Wabash Canonball
…As well as a few poems, art selections and listening selections to consider--and google:
Jickety Can, Jickety Can (poem)
The Little Train of the Caipira (listening
selection from Bachianas Brasileiras, No. 2 by H Villa-Lobos)
A Modern Dragon (poem by Rowena Bastin Bennett)
Railroad Blues (listening selection by F Stowers)
Trains in Coal (art selection by J
Savitsky)
Trains at Night (poem by E. St Vincent Millay)
Wheels, Wheels, Wheels (poem by N White Carlstrom)
-------------------
Ultimate Kids Song Collection has "Travelin' Wheels" no. 2 (WW2 1293.)
-------------------------
07/03 BOOK: "Train Song" before with success! I love to add literature to my classroom and this would fit in. It is posted in the archives at: http://escribe.com/education/mk8/m33120.html Patty in AR
---------------------------------------
CHANT: Listen, listen, listen to my name ti-ti rest ti-ti rest ti-ti-ti-ti ta rest I'll say it once in rhythm and you say it back again ti (pick up) ti-ti-ti-ti ti-ti-ti-ti ti-ti-ti-ti- Ta (I'll is the eighth note pick up
to the next phrase so the rest after name is shortened.) Repeat Learn that and add an ostinato - as simple or complex as needed. (Discussion can take place on form. This was section A, now here is section B. Discussion
could branch out to rondo form: A,B,A,C,A,D, etc. Each new section consists of a new set of names) Section B: One student says their name in rhythm, class echoes. Next student, echo. Do this four times then go back to
Section A and repeat the chant. Variation: Students can add a "movement" that is particular to their name - class echoes name with movement. Just one idea! Patty in AR
----------------------------
08/02 Don't forget "Rhythm Express", one of my favorite of Paul's jazz charts. It's in vol. 7 of MK8 in the no. 4 issue
----------------
04/02 Look, Listen and Live 12:3 of MK8.--http://www.musick8.com/ )
---------------------
(I wrote
LITTLE RED CABOOSE: Little red caboose, chug, chug, chug (2 x) (arms move as train)
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Smokestack on his back, back, back, back (Arms straight above head)
(clap 3x on "back, back, back" lowering hands at same time)
Chugging down the track, track, track, track (arms move as train)
Little red caboose behind the train.
Melody below for B section
(in C c, f f f f a c__ a a g g a g chord F
c c c d e e e e, chord C
e a d d e d-- g__ a__ g___) chord D7 G7
Oh, hear the whistle blowin’ And hear the engines roar,
Get your ticket, get on board,
Sit down and you’ll hear more about the...Little Red.....
The little red car follows The many cars before,
The station master waves hand
And closes all the doors, behind is .......Little Red Caboose....
Chugging down the train tracks And pickin’ up some speed
We’re travelin’ through cities
But no one takes our lead and there’s the....Little Red Caboose...
-------------------------
01/02 BOOK: TRAIN SONG by Diane Siebert. I use the first page of text as the vocal ostinato.
Out in back (ti ti ta); Railroad track (ti ti ta) Clickety-clack (tiri ti ta); Clickety-clack (tiri ti ta) We learn this in its natural spoken rhythm as notated above. Once learned, add patsch (ta) patsch(ta) patsch(ta) snap(ta), patsch(ta) patsch(ta) patsch(ta) snap(ta). Now clap vocal ostinato rhythm only. Now one group does patsch patsch patsch snap rhythm and the other claps the vocal ostinato rhythm. Switch groups. Pick instruments that sound train-like. (Sand blocks, guiro, cabasa maybe) These instruments now take over vocal ostinato rhythm. Play this with the patsch patsch patsch snap rhythm. Now find instruments that would work on the snap. (this becomes the train's bell - therefore, finger cymbals, cowbell, resonator bells, etc.) I usually leave out the patschen and do rest, rest, rest, ding! But, if that is confusing, they could leave the patschen in. Explain that between each page of text the ostinato will be played or spoken. Set up an order for this. I usually do spoken and played together to start with. Then just spoken. Then just played. I alternate these and end with spoken and played together for the finale. Begin and end the story with the train whistle if you have one as follows:
Train whistle Spoken and played ostinato
Next page: locomotives cars in tow etc. Played ostinato
Next page: Steel wheels rolling, etc. Spoken ostinato
Next page: engineers with striped hats
You get the picture. IMPORTANT: speak the text of the book as rhythmically and quickly as possible to sound like the rhythm of the train. The text when spoken in such a way really sounds like a train - therefore "Train Song". I would like to blow up the pics in a chart format, so I could just flip the pics during the ostinato interlude, but have yet to do this! After the story, I show them the pictures. It breaks the rhythm of the book to stop in between to show the pictures.
It would be ideal for there to be enough books that 2 or 3 of them could share a book among themselves! Of course, playing an instrument and turning pages would be difficult, but one could play and one could turn. Also, I vary the timbre of the reading and make modulations in the tempi. For example, "slowing 'neath the overpass" I slow down my tempo slightly but pick it up right away. There are a couple lines that need rhythmic reworking when reading them out loud.
-----------------
01/02 Vocabulary: cargo, engineer, parts of a train: tool car, engine, smoke stack, headlamp, tender
--------------
01/02 BOOKS: Bodkin, Odds. The Banshee Train. Illustrated by Ted Rose.Clarion Books, New
York, 1995.
Hines, Gary. A Ride in the Crummy. Illustrated by Anna Grossnickle Hines. Greenwillow Books, New York, 1991.
Mott, Evelyn Clark. Steam Train Ride. Walker and Company, New York, 1991.
Piper, Watty. The Little Engine That Could. Illustrated by George and Doris Hauman. Platt and Munk, New York, 1930.
Reit, Seymour. Trains. Illustrated by Tom LaPadula. Western Publishing Company, Racine, Wisconsin, 1990.
---------------
01/02 VIDEO - Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express (K -
3) -- amazon.com
Large
LARGE LIST OF RAILROAD SONGS: http://www.spikesys.com/Trains/songs.html
Lesson:
"Little Train of Capira" - Villa Lobos
Wabash Cannonball, There's a song in Silver Burdett (2nd or 3rd) called the
Dummy Line. There's another in the 5th called Paddy Works on the Railway.
Rock Island Line, Casey Jones, Wabash Cannonball, Down By The Station
This
Train (is bound for glory), Engine Engine Number 9, I've Been Workin' ON the
Railroad
Last Train To Clarksville (The Monkeys), The Locomotion, Legend of
John Henry
The Love Train (the O'Jays 1970's)
-----------------
Casey
Jones Chattanooga Choo Choo The Choo Choo (Hungarian Children's Song - from OLD
series)
Down By the Station Engine Engine Number 9
Get On Board ..little
children (Spiritual) 500 Miles
How Long the Train Been Gone? (arrangement by
Konnie Saliba)
Paddy Works on the Railway This Train Is Bound for Glory (The
Spiritual)
Train Is A-Coming (spiritual) Wabash Cannonball
John Denver's
"All Aboard!" CD - all train songs including "The Little Engine That Could"
--------(there is also a video of this title) Some really neat poems are
also available: The Train Anonymous such as:
The train goes running along the
line Jickety can, jickety can, I wish it were mine, I wish it were
mine,
Jickety can, jickety can, Jickety jickety jickety
can.
-------------------
BOOK: A Modern Dragon by Rowena Bastin
Bennett
-------------------
A train is a dragon that roars through the
dark, He wiggles his tail as he sends up a spark.
He pierces the night with
his one yellow eye, And all the earth trembles when he rushes
by.
--------------------
Trip On a Train (2 part chant)
Group 1-----------------------------Group 2
ti ti ta ti ti ta,
etc.
Wher-cha go? Wher-cha go?-----------Wichita, Wichita
Wha-cha do?
Wha-cha do?------------Went "Ka-choo", Went "Ka-choo"
Wha-cha see?,
etc.------------------Ditches, ditches
Wha-cha git?,
etc.------------------Switches, switches
Wha-cha hear?,
etc.-----------------Shhh,----shhh
---------(gradually speed up, then slow
at the end)
-----------------------
I've putting up a bulletin board with
large train engine "Eddyville Express" and "Get on Board" title. My 3 train cars
are labeled SQUILT, Composers, and Instruments. My goal is to compile the
listening, composer, and instruments from around the world study in a visual
form for kids to peek at all year. I'm betting that many of you have used the
train idea as constant bulletin board. My question to you all, are there obvious
missing train cars I could add? (My engine looks a bit too powerful for only 3
cars! The tracks could rumble all around my room.
-------------------
UNIT: My train stretches across the top of the board and reminds students of things we have talked about...I think there are 8 cars--rhythm, melody, harmony, composers, instruments, form, expressive qualities--there are neat things coming out of each car. It was fun to make! "I've been Workin' on the Railroad" at the next class. I have a train whistle that one child will play and all the rest will play on certain rest. I will write X's on the board in 2's and 3's and point when they are to play 2 beats or 3 beats.
MK8 has a great CD called "Get Kids Singing Old Favorites" that has "Railroad" on it with a GREAT beginning train sound! I'm sure it's one of the magazines also, but I don't have my index here at home.
--------------------
MOVEMENT w/parents: 1. Have parents stand in a line (like a train formation), feet spread sideways shoulder width. They are the tunnel and the kids have fun going under their feet (through the tunnel).
2. Freeze & Move (a variation from the ideas of Anne Barlin - dance/movement specialist): Play music or beat a steady (or other) beat on a drum. All move or dance freely. When the music (or drum beat) stops, , smile, shake hands, say hello and introduce yourself to a person near you.
3. Trains & Stations (Idea from Anne Barlin in book GOODNIGHT TOES - musical selection included): Organize into partners, one partner is the Engine and the other is the Caboose. While the music is playing, the train is in motion. When the music stops, the train stops and all wave and say hello to the other train(s) in the station.
4. Statues: Move to a drum beat/ or to music. When the music stops freeze in any position. Variations: When the music stops, all freeze while touching another person to form a giant statue.
I have discovered "The Little Train of the Caipira" by Villa-Lobos through the second grade curriculum of the Macmillan series. I had never heard it before. The kid's really enjoy the music and listening for the different sounds in the orchestration dual antenna remote mic was excellent. I could move all around the play yard, marching with a drum, flying with scarves, being in a train, and could be heard very well.
Getting the random groups of people assembled is a tricky thing, and I used the technique "If you can hear me, echo clap" and I simply clapped three times with a rest at the end. Next I substituted these words to the tune of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes":
Follow me in a line, in a line, Follow me in a line, in a line,
Step to the beat and you'll always be in time, Follow me in a line in a line.
We paraded into a circle, and then did some circle dances like "Looby Loo" and "Fly Daniel", which was followed by the train games and nursery rhyme mixer that I mentioned in a previous email. The nursery rhyme trains actually worked just fine. That was the idea I wasn't so sure about.
Donald Crew's "Freight Train" is a wonderful book to use with or without instruments. (My objective with this book has been simply starting and stopping together.) I read it once, in a rhythmic pace, beginning with the picture of the empty track saying, "is there a train yet?" When the train moves (the picture is marvelous showing movement) I bounce lightly. I invite the children to say with me "ch ch ch ch" or to make the sound of the train whistle; we increase the tempo a little. The second time I read it, I pass out egg shakers (you could make your own with the children) saying "no sound until the train comes." Even very young under 2's understand and marvel at the ending when all the shakers stop together.
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TREES
06/09 POEM: Trees- Joyce Kilmer..... rhyming couplets. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/1947 -- --- Martha Stanley
-----------------------------------
06/09 POEM Trees by Harry Behn, that starts out: Trees are the kindest things I know
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/arborday/trees_poem.htm..." --- Louise Eddington
--------------------------------
06/09 FINGERPLAY Two little apples hanging on a tree. Two little apples smiling at me.
I shook that tree as hard as I could. Down came the apples, Mm! Mm! Good!
Encourage the kiddos to use lots of expression vocally.
Line 1: Pretend to be the tree, arms out to side, holding a pretend apple
in each hand.
Line 2: Look at each apple, smiling back at it.
Line 3: Shake the apple tree.
Line 4: Rub tummies.
----------------------------------------
SONG: " Tree Song" by Ken Medema (2 votes)Shawnee Press E 0212)
The Wonderful World of Trees: information, activities,
glossary
https://www.theforestacademy.com/faculty-manual/#.Ve7wVpdDAaw
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TRUMPET
SONG: Hand Me Down My Silver Trumpet is an hit with all the groups I've ever used it with. Easy to learn, room for solos if you so desire, but, I think the trumpet part is for C trumpet. ---
For my Veteran's Day concert I did America Our Home(not to be confused with America MY Home-MK8, which my choir did) by Berta Poorman and Sonja Poorman. It has a nice trumpet part and incorporates America the Beautiful. Published by Warner Bros. and comes in 2 part as well as SAB and SATB, and there is a CD you can get. I got mine from JW Pepper.
---
I'm going to try MK8's "I Like School" with students doing the trumpet part and I'll write some kind of Orff thing...I'd like to do it without the accomp. if it sounds OK.
---
What about "Wadda Wadda Wadda"? (MusicK8 3/4) ---
One song we're going to do will be Sing a Joyful Song (I think it's arranged by Ruth Artman).
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TURTLES
SONG: I Have a Little Turtle: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems60.html
-------
Sea Turtle Satellite Tracking: (can see the movements of individual turtles in FLA, the Baja, S.C.,) Teachers can request a guide;
http://www.cccturtle.org/seaturtletracking.php?page=currentsatelliteturtles
"You Can't Make A Turtle Come Out.: (2 votes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YrkugMr1WQ
Lyrics: http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/MALVINA/mr193.htm
-----------------
BOOK: Wise Old Turtle is a main character in the picture book LITTLE BEAVER AND THE ECHO. It's probably in your school library. I use it early in kindergarten when teaching the concept of echoing.
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ROARING TWENTIES
Easy flapper headbands: poster board headbands (strips approx. 2 inches in the forehead area with 1 inch sides that wrap around head). cover forehead area with glitter or feathers. fasten by taping ends together. so cute!!! and so easy!!!
Easy felt bow ties to fit anyone: cut a skinny, long strip of felt to use for the strap. for more durable ties, cut a little wider, fold it over and sew it down so it's doubly thick. cut two small rectangles. cut one 4 1/2 " x 2 1/2 " and the other the same then trim off 1/2" off the length of one of them. use that for the middle band that holds it together. lay the shorter one on top of the longer one. Sinch together in the middle and secure by sewing the tiny band around the middle. glue to the middle of strap with a big blob of craft glue.
I also use these bow ties for choir concerts (boys wear white, collared shirts and tie the bowtie on), and have made red ones for Christmas, blue ones for Hanukkah. So easy and versatile! each year i add a color to my costume pile.
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WASHINGTON, STATE OF
Tune: Twelve Days of Christmas
1. A Seagull in a fir tree.
2. Two waddling ducks
3. Three steamed
clams
4. Four crawling crabs
5. Five golden slugs
6. Six tulips
swaying
7. Seven salmon swimming
8. Eight latte's steaming
9. Nine
apples dangling
10. Ten geese a-leaping
11. Eleven ferries sailing
12.
Twelve rain clouds dripping
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WEATHER
See also file #55 THEME MUSIC IDEAS O-Z
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06/09 Here is a little ABACA rondo for you all  this morning courtesy of the Pacific Northwest. The A and C sections are not mine.
A Whether the weather be fine, Or whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the
weather What ever the weather, Whether we like it or not.
B: Pitter patter, Pitter patter, Pitter patter plop, Rain keeps falling on my head, I wish that it would stop.
Repeat A section
Whether the weather be fine, Or whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather, Whatever the weather, Whether we like it or not.
C:Rain Rain go away, Come again some other day. Rain, rain go away, Little children want to play.
Repeat A
Traditional:
It's raining, i t's pouring, The old man is snoring, He bumped his head, On the foot of the bed, Couldn't get up in the morning. --- Listee, MK8 Newsletter
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SONG: "HURRICANE GO AWAY" (upper elem.) last year and loved it. It's by Jay Althouse
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WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, (etc.,)
12/09 BULLETIN BOARDS:
GO WILD WITH RHYTHMS
http://www.musicbulletinboards.net/boards/go%20wild%20with%20these%20rhythm
s.htm
12/09 WILD ABOUT MUSIC (This is the one with the plates that has been mentioned)
http://www.musicbulletinboards.net/boards/wild%20about%20music.htm
12/09 CAN YOU SOLVE THESE CASES ?(Okay...you'll have to get a little creative with
this one. How about "WHERE THE MUSICAL THINGS ARE" and then post some
instructions about guessing which instrument is in each case.)
http://www.musicbulletinboards.net/boards/can%20you%20solve%20these%20cases.htm
12/09 JUNGLE SCENE: I think that creating a jungle scene on your board with lots of leaves bending off the board, a black sky and full moon would be a great start. Then add pics of instruments, CD covers, music notes, etc... Title could be "Welcome to Our Classroom: Where the Musical Things Are" --- Tracy - Bulletin Boards for the Music Classroom_ www.musicbulletinboards.net
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12/09 INSTRUMENTS: The only body percussion we ended up using was finger snaps when the forest begins to grow, lap pats as it grows more and floor slaps as it continues to grow. I chose a child to be MAX. I wrote out his lines
("I'll eat you up!", etc) from the book so he/she could say them. I layed out the following inst w/the words or part of the book written out so they'd know when to play and assigned kids to play each...laying them in a semi-cicle in the order that they appeared in the book:
-cymbals for every time the words "wild thing" are used.
-rachet for "roared their terrible roar"
-vibra slap for "gnashed their terrible teeth"
-cabassa for "rolled their terrible eyes"
-guiro for "showed their terrible claws"
-wind chimes for when Max does a magic trick and looks into their eyes
-wind tubes for when he smells good things to eat
-a C major chord of handchimes for the end when his food is still hot.
In addition, those who had quiet inst used BW for the wild rumpus. EVERYONE played on the wild rumpus. (one class spontaneously got up and ran around my room....I teach in a small gym. It was cool!) Also, everyone had sand blocks for the sailing to and from the land of wild things. I had one rainstick for that also.
MAX was up by me (I read the book into a microphone) ready to say his prepared lines. In the background I had playing "Dance of the Knights" from Romeo and Juliet/Prokofiev. It's not quite long enough (the part that fits this book...you'll know what I mean) so I put a sticker on the "play this track again" button and assigned one kid to be my "techie"..pressing it when we needed more music.
The whole thing was a blast.......but certainly not the only way to integrate this wonderful book into music class. --- Dan Fee
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SONGS: "Wild Things" which is inspired by the book "Where the Wild Things Are". It is on our "Love Makes a Family" recording. Also, the Good Rockin' Daddies have a song called "7 Nights to Read" which mentions "Where the Wild Things Are". It is on their recording, as well as Stuart Stotts' "Are We There Yet?" and our "Friends" recording.
Another good song is "Horns to Toes", a movement song with words from Sandra Boynton's board book of the same name, with music by Michael Ford. It is on/in her "Rhinocerous Tap" tape/songbook.
But of course you must play "Wild Thing"!!!
"Michael (Max)Row the boat ashore..."
Maybe some sea shanties(don't have one off the top of my head) A jimmy buffet song? or another Island song? On (CMN member)Debbie Friedlander's tape "somewhere in a corner" she has the song "Don't Stand Under a Coconut!" call CMN for info on that.
SONG: "THREE LITTLE BIRDS" by Bob Marley you know---every little things gonna be all right...
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WHISTLING
SONGS:
A Whistler's Suite" by Linda Spavecek - 2 part choir---sheetmusicplus.com
"Penny Whistle" by our own Teresa Jennings (The kids heard it, sang it for the first time today and all I heard was "Can we do it again?" and this from a class I can NEVER please, thank you thank you thank you.
"Whistle a Happy Tune" Rodgers & Hammerstein
"Whistle While you Work"
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WITCHES
See also file #18 HOLIDAYS/Halloween
--------------------
SONG:
1. I ONLY FLY AT NIGHT- from Round the Seasons by Elizabeth Gilpatrick
If you want to fly with me you better hold on tight!
I zip and zoom across the room , I only fly at night!
On any bright October day, I sleep the sunlit hours away
Until it's time for me to play, When the moon is bright so.....
If you want to fly with me you better hold on tight
At night...at night....I only fly at night!!!
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CHANT: HEY HOW FOR HALLOWEEN- chant to be overlapped over ostinato broom beat--- form: A B AB C BC
ABCA:, all the witches to be seen, some are black, and some are green, Hey How for Halloween----------
on everywhere,
There're(gasp) broomsticks witches everywhere, Witches B.> Witches on broomsticks (gasp) they're everywhere, witches on broomsticks (gasp) they're everywhere
C. LOOK! Quickly! There's one of them N-----o-----w
LOOK! Quickly! There's one of them N-----o----w
LOOK! Quickly There's one of them N-----o----w
LOOK! Quickly! There's one of them N-----o----w
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3. GYPSY SONG (Johann von Goethe) from Diane Ladendecker's HOLIDAYS and HOLY DAYS
In the drizzly mist in the high piled snow on a chilly night as I turned to ago--I heard the wolves with their lonely howl, I heard the piercing voice of an o---w-----l----
VEETA VOW VOW VOW VEETA VO VO VO VEETA V------O------H
That night I found a cat in the ditch, the big black cat of Anna the witch And then I saw the witches fly down there were seven of them from out of t---o---w---n----
VEETA VOW VOW VOW VEETA VO VO VO VEETA V------O------H
I knew them all make no mistake, there were Anna, Ursula, Eve, and Kate And Jane and Lizzy and Beth as well, they formed a ring and began to Y-----E------L-----L-----
VEETA VOW VOW VOW VEETA VO VO VO VEETA V------O------H
I called their names when I caught my breath,"I know you Anna I know you Beth!" At hearing my voice they started to sway, then howling screeching they flew A-----W------A-------Y!
VEETA VOW VOW VOW VEETA VO VO VO VEETA V------O------H
(This one is really good to choreograph some witchy dancing to on the chorus part. I did some Orff accompaniment to this too. The sounds bring it to "spooky-life". We struck empty detergent bottles with paint rollers periodically. If you like this one, I could send you the accompaniment we did through snail mail!)
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ZOO
01/16 PARODY (She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain) by Suzy Gazlay
http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/songs/songs.htm
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