STEADY BEAT - SYNCOPATED PATTERNS

In this activity, I wanted to connect to another summertime reading.  I'm using the children's book Summer.  The book was written by Alice Low; illustrated by Roy McKie.

Have children play the rhythm of the first 2-line phrase, "We like the things that summer brings" with a syncopated pattern.  For example, the rhythm pattern would be:

We like the things that       sum - mer brings.
ti     ta    ti    ta      ta      I    ta       ta       ta       (r)

Have children repeat this rhythmic pattern at the beginning of the story.  Then have them repeat the syncopated pattern after 2 of the 4-line phrases throughout the story.

Extension:  To extend the rhythmic pattern, add a second line "Summer brings so many things!"  This line is taken directly from the story.

MELODY - M-R-D SUNSHINE CHIPS

This week, I wanted to create an activity that would inspire reading, singing, playing and improvising with m-r-d.  I am specifically connecting the to children's book Summer Days and Nights by Wong Herbert Yee.

Place the painter's tape across the floor or on your white board.  This will be the re line.  If you are using your white board surface, your chips will need to have a piece of magnetic strip affixed to the back.  Chips placed on top of the tape line will represent re, while notes placed above and/or below the painter's tape will represent mi and do.

The book has a similar rhythmic pattern to the familiar folk song "I Bought Me a Cat" -- so sing each 2-line phrase using the melody of the folk song.  When you get to what would be the animal portion of the song, insert "my melody went ..."  Use 3 of the chips to create a m-r-d pattern.  Have children sing the pattern that you create.

After they have successfully been able to read and sing your patterns, give each child 3 sunshine chips and a piece of painter's tape (string, yarn or even a pipe cleaner will work as well).  Have the children place the painter's tape on their table top or floor space.  This will be the re line.  Chips placed on top of the tape line will represent re, while notes placed above and/or below the painter's tape will represent mi and do.  Ask the children to create m-r-d patterns using the sunshine chips.  Repeat the story as above, allowing a different child to sing his/her pattern each time you complete a 2-line phrase.

Extension:  Have the children begin to read the sequence of m-r-d patterns created by classmates.  Much like the sequence of animals in the folk song story, children will sing a collection of m-r-d patterns that have been created, adding one new pattern each time.

STEADY BEAT - DIVIDED BEAT SUNSHINE CHIPS

In this activity, I wanted to work with divided beat.  I purchased plastic chips (wooden disks would work as well) and sunshine stickers.  Place a sunshine on each sticker.

After having the children find partners, give each group a set of 8 chips (with affixed stickers) and a sentence strip (or a long piece of paper 3"x12") or wooden paint stick.  Write 8 quarter rests on the strip.  I usually place a green line at the far left and a red double bar line at the far right.  Have the children place a sunshine chip on each quarter rest.  For easy storage, consider hook-n-loop along the bottom of the stick and on the back of each chip for easier storage.

As you read a summertime story (Example:  Summer Days and Nights by Wong Herbert Yee), have the children touch as say the word "sunshine" after each 4-line phrase.  After completing the story, repeat the story asking children to remove 1 sunshine each time a 4-line phrase is completed.  When the read their "sunshine" line, invite them to say the words "sunshine" and "rest" when they touch the sticker chip and quarter rests respectively.

For an extension, repeat the activity above asking children to say and clap what the words say.  Finally, invite children to only play their "sunshine" lines -- reinforcing their divided-beat experiences.  As you read, take turns inviting different groups to read, say/play or play their "sunshine" lines.

Extension:  Add additional chips with moon stickers to create a beat, divided beat, rest activity.

Click the link below to to purchase the sunshine stickers from Teacher Storehouse.

120 Sunshine Stickers for $1.99

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Raindrop, Plop!
Written by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
Illustrated by Pam Paparone
ISBN: 978-0-670-03620-X

Begin with a yellow hat, a red raincoat and a special dog.  Then add one little raindrop at a time until there are so many that you must run, run run.  This enchanting springtime story takes us on a journey of the many things a little girl and her dog encounter on a rainy walk.  The language of the story can be adapted to sing to the familiar folk melody of "Chicken on a Fence Post."

Between each 4-line stanza, invite children to sing the song "Rain, Rain, Go Away!" to create a B Section or refrain between verses.  When you begin singing about the eighth raindrop, you will find that there are only words for 3 of the 4 lines -- so after singing "too many raindrops run, run, run . . . " invite children to play the following pattern on xylophones - l s m r d d d.  Invite children to create words for the descending l-d  melody or simply sing the title of the song as they play.  For example, "Raindrop, Raindrop, Raindrop, Plop!"

Enjoy the story and keep singing!

MELODY - IMPROVISATION RAIN DROPS

April showers come to life in this activity.  After the first page, ask children to sing a simple sol-mi arrangement of "Rain, Rain, Go Away."

Before the book is shared a second time, cut out patterns of rain drops.  I found precut raindrops at my local teacher store.  Laminate and place magnets on the back to create a magnetic white board manipulative.  When presenting the book a second time, place a long piece (at least 12" to 18") of blue painters' tape on the magnetic white board or on the floor.  Have children place 8 rain drops above or below the line to create a sol-mi melody.  This time, sing the folk song as an A Section, inviting children to sing the created sol-mi pattern as a B Section.  Repeat the A Section to complete an A-B-A song.

Form:
A Section - Rain, rain, go away.  Little children want to play.
B Section - Sing sol-mi pattern created by 8 raindrops above or below the tape line.
A Section - Rain, rain, go away.  Come again another day.

EXTENSION 1:  Prepare bar instruments in C pentatonic.  Invite children to play any pentatonic note each time they hear the word "rain" as the story is told.

EXTENSION 2: Invite children to find a partner.  Working with a partner, write down a new sol-mi melody.  Provide an opportunity to practice the new melody on bar instruments.  Have children exchange the new melodies and play them as the story is told.  Children will enjoy hearing their classmates playing their melody patterns.

EXTENSION 3:  This is a great story to prepare a listening activity of The Moldau by Smetana as the story starts with a drip, drop, splash that eventually travels from a puddle into a pond, a brook, a lake, and a river until it finally reaches the sea.  As you tell the story, invite children to choose non-pitched percussion instruments to play each time they hear the words "drip," "drop," and "splash."  My children used a finger cymbal, triangle and smaller hand cymbal to represent the dynamic growth from "drip" to "splash."

STEADY BEAT - RHYTHM SEED PACKS

This week, I'm reflecting back on a wonderful session I saw at a national Orff conference.  With apologies to the young lady that presented (since I don't remember her name) -- I give credit to her for sharing the book Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert as it inspired my activity.

I recently found that with the new spring, lots of local shops have flower seed packets available for very affordable prices.  I purchased several different flower seed packets -- each seed packet having a different rhythmic value.  For example, rose = quarter note, iris = eighth notes, etc.

After removing the seeds, some of which I planted, I laminated the packets with the rhythmic values printed and affixed to the back of the packet before laminating.  After reading the story, ask children to create a "garden of rhythmic flowers" to be spoken and/or performed in a B section of a piece like "Chain, Chain, Daisy Chain" or "All Around the Buttercups."

Extension:  Add different flower seed packets with more difficult rhythmic names to increase difficulty levels.

Assessment:  Have children create rhythmic flower lines and write the rhythmic notation without turning the packets over.  Once complete, turn the "sentences" over to self-assess work.

MELODY