CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Ten on the Sled
Written by Kim Norman
Illustrated by Liza Woodruff
ISBN: 978-1-4027-7076-0

The adorable winter story can be easily sung to the melody of "Ten in the Bed" with little adaptation.

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

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CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

The Scarecrow's Dance
Written by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
ISBN: 978-1-4169-3770-8

This beautifully illustrated story tells the tale of a scarecrow who slips off his post one evening to frolic around the farm.  The story does include a strong inspirational message as the scarecrow observes a small boys prayers, but these pages can be omitted in sharing if necessary.

The story is told in rhyme and can be sung to an adapted melody of "Ghost of John."  Read through the book a few times as there are a few adjustments in the rhythm pattern of the words that will be needed to sing to the familiar melody.  Sing the first 4-line stanza to the words, "Have you seen the ghost of John? Long white bones with the skin all on."  The "oooo" pattern from "Ghost of John" is still included as it connects the first and second 4-line stanza on each page.  The second 4-line stanza is sung to the melody pattern of "wouldn't it be chilly with no skin on."  This last melody line of "Ghost of John" must be sung twice so that the second 4-line stanza can be sung.

Here is the Amazon link for this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Scarecrows-Dance-Jane-Yolen/dp/1416937706/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320166348&sr=8-1

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

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STEADY BEAT - RHYTHM BLOCKS

Create rhythm blocks to use with children's book, I'm Coming to Get You by Tony Ross.  Each time the monster shouts, "I'm coming to get you!" children roll out the blocks and say/play the rhythms.  These blocks should include simply one-beat words "I will get you" and 4 quarter rests to reinforce ta rest.

MELODY - MELODY BLOCKS

This week, I want to focus on new-note do.  I also wanted an manipulative that I could use in upper grades to reinforce chord structure.  Purchase wooden blocks at your local craft store.  The 1" size are probably the best to work with.  Some craft stores sell them in bags of 12 or 24.

For primary grades, write do, mi, and sol on the side of the cubes 2 times -- this will give you a pitch on all 6 sides of the cube.  Have chidlren create simple melody lines to create an interlude to familiar Level 1 singing games to reinforce new-note do.

For upper grades, write do, re, mi, fa, sol and la on each side of the cube.  Ask children to create a simple 4-beat or 8-beat measure with the blocks.  Reinfoce Tonic (I) chords by asking children stack the cubes 3 high to create chords on all do blocks.  Challenge chidlren to play their melodies.  Use a dulcimer or autoharp to play the I chord when it is found in the melody.

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Welcome back!  I hope to have a great new ideas for your classroom posted shortly.

NEW IDEAS COMING SOON -- AUGUST 2011

Be sure to come back to visit soon!  I will be posting all new ideas beginning August 2011.  Until then, have a safe and restful summer.

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CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

The Night Before Summer Vacation
Written by Natasha Wing
Illustrated by Julie Durrell
ISBN: 978-0448-42830-7
This book is a wonderful story about the excitement and wonderful traditions associated with summer and the end of school. Each page includes a 4-line verse that can be adaptedly sung to the tune of the familiar folk melody "Cindy." Read through the story once before sharing with the class as the rhythm of words may need to be slightly adjusted to fit the familiar tune.

In the traditional refrain, "Get along home, Cindy, Cindy," invite the children to sing the following summer refrain:

Summer Time! Summer Time!
Summer Time! I love the summer time!

There is also another title -- "The Night Before Summer Camp" that children may enjoy reading as well.  Change the response to "Summer Camp! Summer Camp! Summer Camp!  I love summer camp!"

Finally, the book selection can also be sung to the melody of the folk song "Clementine."

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

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STEADY BEAT - RHYTHM EGGS

Let's expand the Easter Egg experience from last week.  This week, take the eggs and add quarter notes and eighth notes to each egg.  Place the eggs in the basket.  As you read the story 10 Easter Egg Hunters, children will pull one egg out of the basket after each 4-line stanza and clap the rhythm pattern found on the egg after reading the repeated phrase "___ egg."  Each time another egg is found, an additional beat is added to the response.  For example, after the third egg is read, the children respond, "Three eggs," and then play the 3 beats found on the eggs.

Extension:  Have the children play the rhythm colors of the eggs pictured in the story after each stanza.  For instance, after the first egg is found, the picture shows a green egg.  The children would respond, "One egg.  Green."  After the second egg is found, they respond, "Two eggs.  Green!  Blue!"  The game continues as additional eggs are found and the response continues to grow sequentially.

MELODY - SOLFEGE EGGS

With Easter just around the corner, I thought it might be fun to provide another activity using all of those wonderful, "what do I do with them?" plastic easter eggs.  This is a simple activity, in that you simply purchase a bag of the plastic easter eggs and seperate the tops and bottoms.

Use a file folder and place tape lines (only 1 line for sol-mi activities) to represent the staff.  Have students create a B Section to an Easter or Spring song.  As children sing the song (A Section), move the eagg tops and bottoms above or below the line to create a sol-mi melody.

Extension 1:  Use more tape lines to create advanced B Section options.  For example, 2 lines could be used for mi-re-do activities.  I usually only use 1-line, 3-line and 5-line file folders.

Extension 2:  Use file folders and mini-eggs to create learning center activities.  Place the file folders (with tape lines) and mini-eggs in a learning center.  Have a collection of sentence strips cut to 6".  On each of the sentence strips, write solfege patterns using letters.  Example - s-m-l or s-m-d or d-r-m.  Have the children work in groups of 2.  Student 1 will draw a card and place the mini-eggs on the file folder lines.  Student 2 will sing the solfege pattern created with the mini-eggs.  Student 1 can assess Student 2 as the child's singing should match the sentence strip card.

STEADY BEAT - RHYTHM CARROTS

With Easter around the corner, I thought that an assessment of rhythm skills and time signature with a fun Easter theme might be engaging.  Purchase affordable Easter baskets, plastic or wooden carrots, and a wooded box at your local craft store.  If you can't find wooden carrots, use empty seed packets after you have planted carrots in your garden.  :)  I found felt baskets at Michael's for $1 each in a variety of colors.  You will also need sentence strip pieces (mine are 6") so that children can write the rhythm patterns they create to turn in at the end of the activity.

The wooden box will become your "garden" area.  Paint the wooden carrots and write a different rhythmic pattern on each carrot -- each carrot should equal 1 beat.  Example - 1 quarter note, 2 eighth notes.  Place the carrots in the "garden" box.  Affix time signatures on each basket.  Have children place carrots in each basket.  The rhythms of the carrots must add up to equal the number of beats indicated in the time signature.  For example, the basket with a time signature of 3/4 would have 3 carrots with a quarter note on each or 2 carrots with quarter notes on each and one carrot with 2 eighth notes.

After carrots have been put into the baskets, have children write the rhythm patterns in each basket on an assessment "menu" for their carrot dinner special.  This will have them writing rhythms and give you an opportunity to collect and assess their understanding of time signature.

Extension:  Add more complex rhythms for upper grades.  Change time signatures on baskets for more rhythm experiences.

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

If You're Hoppy
Written by April Pulley Sayre
Illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic

This is a wonderful Easter adaptation of "If You're Happy and You Know It."  But watch out, you may find yourself happy as a bird, a frog, a cricket, or dog - or even a bunny!

Enjoy the story and keep singing!

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CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

It's St. Patrick's Day!
Written by Rebecca Gomez
Illustrated by Mary Morgan
ISBN: 978-0-439-44160-5

Read the story (each verse told in rhyme) to the children inviting them to repeat the 1st phrase twice at the end of each 4-phrase passage.  Example:  "It's St. Patrick's Day!" (clap clap - 2 eighth notes) - "It's St. Patrick's Day!" (clap - quarter note)

The second time the story is retold, it can be sung to the melody of "The Grand Old Duke of York."  Add a simple rhythmic ostinato pattern after 2 4-phrase passages.

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

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CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Ten Grouchy Groundhogs
Written by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook
Illustrated by Jay Johnson
ISBN: 978-0-545-13414-9

Read the story (each verse told in rhyme) to the children inviting them to repeat the 4th phrase with a patting and clapping response (see Blog Activity 1-22-11).  The second time the story is retold, it can be sung to the melody of "One Little Elephant."

When each groundhog has left the den, and you have read or sung "out, out, out!", have the childen repeat "out, out, out!" on a s-m-d pattern.  Use solfege buttons to cue the children.

Extension:  Once the children are able to sing s-m-d on cue, change the solfege response to create different melody pattern responses each time.
The story can also be sung to the melody of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and adapted to "The Bear Went Over the Mountain."

Enjoy the story and keep singing. :)

MELODY - SOLFEGE T-SHIRTS - PREPARING 'DO'

I purchased T-shirt patterns from my local teacher store -- though you will need only 10 t-shirt patterns.  On each of the t-shirt patterns I wrote a 3-note s-m-d pattern.  Be careful to space them apart so that you don't create a chord triad.  Laminate and place magnets on the back of each t-shirt pattern.

At this time of year, I like using the story "Ten Grouchy Groundhogs,"  because it is a great retelling of "Ten in the Bed."  Each groundhog is represented in an 8-line stanza (or 2 4-line stanzas).  The first 4-line stanza ends with "then...then...then" while the second 4-line stanza ends with "out, out, out!"  After reading all four lines of the first stanza, invite the children to repeat the 4th line "then...then...then" while playing a pat-pat-pat on their legs to what the words say.  After reading all four lines of the second stanza, invite the children  to repeat the 4th line "out, out, out!" while playing a clap-clap-clap pattern to what the words say.

To prepare an opporunity to read s-m-d patterns, I created an additional poem.  The following poem is spoken after each groundhog leaves the den:



"So up, up, up the ladder
It didn't take too long
To see the light of the noon-day sun
and the T-shirt melody song."

Then using the familiar tune to the words, ". . . shave and a haircut, two bits" -- have the children sing "Let's hang the t-shirt . . . on the line."  After singing this little melody, have children sing the s-m-d pattern they see of the t-shirt added to the clothes line.  (Of course you can remind the children that the t-shirts are hanging on the line because they were washed after the little groundhog climbed up the ladder out of the den through the roots, vines, and dirt.)  As you add more t-shirts to the line, you will create longer s-m-d patterns to sing.

Mix up the t-shirt patterns and retell the story with a new "t-shirt" melody.

Extension 1:  Create a KWL Chart -- BEFORE:  What do you know about groundhogs?  PREPARE:  What would you like to know about groundhogs?  AFTER:  What did you learn about groundhogs?

Extension 2:  Language Arts - Have children identify all of the verbs they find in the story.  (These actions words are found in the first 4-line phrases of the story.)  Invite the children to play a hand drum after they hear each adverb.

Extension 3:  Language Arts - Have children identify all of the adjectives they find in the story.  (These are mostly words found describing the groundhogs.)  Invite the children to play a triangle after they hear each adjective.

Have fun with this wonderful groundhog story as Feb 2 - GROUNDHOG DAY - will be here sooner than we realize. Let's hope that there's no shadow! :)

STEADY BEAT - RHYTHM FOOTPRINTS - PREPARING HALF NOTE

I wanted to continue with The Snowy Day since I know that many of you like to use a book more than once -- or have more than one activity with a book.  So this week, I am adding a steady beat activity.

In the story, when Peter goes out into the snow, the snow ostinato is "crunch, crunch, crunch."  Add a 4th "crunch" to have a full 4-beat measure ostinato.  You can use 4 footprint outlines and write one quarter note on each (see last week's entry for ideas about creating footprints).  As you read the story, invite one child to tap on the posted footprints while the rest of the class plays the rhythm pattern of the ostinato (ta-ta-ta-ta) on a non-pitched instrument.  Use bar instruments in pentatonic for a more melodic winter response.

Extension 1:  Write a different rhythm pattern on each footprint.  Remember that each footprint is only one beat.  Mix the footprints up to create different rhythmic sentences.

Extension 2:  Have the children trace both feet and cut them out -- this gives you matching footprints.  Have the children write a quarter note on each of their footprints and mix them in a pile with other footprints.  Ask them to re-match.  Tie string on the footprints and ask the children to "tie" their shoes together.  Place the footprints in 4-beat (4 footprints) or 8-beat (8 footprints) patterns.  Place each child's footprints beside their matching footprint so that they can be "tied" together (or "tied" together at a later time).  If they tie their shoes together, explain that they will only play the first of their footprints and not the second.  This is a great opportunity to PREPARE half note.  In a later lesson, you can place YOUR footprint, which is obviously much larger, on top of their footprints.  Each of your footprints must have a half note written on each of them.  One of your footprints should cover two of theirs.  By showing their footprint under yours, they can visually see that your footprint (the half note) receives 2 full beats.

MELODY - SOLFEGE FOOTPRINTS

For a fun winter activity, I picked up some die-cut patterns of footprints at my local teacher store.  You can find die-cut shapes of feet as well as shoe foot prints.  Since it's winter, I'm using the shoe foot prints (an outline of the bottom of shoes) -- it might be too cold to walk around barefoot.  LOL  You can also simplify the activity by using construction paper and having the children trace around their own shoes.  This would give the activity more personality and individual ownership as each child proudly recognizes their own shoe outline.  Allow the children to use different colors of construction paper to represent the shoe they are tracing.

After Peter finishing his breakfast, he puts on his snowsuit and goes outside.  His feet sink into the snow.  The story uses the words "crunch, crunch, crunch."  Place the shoe prints on the board to create simply sol-mi-do patterns.  Play a simple chord bordun on the BX as children sing the different shoe patterns.  Each time Peter walks, have the children sing his footsteps.  Change the location of the die-cut patterns to create different melody patterns.

Extension 1:  Add another "crunch" to begin preparing re.

Extention 2:  Add the folk song "Winter Weather" to the song.  I like using this song since the first 2 verses include a sol-mi-re-do pattern.  Have the children decide where they would like to sing the song as the story is told.  Have them discuss different "winter" words to create new verses to the song.

Extension 3:  Adapt the folk song "I Don't Care if the Rain Comes Down" to "I Don't Care if the Snow Comes Down."  Use this as an opening or closing song selection to tell the story.  While I have traditionally used this song selection in Spring, I have to thank Liza for posting a movement activity in her blog to this song as it prompted me to think of a new way to use the familiar song for winter.  Be sure to check our Liza Meyer's Music Blog (a link is found on the left side of my home page) for the movement suggestions.  Thanks Liza!  :)

STEADY BEAT - WINTER RHYTHM CUBES

Be sure to check out "Let it Snow" from Dec 25 2010 -- Books to Sing.

I picked up 2" wooden cubes at my local crafts store and painted them white.  These cubes are a bit more expensive but the size makes them much more engaging to roll and play with.  However, you can also purchase smaller bags of 1" cubes for about $3.  On each of the painted cubes, I used a black marker to create simple stick notation on each of the 6 sides of the cubes.  Since I plan on using this with lower grade levels, I used quarter note, eighth note and quarter rests.  I put 2 of each on each cube.  I also purchased a plastic cup and placed snowflake stickers on it to create a winter "shaker" cup for the 1" cubes that I created.  A larger bucket or basket can be used for the larger cubes.

After reading through (or singing) the story, the children find the repeated phrase, "But then . . . "  As the children read or sing the next 2 phrases, allow a child to shake and roll the snowflake cubes out and line them up.  When the children reach the part of the story where they respond, "Let it snow!" the child with the cubes would then read and/or perform the rhythm pattern they created.

Once the rhythm performance is complete, the cubes are returned to the cup or basket and the story continues.  Have fun with this exciting winter activity.

Extension:  To make this activity engaging, create a set of cubes with winter stickers.  By chosing stickers with snowflakes and icicles, the children experience rhythms with ti-ti and tiki-ti.  I also found stickers of polar bears and penguins.  There were many other sticker options that would allow different rhythmic patterns.