STEADY BEAT - ITSY BITSY SPIDER

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the land
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

While my little ones have been enjoying the poems and rhymes of the season, my upper grades have been looking at the primary bulletin boards and reciting the poems as they enter and leave class.  So with an opportunity waiting to reinforce nursery rhyme and body percussion, I decided to use a body percussion activity to review and move to some of the basic rhythm patterns we have learned.

Here are a two things we have done with the poem:

ACTIVITY 1:
1.  After saying each line, add body percussion indicated.
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Stomp 4 times.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Pat 4 times.
Out came the sun and dried up all the land
Clap 4 times.
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.
Snap 4 times.

2.  Repeat the poem, but only performing body percussion 2 times after each line.
Example:
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Stomp 2 times.

3.  Repeat the poem, but only perform a single body percussion after each line.
Example:
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Stomp 1 times.

Add this idea to create a CODA: Go up and back down the body percussion 1 time:
L Stomp, pat, clap, L snap, R snap, clap, pat, R stomp.


ACTIVITY 2:
1.  While saying each line, add body percussion indicated at the same time.
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Stomp 4 times; Pat 4 times.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Clap 4 times; Snap 4 times.
Out came the sun and dried up all the land
Stomp 2 times; Pat 2 times; Clap 2 times; Snap 2 times.
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

CODA: Go up and back down the body percussion 1 time:
Snap with both hands, clap, pat, stomp L, stomp R, pat, clap, snap both hands.


EXTENSION:
The kids changed the coda to have the last 2 snaps perform on the last beat of a 4-beat sixteenth of 7 and the 8.  Here's how they were counting it:
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6  - 7 - a-8


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