MELODY - GR K HIGH / LOW PATTERNS

Don't Let Pigeon Drive the Bus

Written and Illustrated by Mo Willems

ISBN: 978-0-786-81988-1

This wonderful story begins with bus pictures on the inside cover.  Invite children to sing the high/low patterns of the buses (high-low-high-low-high).

I always tell the children that the author, Mo Willems, actually wrote a bus song for us to sing.  They love the idea that there is a song to begin the story.

As you sing through the story, invite students to sing, "No way!" on s-m each time pigeon asks to drive the bus.

Once the story is complete, give each child the opportunity to create their own bus song.  I give each child a single rhythm stick and a set of 4-5 buses that have been printed, laminated and cut out.  They must place the buses above or below the rhythm stick (like traffic).  As the story is retold, I use my pigeon plush (recently bought a new one at Kohl's for only $5) to move around the circle to listen to each child's bus melody.  Children sing high/low patterns they have created.

EXTENSION:  Have children listen to the pigeon sing high low patterns and then build what they hear.  This is a very elementary example of aural melodic dictation!

Have fun with the story.

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