MELODY - BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes, sir! Yes, sir! Three bags full.
One for my master, one for the dame,
One for the little boy who lives down the lane.

This week, my first grade students are starting to sing and create sol-mi melodies.  In a whole-class activity, I drew a line (fence) on the white board and then placed all of the sheep above the fence.  After saying the poem, "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," we sang a 3-sol melody after reciting the poem.  As we said the poem again, I moved the sheep to create a sol-sol-mi melody.  When we finished the poem, we sang the new melody.  After a few more times, I was ready for the kids to create their own melody.  So we decided that the sol-sol-mi melody was the "class song" and that you had to create something different.  (Yes, I know there are only so many patterns you can create -- but they don't care -- to them, if they make it, then it's new!)

I put a piece of masking tape down on the carpet for each child (about 6-8 inches) and gave each child 3 sheep pattern pieces.  I kept the "class melody" on the board.  I then shared with the class that we would create a 4 melody (4 phrase) song each time we said the poem.  So we said the poem, then sang the three of the student melodies and ended with the "class melody" the fourth time.  They LOVED the activity!

To complete the lesson, I gave each child a 3x5 card and 3 stickers that I have previously cut apart into little groups of 3 (that I purchased at a local teacher store).  On each of the 3x5 cards, I had drawn a black line across the middle to represent the fence.  I asked the children to "write" or copy their melody using the stickers onto the index cards so that they could take the song home to sing to their family.  I reminded them to say the poem first before singing the poem.  They walked out of class as if they were carrying the Gutenberg Bible!!!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE SHEEP SHAPES

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STEADY BEAT - BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP

After the children have learned the poem BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP, I use to poem to prepare different meters.  I do this by taking die cut pictures of sheep and putting them on sentence strips.  After they have been laminated, I can use a dry erase pen to make a bar line after every 2, 3 or 4 sheep.

Make several strips, as I'm finding that 2 kids per strip is just the right number.  For extra fun, have the children draw the bar lines after every 5 sheep.

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CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - BOOKS TO SING

Nuts to You
Written by Lois Ehlert
ISBN:  978-0-15-200002-X

Enjoy this wonderful fall selection full of "squirrly" actions and activities.  The book can be easily adapted to the melody of "I Have a Car."  However, after singing 2 verses, or 4 phrases, I add an additional section when I get to the "honk, honk" portion of the song.

Enjoy and keep singing.  Click the link below to purchase this book.

Nuts to You! By Ehlert, Lois (Google Affiliate Ad)

STEADY BEAT - APPLE TREE, APPLE TREE

Apple tree, apple tree,
Will your apple fall on me?
I won't cry and I won't shout
If your apple knocks me out!

This week's activity focuses on steady beat and audiation.  I placed 8 paper plates on the floor and asked the kids to watch as I laid a paper apple on each plate.  As I laid the apple on the plate, I said, "Yum!"  After saying the poem, I touched each plate and said, "Yum."  I asked the children to join and repeated the process.  After saying the poem and "reading" the plates a few times, I removed one of the apples from the plate.  I told them, "Someone ate the apple -- so we have to leave the "yum" out."  We repeated the activity and when we got to the silent plate, we left out the word.  Yes, there were a few that still said "yum" but they were in the moment and I could tell immediately that they realized that they should have been silent.  JOY  :)

Continue repeating the poem and removing apples until all of the apples are gone.  At another time, I have already written quarter rests on the back of each apple and will be ready to practice the quarter rest once I have presented "ta rest."

(Thanks to Jeff and Randy for the inspiration of this activity.)

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MELODY - WAY UP IN THE APPLE TREE

I use a tape line and place apples above and below the line.  Have the children sing the sol-mi pattern that is created by the apples.  While I start with a very predictable pattern (the traditional sol-mi melody for this poem), I tell children that I'm going to create my own apple tree song.  Move the apples around and sing the new melody.

Invite children to create their own apple tree song by moving apples above or below the line (improvise).  Once they have created and performed a "song" they like, provide bingo markers and ask them to write their apple song down so that you can share it with other classes (literacy).

Post as many apple songs as possible on a hall bulletin board for other children to sing.  I've had fun listening to the children stop to "sing" the songs as they pass by the board.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE APPLE SHAPES

STEADY BEAT - WAY UP IN THE APPLE TREE

Welcome Back!  Can you believe that it's already time to start another year of blogs?  :)  This year, I decided to focus on the wonderful world of nursery rhymes.  There are so many familiar -- and not so familiar -- rhymes and poems that can engage our classrooms.  Please let me know if you like the idea of having this focus for the year!  :)

Way up in the apple tree
Two little apples smiled at me
I shook that tree as hard as I could
Down came the apples ....
Mmmmm! They were good!

Use this poem to assess steady beat in those first few weeks of school with the little ones.  Invite children to show steady beat in a variety of ways like walking to the orchard (patting a steady beat on the legs), or climbing the ladder, or shaking the tree.

Have a great back-to-school week.  Enjoy the poem and keep sharing your thoughts!

SUMMER BREAK

As we move into the summer months, I can't believe that another year of posting musical manipulatives has come to an end.  Please be sure to check out last week's posting for summer reading suggestions from the reading organization, IRA.

PLEASE RETURN TO OUR SITE IN AUGUST 2012 -- THERE WILL BE MANY MORE GREAT IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE OFFER 2 PUBLICATIONS -- MUSICAL MANIPULATIVES 1 AND MUSICAL MANIPULATIVES 2.  EMAIL US AT creativemusicclassrooms@gmail.com for more information.

THOM IS ALSO WORKING ON A NEW PUBLICATION CONCEPT ADDRESSING CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN THE MUSIC CLASSROOM.  BE SURE TO WATCH FOR HIS THIRD EXCITING PUBLICATION SOON!!!

We'll be back with more activities and ideas starting in August of 2012.  Have a great summer -- and remember to review the posting for summer reading suggestions.