Witch Witch

I'm sad to report that this is another one of those songs that "I just don't remember where I learned it."  I know a lot of people sing "Old Mother Witch".  That one goes like this: 

But the version I know (and prefer) goes like this:

The main reason I prefer this version is that it includes solo singing.  It's a great way for me to assess their solo singing in a non-threatening way (anytime you use a game to assess singing, the kids feel safer and to be honest, most of the time they don't even realized they're being assessed!)

Here's the game:
Formation:  circle (standing or seated. . . side note: I've found that standing circles tend to "migrate" so I usually do this sitting) with one character, the "witch," standing in the middle
Action:  The "witch" in the middle acts out "falling in a ditch" and picking up a penny.  I used to use a real penny but then I printed out big penny via clip art that I found online.  The witch then sings four times "Are you my children?"  The class, the first three times, responds "Yes, we're your children" and the third time respond, "no you crazy old witch."

Now, I'll be the first to tell you that if you do this with your kiddos and you have your classroom door open you sometimes get some puzzled looks.  Articulation is key my friends, lol! ;)

My second graders had music every 4th day last year (and last year our school opened so last year was my first year with them).  This year, they again have music on a 4-day rotation.  Because of this we just got to so-mi a few weeks ago.  When I present so-mi we immediately put it on the five line staff.  (We use our hand staves, we practice numbering the lines and spaces starting at the bottom, and we have a heart-to-heart talk about note heads.  An idea that I got from Kurt Cereske is to have them place one hand horizontal on the top of their head and one hand horizontal on the bottom of their chin, thus making their own head a "space note".  Then, putting their hands, horizontally, on each side of their head by their ears makes their own head a "line note")

When my husband and I started dating some 11+ years ago my mother-in-law gave me these really cute little witch heads made out of wood.  I don't know where she got them and they have sat in my closet for years (remember I'm a manipulative freak and I get things and figure out how to use them later).  That was until this year when I decided to put magnets on the back of them.  See how the witchs' heads fit perfectly in the spaces of my staff!! :

Here's one of my cuties adding a note to the first phrase.  Notice how he's carefully looking it over. . .he knows some thing's not correct:

And he found it and fixed it:

Here's my next cutie adding the final note:

And there you have it, a little "Witch Witch" to start your weekend.  Remember, watch that articulation as people pass your door, lol!