Say, Say O Playmate

So, I've been on Winter Break for two days and have been spending tons of time with my own two lovelies.  It's been a lot of fun: yesterday we made "Mickey Mouse shaped" pizzas for lunch and we went to a place called "Monkey Business" yesterday with two friends from Noah's class; today we spent time with an uncle that just got into town.  And all the while I've had this song stuck in my head:

I love it, and it's great with older students.  You can isolate low ti at the end and if you're kids are really advanced you can talk about the altered tone (that fun Gb).  AND it's got a fun and challenging hand-clapping pattern.  Since I'm a visual person I had to write the whole thing out.  Here it is and it's performed with a partner:

If you want to challenge your kiddos, have then perform it with their partner in concentric circles and have them step left on the  "cross-down" to change partners (similar to "Cross Town").

I won't be posting much in the next couple of weeks, I'm going to try to actually take a "break" from school work, we'll see how that goes!  In the meantime, I have posted a bunch of rhythm flashcards on my Teachers Pay Teachers store and will have a post in a couple weeks about fun games to use with them.

Have a wonderful holiday season everyone!

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Jolly Old St. Nicholas

As of tomorrow I am officially on Winter Break (a.k.a. Christmas break!!!). My choir does have a community performance tomorrow night and I'm excited for them to sing but more importantly, I'm looking forward to spending some time with my 2 year old and 5 year old!   Because of this, here's my last Christmas PowerPoint for this year.  It's a freebie on my Teachers Pay Teachers store!!!  You can download it by clicking here:  Jolly Old St. Nicholas.

Here's the tune, I'm sure you know it well:

Here are the lyric slides:

I used it with my 2nd graders for half-note practice and they read these slides:

Again, in my 2nd year at my school we're behind and my 5th graders haven't presented ti yet, but some day we'll read these slides:

And here's a worksheet that I will use next year with my 2nd graders for 2/4 meter. . .. (this was a late inspiration from my friend, Loretta):

Hope you have a GREAT week everyone!!!

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Labadu

This is a favorite of mine that I learned it from Sue Leithold-Bowcock.  If you search it, you can find some fun videos of people performing it; I found one video of it being sung at a wedding, one of someone using it in their classroom with their kiddos, one of a group of adults singing it with a guitar player in the middle, etc..  I must admit: I don't know the origin. I'm assuming Polish but please don't quote me!  If you know the source, please share!

The kids love this one and it really makes them step outside their comfort zone.  That being said, the more you know your kids and the more comfortable and willing to take risks they are the more fun the dance.  This is a GREAT song for low ti and teaching cadences.

Translation: We shall dance the Labadu (nonsense word).

Directions:

Each repetition of the song you circle first to the left and then to the right. Each time you hold hands a different way:

Holding hands normally

Hands touching each others' shoulders

Hands on neighbors' ankles

Hands touching neighbors' ears

Hands touching neighbors' noses

Hands through arms (linking arms)

One arm reaching back through the legs, the other holding the hand of the person in front of you (like an elephant parade)

Hands through arms, seated, moving on bottoms

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Epo I Tai Tai

Epo I Tai Tai is one of my favorite "syn-co-pa" songs to use with 4th grade.  I introduce it with a hand clapping game that goes like this:

 I introduce it with a hand clapping game that goes like this:

1. Have the students listen for the longest sound as you sing the song. ("e")
2. Have them count how many times "e" occurs.
3. Every time they hear "e" have them perform this following pattern: right hand (in the air, mocking patting a partner's hand), clap both hands, left hand (same as with right: up, tapping phantom partner), clap
4. Have them listen for how many times "Epo i tai tai" happens while they perform the patter for "e".  This is tricky, a lot of times they will say five (they'll count epo i tuki tuki)
5. Add pat-pat-clap-clap on "Epo i Tai Tai"
6. Have them count how many times "epo i tuki tuki" happens
7. Add pat-pat-both (patting both of phantom partner's hands)-both
8. We will sing it a few times more practicing the pattern but that's all I do with it the first day.
9. The next lesson we will review the pattern and add having a partner
10. Eventually, they will be in concentric circles, facing their partners performing the pattern.  After they are successful with the pattern I will start calling "left" or "right" at the end of the 1st, 2nd or 4th phrase.  This is A LOT of fun!

Pedagogically, I use this to prepare and practice "syn-co-pa" or single eighth note-quarter note-single eighth note.

When we are practicing we will read and clap the rhythm of the first slide of the following powerpoint. We will derive where ties need to be inserted to make the rhythm match the song and then they will read the second slide with the ties inserted:

Once we have presented syn-co-pa, we will read this slide on rhythm syllables:

In 5th grade, once we have presented low ti and are practicing this element we will sing this mystery song and then play the game:

 

Here are some other activity ideas:

Sitting circle on the floor

body percussion:

pat pat clap clap snap snap snap snap (repeat)

pat pat clap clap pat pat head head

pat pat clap clap snap snap snap snap

When students are proficient with the body percussion, have them perform the pattern using rhythm sticks. The pattern is:

Floor, floor, cross, cross, out, out , out, out (repeat)

Floor, floor, cross, cross, floor, floor, up, up

Floor, floor, cross, cross, out, out, out, out

Cross = tap sticks together

Out = tap your sticks with your neighbors sticks to your right and left at the same time.

Up = pulse sticks holding them straight up for 4 beats.

When your students are proficient at doing this, have them practice flipping their sticks in 2 beats. Say, “flip, catch”. This movement replaces the “up” done on the first tuki-tuki.

Challenge:

Have students sit in 2 concentric circles so they face a partner. Instead of “flip, catch”, change it to “toss, catch” and they toss their sticks and catch their partners sticks.

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