Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Curriculum Mapping--Parent/Language Involvement

Around the first week of school, send home a syllabus for parents to see what skills their students will learn this year. ALSO include that each student will be the music class leader at least once in which they will be in charge of the Language Greeting, teaching us an easy song or game in their language, and making a display/poster which celebrates the music from their country (local instruments, famous musicians). Parents are more than welcome to accompany their students on this day to enjoy the fun!

August 20-31st No one
September: No One (everyone will bring poster about themselves and country. Class talent shows.)
October: English speakers: America/UK/Canada
November: Arabic students (prepare us for National Day on Dec 2nd!)
December: Spanish/Brazilian students (Is Feliz Navidad allowed? Probably not.)
January: Indian/Pakistani students
February: European (French is the language of l'amour)
March: African students
April: Asian students
May: Ramadan begins 27th ish
June: Ramadan

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Silly Songs to Sing in School!



  • Peel Banana Song
  • If All the Raindrops (guitar accompaniment & timed PPT)
  • Singing in the Rain :) 
  • Do Your Ears Hang Low?
  • B-I-N-G-O
  • For He's a Jolly Good Fellow (To the Secret Student of the day)
  • Nobody Likes Me Everybody Hates Me (Learn guitar part & make PPT) Check out video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRzhflMkGLg 
  • Wishy Washy Washer Woman 
  • Tony Chestnut
  • Body Boogie (Learning Station Pre-K through Year 4)
  • Body Bop (Learning Station Pre-K Year 1)
  • Tarzan Song (Learning Station Pre-K and K)
  • Move and Freeze (Learning Station Prek-K through Year 2)
  • Get Funky (Learning Station Pre-K through Year 2)
  • Down By the Bay (Rhyming Words. No movements, just silly words).
  • I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas (Rhyming Words. No movements, just silly words).
  • John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt (Year 3-4)
  • Boom Chicka Boom (Call and Response Camp Song)
  • More Songs on this website http://www.songsforteaching.com/sillysongs/ 
Fun/Silly Dances:
  • Hokey Pokey
  • Macarena
  • Drive the Bus
  • Anything from Koo Koo Kangaroo station on gonoodle.com
Books with Silly Songs:
  • On Top of Spaghetti
  • There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Partner/Group Hand-Clapping Games!

Singing/Chanting AND Clapping Games:
  • Lum Sum Sum (Whole Group Ice Breaker)
  • Ram Sam Sam (Similar to Lum Sum Sum but singing)
  • Up the Ladder Down the Ladder (Whole Group Get to Know You)
  • I Let Her Go Go (Rotating Partner)
  • Sasha (Partner)
  • One Legged Sailor (Partner)
  • Four White Horses (Groups of 4)
  • Jan Kan Pon Yo (Japanese Rock Paper Scissors Partner Game)
  • Hot Cross Buns Hand Clapping Game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN_53kogwfw&feature=share (Rotating Partner)
  • Head and Shoulders Baby (Partner)
  • It's Not Hard I Tell You So (Group)
  • Dr. Knickerbocker (Group but could try partner hand-clapping!)
Clapping and Thinking Games:
  • Ta Ti-Ti Circle Game (Ta moves to the right, Ti-Ti switches direction like an Uno Reverse Card. Have to keep a steady beat. Challenge Ti-ssippi skips a person.)
  • Modified Ta Ti-Ti Circle Game (Pass the same rhythm in a circle while keeping the beat. For instance Ta Ta Ti-Ti Ta is passed on person at a time to complete the rhythm without losing beat.
Ones I Have not Tried Yet that should work:
  • Patty Cake (Pre-K and K)
  • Double Double This This
  • Down Down Baby (Mama called the doctor version. Year 3-4)
  • Miss Mary Mack (Year 2. Maybe some boys will be too cool for this in older grades)
  • Say Say My Playmate (Tricky!! Maybe have one girly verse and one dragon verse (see this website: http://icebreakerideas.com/hand-clapping-games/ 
  • A Sailor Went to Sea Sea Sea (Good for any age starting out hand-clapping)
  • Lemonade Crunchy Ice (Year 1-3)