Making Music Memories: What's Happening Wednesday

Here is a glimpse into my week:
Kindergarten
This week Kindergarten is focusing on their five different voices. (Of course we still keep the beat so we have something else to DO) The voices we focus on in music are singing, humming, whispering, calling, and speaking voice. I start out the lessons by using my different voices and having students echo. This helps them hear the voices and also gives them a chance to practice each voice.

All the songs we sing this week I'll be using the different voices for. For example we will start with just chanting Chop, Chop, Chippity Chop. Then I'll have a student pick a different voice and we will use that voice for the same song. For example if they say calling voice we will then call the whole chant. They have a lot of fun wtih this.

For She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain they will change the way the say the different sound effects. For example instead of just saying "Yum Yum!" After "We'll all have chicken and dumplings when she comes" they may choose to whisper "yum! yum!"

Songs we are singing in Kindergarten this week:

The More We Get Together
Echoing (This is my speaking, calling, whispering, humming, or singing voice)
Chop, Chop Chippity Chop
She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain
Frog in the Meadow
Engine, Engine Number Nine

1st Grade
First grade is still doing a lot of review of beat in preparation for rhythm. I'm choosing different students to come up to the board and keep the beat to several different 1st grade songs. Along with this we have several games we are playing to keep the beat.

-- Games --
Lucy Locket - Students form a circle on the floor with room around the entire circle. One student who is 'it' walks around the circle to the beat while the rest of the students pat the beat on their laps. When the song is over the 'it' drops the pocket (or object representing the pocket) in the lap of a student nearby. That student picks up the pocket and chases the student around the circle. (I'm not allowed to let them run, so they walk very quickly) If the student with the pocket catches the 'it' person they get to go back to their original place. If not, they become 'it' and the student who was 'it' takes a place in the circle. Then continue on.

Bee, Bee Bumblebee - Students sit in a circle and pass the bee (or object representing a bee) to their right on the beat. Whoever ends up with the bee on out has to leave the circle and grab a rhythm instrument. They become the beat keepers and keep a steady beat while the game continues.
(I have to give Lindsay Jervis credit for the rhythm instrument idea. I had played this game before, but didn't have anything for the kids to do when they got out so this game became a nightmare and I gave up on it. I tried it with students playing the instruments and not only did it give them something to do, but students weren't passing the bee so fast because they didn't mind if they were in the circle or not.)

Apple Tree - Students stand in a circle. One student (or you as the teacher) stands with their arms extended (almost like you are forming a bridge with an imaginary student) over the circle. Students start singing and walking to the beat. At the end of the song the 'tree arms' fall down taking one student 'out'. That student helps form a bridge with the original tree. As students get out start to form more 'trees' around the circle until all students are trees or you run out of time.
(Note: I like this game and my students request it ALL the time. The only problem is I do have a lot of students that don't follow the rules. Some want to become a tree so they purposely walk really slowly or take small steps and some don't want to be so they speed through the trees.)

William He Had Seven Sons - One student is the leader. They sit in a chair in the front of the room and keep a steady beat however they choose to. Students in their chairs follow the leader keeping the beat the same way. Student who is leading can choose one way to keep the beat or mix it up, just as long as they stay on the beat.
(The first time I play this I normally encourage them to have only one way, but once we get good at it they can pick more)

Songs we are singing in 1st Grade this week:

2nd Grade
2nd grade is almost ready to learn about the half note. They are singing several songs with both half notes and whole notes. Next week we will actually learn about the half note and put it into some of these songs we have been singing. To prepare, this week students are coming up to the smartboard and keeping the beat to all of the songs they know. Classes also got a chance to look at the rhythm of the song, but only with pictures. They noticed how certain notes are longer than one beat. I picked a few students to play the rhythm with a rhythm instrument to help reinforce it.

Songs we are singing in 2nd Grade this week:

Au Claire de la Lune
Frere Jacques
Here Comes a Bluebird
My Father's House
Who's That Tapping at my Window

3rd Grade
3rd grade is continuing to review whole and half notes this week. We are singing these songs (some new and some old) and then practicing keeping the beat and clapping the rhythms.

Songs we are singing in 3rd Grade this week:

Au Claire de la Lune
Frere Jacques
Here Comes a Bluebird
All Through the Night
Who's That Tapping at my Window
My Father's House
The Water is Wide

4th Grade & 5th Grade
Have finished reviewing ti ta ti and have begun to work on songs that use low la and low so, since this is where we left off last year. More than likely we will not have much time after introducing low la and low so because we will have to start with concert prep in just 2 weeks! Ugh...

4th and 5th graders also learned the dance for Alabama Gal. They really like it and ask to dance it on a regular basis. :-) Here are some picks of my classes dancing: