Several years ago I wanted to find a song that was easy for 1st grade students to identify the form. I came across Little Johnny Brown and was a bit nervous, thinking that even though they would be able to learn about form from this piece that they wouldn’t like it. It was different thanContinue reading “Little Johnny Brown”
Category Archives: 3rd Grade
I Let Her Go Go
This is one that works beautifully with students. I Let Her Go Go easily scaffolds and has a melody that students really enjoy singing. I will provide tips for teaching it in the game section below. Suggested Grade Levels: 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade Analysis: History:There are plenty of resources that say this songContinue reading “I Let Her Go Go”
Alabama Gal
Woo! This one is a doozy for younger students, so I recommend doing this with 2nd graders at the youngest. I did this my first year of teaching with 2nd and 3rd graders and it was a bit rough. My 3rd graders were rowdy and it was too much for 2nd graders in just oneContinue reading “Alabama Gal”
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
This is one of my favorite beginning-of-year activities to do with my 3rd and 4th grade students. This is around the age where they start thinking they’re too cool to sing and dance with their teacher, but My Bonnie immediately changes that. I love the focus and the smiles that appear on the kids’ facesContinue reading “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”
Bubblegum, Bubblegum in a Dish
Bubblegum, Bubblegum in a Dish is one of those magical pieces that works so well for students of all ages. Children everywhere seem to know this chant and use it for jump rope, choosing peers to be “it,” and so much more! I like using this one as an activity that my kids can doContinue reading “Bubblegum, Bubblegum in a Dish”
Zemer Atik (Nigun Atik)
I first learned Zemer Atik during my undergraduate studies at the University of Louisville. I thought it was one of the most beautiful dances I had ever been a part of and I still believe that. So far I have only taught this once to 3rd grade students. They find the A section a bitContinue reading “Zemer Atik (Nigun Atik)”
Los Machetes
This is a favorite dance with my 3rd and 4th grade students! We actually just used this as an opportunity to learn about and celebrate Cinco de Mayo last week. One 3rd grader even said they wanted to perform this dance for every Cinco de Mayo. This is the first year where I have understoodContinue reading “Los Machetes”
Sasha
I love using Sasha as a way to get students moving after a break from school. This allows us to mingle with our classmates in a safe, structured way that also gets us back into the right mindset for music. My students love this dance because of its catchy tune and because they get toContinue reading “Sasha”
Flea Fly Flo
Out of all of my students, I think kindergarten enjoys this song the most. My older kids already know that they can expect some weirdness from me, so this is basically the first big nonsensical jump for my kinderbabies! They love trying to get a grasp on the silly words and end up improvising someContinue reading “Flea Fly Flo”
Black Snake
I have only used this song once in my classroom, but my students really enjoyed it. They loved playing the game and it was frequently asked for in that year! This game is best suited for outside play. Suggested Grade Levels: 3rd grade, 4th grade Analysis: History:Finding the history of this particular song was aContinue reading “Black Snake”
Mrs. Hale's Harmonies 