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Books are a good and easy way to bring seasonal content into the music room. Plus, you can often find various music concepts you can teach with the books. At the beginning of winter, I like to use Kenard Pak’s book, Goodbye Autumn and Hello Winter.
While this would be a great lesson on the first day of Winter, I am often too busy coordinating the Christmas Concert- or already off on winter break, that I save it and use the book when we return to school in January. So, how do I use this book in my classroom? Check out this FREE lesson pack and try it with your students!
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Flashcards are a great tool to have in your music room. I frequently use both rhythm and melody flashcards with my students, but simply reading and playing flashcards can get boring after about the first 5 minutes.
To spice it up, I like to play flashcard games. These are a HIT with my students and I am sure they will be with yours too. These games work both with melody and rhythm flashcards. And when you use grade-appropriate flashcards I have played these games with students all the way from grade 1 to grade 8. As an elementary music teacher, I am responsible for organizing the Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in the US) service in my schools. And honestly, it is one of my favourite programs to plan and execute.
This year, I tried something new and had my whole school learn a song to sing for the service. When it was time to sing the song in the service, the choir sang on the risers and the remaining students sang from where they were seated. The song I chose is by a Canadian singer-songwriter, David Gunning, entitled These Hands. I really do enjoy seasonal activities and lesson! Fall is one of my favourite season and I like to celebrate it with songs about fall things, including pumpkins! So here are my top five favourite songs about pumpkins that I have used with all my students from Kindergarten to Grade 6!
Apples are a great theme to bridge back to school and fall, which is why I teach Apple songs every year to my elementary music students. And one of my favourites is Way Up High in the Apple Tree because I can use it with multiple grade levels, in multiple ways.
Way Up High in the Apple Tree is often taught as a spoken poem, but I have added lyrics and a melody because you can bet I want my kiddos to sing as much as possible when we come back to school. I use this song with students in grade 1 to grade 4 and depending on the students there are 2 different skills we can work on with it. |
AuthorMiss Jayna is an elementary music teacher in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. In addition to being a public school teacher Miss Jayna also has a private piano studio and teaches a Children's Music Program. Categories
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