Find fun and engaging Valentine songs, games, dances, and activities to fill your K-5 elementary classroom with LOVE! For Valentine’s Day or any time of the year!
Originally published February 13, 2022. Updated for February 2026.
Music Resources & Ideas for the works of Amanda Gorman.
Amanda Gorman’s children’s books are the perfect inspiration for elementary music concerts and classroom activities. Here are a variety of Amanda Gorman music resources and ideas based on her books, Change Sings and Something, Someday.
The Playlist
Change Sings
With her poetry of words, Amanda Gorman’s “Change Sings” uses a story full of music vocabulary to invite children to be the change in the world with acts of kindness. Here are songs that fit into that theme.
The Change Is You
Amanda Gorman’s book, “Change Sings”, inspired this new 3-part round song, The Change Is You, that uses an African proverb to begin the journey of a call to action to be the change in the world.
Change the World, With Kindness
Written for younger singers,Change the World With Kindness reinforces the act of kindness themes in Amanda Gorman’s book, “Change Sings.”
With lots of repetition and sequencing, this easy-to-learn song is a perfect concert selection. The resource includes suggested movements and opportunities to create your own movement.
“With intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations, Something, Someday reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact.”
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Seeds of Change
If you’re looking for a classroom song about Earth Day, the environment, and making a difference or a sparkling elementary music concert selection that’s simple to learn and features students playing instruments, this is it!
Seeds of Change is a song about making a difference, an environmental call to action about caring for our outdoor spaces, set to a Latin-feel Orff arrangement with lots of maracas representing the “seeds.”
Originally Published: January 2022 Last Updated: February 2026
Lift Every Voice for Black History Month curriculum resources.
What a wealth of wonderful songs to sing for Black History Month! Not only will you find Black History Month songs to sing but songs for listening, a musician and song database with music that’s appropriate for kids, authentic research articles and information, and decor for your bulletin boards and classroom door.
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Connect your classroom with the big football day with this fun Super Bowl music activity. Students will learn part of a rondo form and create the rest!
This is a Google Slides presentation with students creating and presenting in rondo form. Students learn the A section and a B section, then create C, D, etc. A marching band backing track is included!
Originally published January 11, 2022. Updated January 31, 2026.
Google Slide Presentation ⬇️
Click to Begin or Enter Full Screen & Begin
At the bottom of the slide, click on the 3 dots to find the ENTER FULL-SCREEN link.
This Google Slides resource is also available for download in the Free Teacher Resource Library! Drop your email on the Oodles Newsletter page and I’ll send you the link.
Music, books, and songs about Martin Luther King Jr. keep his legacy alive for elementary students. Use this big list of music and literature to learn about the life and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
From in-class learning to special performance programming, find kid-friendly books and songs that were sung during the Civil Rights Movement to songs that honor MLK’s life and work.
K-5 Elementary Music Curriculum for MLK Day
I had a set curriculum so that I always had something fresh for each grade level.
Prior Knowledge
Books & Videos
Song
K
Martin’s Big Words
Dr. MLK Had a Dream
1
“What do you know about MLK?” discussion.
Martin’s Big Words
Sing About Martin (video below)
2
“What do you know about MLK?” discussion.
Martin’s Big Words, Quaver He Had a Dream
Kid Like Me (textbook)
3
“What do you know about MLK?” discussion.
I Have a Dream, MLK Play Along
Keep Your Eyes On the Prize
4
“What do you know about MLK?” discussion.
Kid President Video, Maccabeats & Natually 7
Orff arr. (below)
5
“What do you know about MLK?” discussion.
Granddaughter Video, MLK Freestyle
Orff arr. (below)
Songs About Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin’s Dream (Song & Orff Arr.) Grades 3-5
Here’s a fresh and engaging song arrangement about Martin Luther King, Jr in a presentation featuring Orff, Kodaly, and optional recorder sections for your teaching for MLK Day, Black History Month, or any time of the year.
Dr. King Had a Dream (Song & Partner Song) Grades K-5
Lyrics about MLK’s dream have been set to the tune of the two-chord (F, C7) “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands,” perfect for beginning ukulele players, with a newly composed “B” section that can be used as a harmony partner song for the big finale.
Dr. King, he had a dream, he had a dream for all you see. P-E-A-C-E, P-E-A-C-E, P-E-A-C-E His name was Martin Luther King!
On the board, I put the letters PEACE, erasing one letter after each verse! Put an “X” where the letter would be and instruct students to clap on every X. Works great!
1. We already know the song BINGO so this switch is not hard.
2. Once we sing it as a group, as a group we replace the clap with something else.
3. We take suggestions which usually are; snap, pat, stomp, hit our chairs, cluck our tongues, etc. We vote on which one we want to do and do the NEW sound/motion as a class.
4. The next class, partners or small groups choose a new sound/motion and then we sing as a class. There are so many fun possibilities. You can ask the groups to choose a motion, a sound, an instrument, a leveled motion (high, middle, low).
Creating in 6/8 With “I Have a Dream”
I found this back in the Bartolomeo vault 😄 and it is a jewel! Explore one of MLK’s greatest speeches through music!
Explore the above patterns with body percussion, unpitched percussion, or barred instruments!
MLK Books for the Classroom
I Have a Dream (Grades 3-6)
I Have a Dream is based on the famous speech with beautiful illustrations. This would be a great book for grades 3-6.
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Martin’s Big Words (Grades K-3)
Martin’s Big Words is a great book for K-3 and is about Dr. King’s life from his birth to his death. I originally found it at my school in big book form (your K or first teachers might have it) and then got a copy in regular book size as well.
Decor for the Classroom
Posters
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Videos About Martin Luther King, Jr.
MLK’s Life
The Story of His Life by Kid President (K-5)
Martin Luther King Jr. Rap (K-5)
MLK’s Granddaughter Interview (K-5)
Songs That Tell MLK’s Story
Steady beat play along (Grades K-2)
Tapping a steady beat to symbols that represent MLK’s life. After every 16 beats there’s a break to reset the symbols and begin the beats again. This could be a great place to switch instruments for a round robin sort of activity.
I Believe In the Dream (Prek-3)
A contemporary song with a singable chorus that details the life of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Students can pat the beat and sing along as they learn the simple chorus.
Screenshot
Sing About Martin (Prek-2)
Martin Luther King Songify (Grades 3-5)
Fascinating autotune of the I Have a Dream Speech.
MLK Freestyle (Grades 3-8)
Martin Luther King Play Along (Grades K-5)
Up to the Mountain Song (Grades 3-8)
Shed a Little Light (Grades 3-8)
How Does Your School Learn About MLK?
What are your school’s learning experiences about Martin Luther King, Jr.?
In the comments below, share some favorite books, events, lesson plan ideas, and songs!
Originally published November 15, 2021 Latest Update September 17, 2026
Are you looking for elementary concert lighting that dazzles? Here are ideas and resources for using blacklights, glowsticks, flashlights, fluorescents, and drumsticks that glow.
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The One-Beat Diner is a 2-page rhythm writing music resource that features a menu full of one-beat (building brick) yummy foods that can be turned into a delicious 4-beat take-out order. Page 1 is a place to create your one-beat foods and page 2 is where you put them into 4-beat patterns.
This 2-chord song for voice, ukulele, and rainbow instruments (Boomwhackers & bells) is sure to be a hit! There’s no warbling going on here, just cantabile singing!
