Whether the Weather | 6/8 Meter Rhyme for Barred Instruments With Orff Arrangement

If you are looking for an accessible instrumental piece in 6/8 meter for barred instruments with an Orff arrangement, this is it! Taught step-by-step, this classic tongue twister rhyme is perfect for winter, spring, or really any time of the year there is weather 🤣.

An added plus is the language arts lesson on synonyms. Put that on your end-of-year evaluation!

For grades 3-6, this over 50-slide resource is in both PowerPoint and Google Slide versions.
Listen to the music on TPT!

Multi-Lesson Resource

Introduce the Rhyme

Beat & Rhythm

Teaching the Melody & Ostinati

Give Thanks | Echo Song for Orff, Movement, Ukulele, Scarves

Pull out this versatile echo song for primary students that’s about appreciation, thanksgiving, and thankfulness in November or for other celebrations throughout the year. A simple Orff arrangement, one-chord C ukulele part, scarf activities, and movement will make this a great concert piece or SEL activity in the classroom.

Give Thanks Orff Thanksgiving SEL resource cover image

Give Thanks is available as a single resource or part of this Thanksgiving Bundle!

The Mitten

Many of us are familiar with the Jan Brett book, but this 
Ukrainian folk tale has a very interesting history! Here are songs, lesson plans, and resources for the beautiful story.

Who Has Seen the Wind? Song & Lesson Rhythmic REMIX

The classic song, “Who Has Seen the Wind?” has been REMIXED and is ready for winter, spring, summer, and fall windy weather!

Waltz of the Drumsticks (The 1-2-3 Turkey)

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!

This song features:

2 chords-G7 and C
3/4 meter
ABA form
some terrific turkey rhyming

Sheet music is available on my Teachers Pay Teachers page.

Over The River & Through the Wood With Boomwhackers & Ukuleles

This resource of the Thanksgiving classic, Over the River and Through the Wood, includes parts for Boomwhackers, bells, and ukulele. Each part has audio and video files to support student learning AND in two different tempos-lento and adagio. Students learn about beats per minute (bpm) as they play their parts.

Play and learn in class or use it as a wonderful performance piece for winter concerts!

Music objectives include:

6/8 meter and common rhythms
tempo markings
treble clef notation for melody
ukulele chords C, D7, F, and G7
classic American song repertoire
ensemble playing

Sound/Video File Example

Online Metronome

Metronome

BPM:

Ukulele Seasonal Playalongs from Easy to Extreme

Find EASY ukulele holiday songs! These include themes of winter, December holidays, and Christmas songs for the ukulele.

Winter & Holiday Christmas Songs for the ukulele Blog Cover Image with title and cover image

Tuner provided by GuitarAPP.

What if I can’t play all the chords?

Here are some options if you can’t play all the chords!

Play just the chords you know and skip/stop strumming the ones you can’t play yet.
Strum only ONE time for every chord. That may give you time to get your fingers set for the next chord, even if it’s a hard one for you.
If you are in a group, divide the chords up.
I’m always ok with exchanging a seven chord for a triad. If a song has G7 and you know G, substitute. (Exchanging major and minor chords will not work. For example, Am and A sound very different)

Ukulele Songs for Christmas, Winter, and December Holidays & Celebrations

Run, Run Rudolph (C, F, G7)

Here Comes Santa Clause (C, F, G7, Am)

Winter Wind

Take the classic canon, “Ah Poor Bird”, add new lyrics, and you have the perfect Winter song!

Questions…

As I worked with this canon, three questions arose. After much research, I still haven’t found any definitive answers. If you have thoughts on it, please leave a comment!

Should it be written in 2/4 or 4/4?
Should it be a 2-part, 3-part, or 4-part canon?
Should the “C” be natural or sharp?

Let’s Get This Game Started-November Edition

Why an Icebreaker?

It’s FUN and perfect for grades 2-6
A break from the routine
Community Building
Can be done in one class period
Sharpens listening skills
Builds collaboration
SEL benefits-relaxation, reduction of stress/anxiety

Voice Exploration

High/Low
Loud/Soft
Rhythmic Speech

How to Play

Print the 1 through 30 numbered sheets and cut into strips.
Give each student a strip making sure that the numbers are in random order so students don’t know the order of the responses.
If you have fewer than 30 students, give a couple of students two strips. If you have more than 30 students, have a few participate with a partner.