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

Continue reading “Give Thanks | Echo Song for Orff, Movement, Ukulele, Scarves”

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.
Continue reading “The Mitten”

A My Name is Alice – Popular Books, Activities, and Music

Blank Booklets to Create Your Own Verses

This TpT resource includes

  • a presentation with mp3s to learn the song
  • a simple Orff arrangement for xylophone, glockenspiel, and guiro
  • a booklet template for students to create their own verses
Lyric Writing Booklet for A My Name Is Alice Jump Rope Chant and Song

A My Name is ALICE

A, My Name is Alice by Jane E. Bayer, illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Kellogg is one of my favorite illustrators with his content-rich drawings and humor.

First verse: A, my name is Alice, and my husband’s name is Alex…

A My Name Is …

A My Name Is … by Alice Lyne, illustrated by Lynne Cravath. This version doesn’t always begin each verse with a girl’s name and replaces “husband” with “best friend.”

First verse: A my name is Alex, my best friend’s name is Angie…
Second verse: B my name is Becca, my best friend’s name is Billy…

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!

  1. Should it be written in 2/4 or 4/4?
  2. Should it be a 2-part, 3-part, or 4-part canon?
  3. Should the “C” be natural or sharp?
Instrumental arrangement
Continue reading “Winter Wind”

Pass the Pumpkin


This is a great beat passing game! Whoever has the pumpkin on the last beat of the song is OUT! Continue playing until there is a final winner. As students get out, they can go get sticks and play to the beat as the game progresses.

Continue reading “Pass the Pumpkin”

Halloween Minor Madness with Pumpkin Eyes, BOO, and More!

Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay 
  1. B.O.O.
  2. Miss White Had a Fright
  3. On a Cold October Night-VOCAL Exploration Lesson
  4. Pumpkin Eyes
  5. Let’s Get This Game Started HALLOWEEN
  6. Pass the Pumpkin
  7. The Monster Mash

B.O.O.

In both PowerPoint and Google Slides versions, this 25-slide presentation includes mp3s of the song arrangement with a Kodaly process, Orff approach, and movement, game, and a melodic assessment.

Miss White Had a Fright

Experience the poem through beat and rhythm. Explore the poem by learning a melody on barred instruments, improvising on recorders, and/or creating a melody using Boomwhackers. Examine what you’ve learned by identifying the rhythms of the poem. In both PowerPoint and Google Slides versions.

On a Cold October Night-VOCAL Exploration Lesson

A lesson plan for a FABULOUS good time exploring the sounds “on a cold October night.”

Pumpkin Eyes

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

Continue reading “Halloween Minor Madness with Pumpkin Eyes, BOO, and More!”

Ukulele-Getting Started

An easy-to-use sequential ukulele curriculum that uses songs kids love from today’s hits to classics.

Are you looking for a sequential curriculum for the ukulele that starts with easy chords? This is it! There are easy-to-play single-chord play-alongs to popular songs then on to two-chord songs and more.

Chords on this page: C, C7, Dm, F, Am
  • Single chord play-alongs for C7, C, Am, and F—Lime in the Coconut, Ten in a Bed, Just for Me, The Beat Goes On, Make New Friends
  • Two-chord songs: Just for Me (C/Am)— Dream Baby & Deep In the Heart of Texas (F/C7), Iko Iko (F/C)
  • Three-chord songs
    • (C/F/Am)—Best Day of My Life, Thunder, Good to Be alive, Sunflower, Senorita
    • (F/Am/Dm)—Unstoppable

Info on
*my favorite ukulele brand/model and

*ideas for HANGING, CART, and SHELVING on my ukulele storage post. (Includes common hardware and resource needs to get the job done!!)

Inspiration


Ukulele History, Parts, Tuning

C7, C, Am, and F SINGLE-chord songs

C7

Play along to the island breeze!

Island Breezes

C

Backing Track on C chord

Ten in a Bed-C Chord

Am

Chord Order Idea: teach the F chord next (below) so that all students need to do for Am is lift their index finger.

Am Backing Track


Just for Me

Just had to throw this 2-chord song in the 1-chord section since we know C and Am!!!


F

Backing Track on F chord

2-Chord Songs

Tutorial-Easy change from F to C7


F chord “rocks” DOWN to C7.

C7 chord “rocks” UP to F.

Dream Baby

Deep In the Heart of Texas (Coming Back Soon)

Iko Iko with F and C chords

Here’s a 2-chord F and C7 resource presentation unit with Orff arrangement based on One Bottle of Pop round! Fun!

Best Day of My Life

3-Chord Songs

Thunder-C, F, Am

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Good to Be Alive-C, F, Am

Sunflower-C, F, Am

Senorita-C, F, Am

Unstoppable by The Score

There’s a Dm in here but YOU CAN DO IT! Dm is just F with one more finger!!!

Ukulele songs make GREAT concert selections. This Concert How-To Checklist has lots of tips to help.

Your next ukulele page: Ukulele-G7

You’ll find a G7 how-to and songs with C/G7
  • C/G7 songs: La Cucaracha, Deep in the Heart of Texas, Hush Little Baby, Iko Iko