Hodge Podge

I've been taking pictures and videos like crazy, but the blog hasn't kept up with them, so there will be many grade levels and ideas presented in this post to catch up.

 
This first group of pictures is taken from a 4th grade class.  We were doing a "Fakebook" project studying composers.  The class chose their groups of either 2 or 3 students, chose a composer biography and started putting building his Facebook page.  The main events in the composers' lives were on these fact sheets, so students had to read them and then figure out how to put the words into the composers' voice.  Statements included "Today I start working at my very first job at St. Thomas Lutheran Church.  I'll be playing organ today.  Wish me luck!" This would have been a "post" by the composer in his voice but using the facts from his timeline.

The next portion are pictures taken from two 1st grade rooms.  We've been busy reviewing rhythm patterns that we learned at the end of Kindergarten last year.  Ta, ti-ti and we've added the Z rest.  All song games that we've been playing have included these patterns.  We've worked on them in a variety of ways from playing instruments to building the pattern with craft sticks.

This class shows a game called "I Have Who Has".  This game can be used in any class and is a great way to review.  On the cards I wrote a 4-beat pattern using ta, ti-ti and the Z rest.  Students have to say "I have ta, ti-ti, ta, sh.  Who has ta, ta, ti-ti, sh?"  When they read this, everyone else has to look at their card and see if that is the rhythm they have.  1st graders have been amazing me and did this extremely well.  I was so proud of them!

  The next class you'll see is 2nd grade, and a huge group of them.  It was swimming specials so I had 1 and 1/2 classes in the room.  Whew.....

We learned a song "Naughty Kitty Cat".  Here's the music.

Yes, I know the words say "you are very fat!"  We have a discussion about this when playing the game.  If you are chosen to be the cat, they have been told that the song has been around for years, we are not calling the student fat, but indeed the cat.  So far no parents have called.

This is a simple chase game of the owner trying to catch the cat.  Students in the circle are the fence, and on the last Z rest of the song, the fence comes down and the owner can start running after the cat.

Enjoy!