Something seems to shift in fourth grade. Students become more self conscious and worry more about what their peers think of them. This can make singing difficult; however when it's in the context of a game, students seem to forget they're even singing. These are some of my favorite games to use in fourth grade:
1. Skin and Bones: I pull this out every October and introduce it by showing them Mr. Frederick's amazing video. My fifth and sixth graders will also beg to see the video and play the game when word gets out.
Game: Have students lie on the floor with their heads down. Turn out the lights and close the blinds to make the room dark. Sing the call and have students sing the "Oo's." Tap a student on the head and have them stand outside the classroom door. At the end of the song, the student who is outside yells "Boo!" The remaining students have to guess which student is missing.
2. Aquaqua Del-a Omar: This is a great song for teaching eighth note anacrusis, and low ti. I also love any opportunity to expose my students to music from other cultures. This is one of my favorites.
Game: Have students stand in a circle with palms facing up. Left hands will be placed under their neighbor's right hand, and right hands will go on top. Pass the beat around the circle by bringing your right hand across to clap your neighbor's right hand. The person whose hand is clapped on "5" is out.
3. Sandy's Mill: This is a great song for teaching high do, and dotted quarter eighth. It's also a favorite game for my students.
Game: Have students stand in a circle and pass a ball around on the beat. On the spoken "POM," reverse the direction the ball is being passed. If a student drops the ball, does a bad pass, or forgets to reverse the direction of the ball, they sit down in their spot while the game continues. The students left in the game do not move the circle in--the gaps will get larger as more students get out, making it harder to stay in. For an added challenge, add an instrument sound to reverse the direction of the ball (i.e. tambourine).
Comments
Post a Comment