Train Is A-Comin' - Low La

I love anything with extended melodies, and this song is perfect: Train is A-Comin'

The range is from low la to high do, so this song is recommended for 4th and 5th graders.  The song reviews basic rhythms (quarter note, eighth note pair) and also the half rest.  It also discusses this historical background of the Underground Railroad.  There are lots of great resources about the Underground Railroad on the web and youtube, but I think this year I'll try this book:

The PowerPoint includes slides to help the students learn the songs, as well as tips and instructions for teachers.  Here are some examples:

Underground Railroad Slide

Rhythm Slide

Staff Slide

The more I use printables, the more I develop good ways to use them.  The students still enjoy them, even though some grades (especially 2nd) have use them multiple times.  I don't use them with every song, but I do use them often.  I usually use them on a day other than the first day we've learned the song (the 2nd or 3rd, depending).  Especially if the song includes a movement/game/instrument activity the student like, then we'll use printables first and play afterwards.  These printables are a great way for students to revisit and review the content of the song.  In the PowerPoint, I've included an entire slide of tips and pointers for using printables.