I've been looking for a few new ideas for the first weeks of school. I'm at a new school, so we'll be playing lots of name games up front for both the kids' sake and my own. In the 1st grade Spotlight on Music series, I came across this:
Instrument Needs: Bell Tree or Chimes, Bass Xylophone
1. The students should be seated in a circle. Perform the piece for the students while keeping a pat-clap pattern (pats on beat 1, claps on beat 2). Invite students to keep the beat like you are (review the term "steady beat" - at this point I would discuss that it is the steady, constant pulse of the music and show the students the corresponding vocabulary card - we also practice tapping over our hearts as we chant again). I've changed the final words to "tell us your name when you hear this sound" while we are sitting.
2. When the children are confident with the lyrics and the pat-clap pattern, walk around the circle with the steady beat in your feet. At the end of the song, stand behind a child and ring the bell tree/chimes (at this point you would discuss what the instrument is called, what type of sound it is, and what family of Orff instruments it is in). The child you are standing behind say their name and the class repeats it four times.
3. Continue this until 1/3 to 1/2 of the class has said their name. You can give your role of walking to the beat/ringing the bells to a student.
4. Bring over the bass xylophone. Label the instrument and have the students listen to the sound. Then, establish a four beat ostinato (C-E-C-G) and chant the original lyrics (ask students to describe what words changed). Have the students stand and keep your beat in their feet in place. Once the beat is established, have the students add in the words of the original version.
5. Have the students keep the beat in their feet but use these motions (they can do this all around the room but be sure to set your expectations first - great way to get them used to "using the space in the music room correctly"):
Hey children who's in town? - Look side to side as if using binoculars. (Turn right, left, right, left - keeping feet going)
Everybody stop and look around. - Stop and march in place, turning side to side
Hey children who's in town? - Look side to side as if using binoculars. (Turn right, left, right, left - keeping feet going)
Tell us your name and then sit down. - Students say this in a louder voice, march in place, and then on "down" they freeze and listen closely for the name you call. If their name is called, the student sits down where they are - they become "hot lava" and cannot be stepped on by other students as the game continues. "Hot lave" doesn't have hands, so the student must keep their hands in their laps (to avoid them tripping or touching others who are still playing the game).
6. To extend this game, you could: 1) Choose a student to call names at the end of the piece 2) Allow a student who is "hot lava" to play an unpitched instrument on the steady beat a they sit 3) Allow a student to play the C-E-C-G ostinato on the bass xylophone - If you are playing this with older students, you could have them create ostinatos using student names to perform with body percussion during the song (such as E-mil-y - "ti-ti ta" - "pat-pat clap").
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