Week of October 5th, 2014

OKTOBERFEST!

Students enjoyed learning all about Bavaria today (a city state of Germany) and the last few days of Oktoberfest, which is wrapping up right now around the world! 

    We had fun learning about how people from Bavaria dress, what types of foods they like to eat during Oktoberfest (soft pretzels!!!) and what kind of music is very popular (polka).

     We also tried stretching our bodies into pretzel shapes with the Hap Palmer song linked below. I've even included a soft pretzel recipe if you're in a creative culinary mood tonight. =)

    

     I showed the children how to do a basic polka step, and we practiced counting the beat to polka music (one and two and three and four) while we moved our bodies. Check out the music we listened to, as well as our classroom pictures, below!

I also sang the book "Silly Sally" to our younger students, and I played the "Name Game" with all classes as I tapped a conga drum this week.

Pretzel Recipe Here

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1) Do you remember learning about Oktoberfest in music class? Can you tell me the name of the country? What types of buildings did you see in the pictures? (Bavaria, Germany. We saw castles!)

2)  What do people like to eat during Oktoberfest? Remember, it's a twisted treat that is made of bread? (Soft pretzels!)

3) Tell me about polka dancing! 

Week of September 29th, 2013

GREY SQUIRREL 

(and other fall songs)!

What a great week we had in music class!

The children were all very great listeners as we explored the book The Suprise Garden, a tale of harvesting fruits and veggies. We used our Remo fruit and veggie shakers as we listened for the word that repeated many times in the story--"Surprise!" Each time we heard it, that was our cue to shake our instruments! The kids did a great job with this listening activity.

     I also introduced the children to a new song! "Autumn's Here" is a contemplative, melancholy sounding tune about the leaves falling. As we swayed gently with scarves, we talked about how the minor tones in the song made us feel, and we practiced singing it. You can hear my a cappella version here (and below as well!).

    Lastly, we took the opportunity to have a little large motor fun with the movement song "Grey Squirrel". I used small brown and red unifix cubes as pretend acorns, and the children practiced attempting to pick them up with their toes or two feet together. This was a tricky "feet" (pun intended!). Ask your child about this experience along with the other extender questions below.

Have a great Tuesday and enjoy those beautiful fall colors!

AUTUMN’s HERE

Click the icon above for a clip of Miss Chantal singing to the

two's class today!

Autumn’s here
That time of year
The leaves are falling everywhere

The sap will flow
The fruit has grown
The birds fly south
‘Cause it’s warmer there

It’s autumn time in my home town

Grey Squirrel
Grey squirrel

(put right hand out like a paw),
grey squirrel

(put left hand out like a paw),
Shake your bushy tail

(wiggle hands to left and right, wiggle hips).

(Repeat)

Wrinkle up your little nose

(point to your nose with one finger),
Put a nut between your toes

(Use your pincer grip to pluck an imaginary nut from the air and bring it down between your toes)

Grey squirrel

(put right hand out like a paw),
grey squirrel

(put left hand out like a paw),
Shake your bushy tail

(wiggle hands to left and right, wiggle hips).

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD 

1.) When you used your fruit and veggie shaker in music with the garden book, what was the special word you listened for? "Surprise!" 

2.) How did you feel about the autumn song? Did it make you feel sad? Why or why not?

3.) What did the grey squirrel hold between his toes?  A nut!  Was that a tricky thing to do?

Week of September 22nd, 2014

AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLIN' DOWN!

Today and Monday in music we sang "Joshua Fought The Battle of Jericho" (look below for lyrics!) and had fun building our very own walls of Jericho using Jenga blocks (and other building blocks for our younger children). What a blast! 

As we sang, children marched around the rug in a circle, pretending to be the priests who blew the trumpets for 7 days in Jericho. After blowing our pretend trumpets (older children had small plastic cups with the bottoms cut off) and shouting, we had fun knocking our block towers down and starting all over again!

Check out the video below to hear the song being sung to infants and don't forget to ask your child some of the questions I've posted below to extend this week's lesson!

JOSHUA FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF JERICHO

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,

Jericho, Jericho,

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,

And the walls came tumbling down!

You may talk about your men of Gideon,

You may talk about your men of Saul,

But there's none like good old Joshua

And the battle of Jericho!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1. Who fought the battle of Jericho? Joshua!

2. What happened when the priests blew their horns on the 7th day, and the people yelled loudly? The walls fell down!

3. Did you build a tower in music class? How tall was it? How many blocks did you use?