Friday, March 25, 2011

Help the Bee Find His Key: Note Names


Here is another version of Help the Bee Find His Key.  Once worksheet focuses on Middle C Position.  I also created one using Treble Clef Notes and Bass Clef Notes.  And last, but not least a Key Signature one.

Google Docs: Middle C Position
Help The Bee Find His Key Middle C Position

Google Docs: Treble Clef

Help The Bee Find His Key Treble Clef

Google Docs: Bass Clef
Help The Bee Find His Key Bass Clef

Google Docs: Key Signatures


Help The Bee Find His Key Signature

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Help the Bee Find His Key: Accidentals

Here is another worksheet to help student recognize accidentals.  I love using the bee finger puppet to play these notes.  I also stick these in a page protector and use a dry erase marker to mark the answer.  A great paper and printer saver!

Google Doc: Help the Bee Find the Key: Sharps
Help The Bee Find His Key Sharp Version

Google Doc: Help the Bee Find the Key: Flats

Help The Bee Find His Key Flat Version

Google Doc: Help the Bee Find His Key: Accidentals

Help The Bee Find His Key Accidental Version

Monday, March 21, 2011

Help the Bee Find His Key

Here is a fun worksheet to help beginner students with key recognition on the keyboard.  A fun idea is to have them make the buzzing sound as the draw the line.  I have a fun little bee finger puppet that the students use to find and play the keys and the keyboard.

Google Doc: Help the Bee Find His Key

Help The Bee Find His Key

Friday, March 18, 2011

New Fun Pointers!

I found these pointers at our school's book fair put on by Scholastic Books.     I got a great dog and bird pointer.  The bird is especially fun because when you squeeze the head, the eyes pop out.       I use pointers to point along in the music mostly, but you could use them in games, rhythm cards and even tapping the rhythm.  The kids love them!

Here are some links to some pencil toppers sold on Amazon
Pop Eye Pens
Other Pencil Toppers

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Group Lesson St. Patrick's Day Theme

Last week I held my group lessons with a St. Patrick's Day Theme.  My students had a blast and learned a lot too!  We played several games and had a sharing time where students played their favorite pieces. Here are some pictures of our games:


Playing Tic Tac Toe with the gold coins from the Pot of gold!

And we have a winner!

Two winners!

The students loved playing Lucky Penny

I adapted the Pot of Gold Game to work with different levels with different colored rhythm cards


Students playing the Lucky Leprechaun Game

Friday, March 11, 2011

Money Concepts Songs and Activities

Tooth Fairy Poem 
Last night I lost a tooth
Just like cousin Jenny
The tooth fairy came
And she left me a penny
Last night I lost a tooth
When I ate a pickle
The tooth fairy came
And she left me a nickel
Last night I lost a tooth
When I ate a lime
The tooth fairy came
And she left me a dime
Last night I lost a tooth
It was a little shorter
The tooth fairy came
And she left me a quarter
Last night I lost a tooth
I gave a big holler (Ouch!)
The tooth fairy came
And she left me a dollar
Money Rap
A penny is one cent (stomp)
A nickel is five (pat knees)
A dime is ten cent (clap hands)
A quarter twenty five (snap fingers)
Teaching Idea: Use the body percussion for an addition problem.  Clap, Clap Snap would be 10 +10+ 25 = .45 cents.
Coin Order Tune: Ten Little Indians
Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters
Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters
Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters
Put them in that order.
Teaching Idea:
1. Have the some coins either plastic or cut out and have the students put them in order.  
2. Talk about how much each coin is worth and how much these coins add up to.
The Money Song Tune: Itsy, Bitsy Spider
1 cent is a penny,
10 cents is a dime,
5 cents is a nickel,
Now you know that I'm...
learning about the money,
and which coin is which.
Don't forget the quarter-
It's worth 25 cents!
Dr. Jean's Money Song Tune: Shortnin' Bread
Chorus:
I like money to buy things at the store.
Money, money, money, I always want more!
A penny's worth one cent.
A nickel's worth five.
A dime's worth ten cents.
A quarter's twenty-five.
Chorus
Lincoln's on one cent.
Jefferson's on five.
Roosevelt's on ten cents.
Washington's on twenty-five.
Chorus 
A building's on one cent.
A building's on five.
A torch is on ten cents.
An eagle's on twenty-five.



Three Little Nickels A Fingerplay
Three little nickels in a pocketbook new,
(hold up three fingers)
One bought a peppermint, and then there were two,
(bend down one finger)
Two little nickels before the day was done,
One bought an ice cream cone, and then there was one
(bend down another finger)
One little nickel I heard it plainly say,
"I'm going into the piggy bank for a rainy day!"

Three Shiny Quarters 
Three shiny quarters in a pocketbook new (Hold up three fingers)
One bought a gumball, then there were two (Bend down one finger)
Two shiny quarters, before the day was done
One bought a sticker, then there was one. (Bend down another finger)
One little quarter, I heard it plainly say,
"I'm going in the piggy bank for a rainy day!"

Teaching Ideas
1. Brainstorm with the students about different things you can buy with the coin.
2. Change the coin to different amounts and add up how many three of them makes
Found a Penny Tune: Oh My Darlin'
Found a penny,
Found a penny,
Found a penny just now.
Just now I found a penny.
Found a penny just now.
It's worth 1 cent.
It's worth 1 cent.
It's worth 1 cent just now.
Just now, it's work 1 cent.
It's worth 1 cent just now.
Change the penny to different coins and different amounts.
Wonderful Websites:
1. Money Instructor: Printable worksheets, custom worksheets, printable play money, lesson plans
2. Four Fun Games for Money Recognition: Fun games like bingo and a printable die
Favorite Money Books
1. The Penny Pot by Stuart J. Murphy
2. Coin Counting Book by Rozanne Lanczak Williams
3. A Quarter From the Tooth Fairy by Caren Holtzman

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Lucky Leprechaun Game: Key Signature

The Lucky Leprechaun Game is played like "Old Maid" except the goal is to be the last player holding the Lucky Leprechaun. 


Goggle Doc: Shamrock Key Signature Cards

Shamrock Key Signature  Cards                                                                                           

1. The dealer shuffles the cards and deals out all the cards to the players. It doesn’t matter if they don’t come out evenly.
2. Each player picks up his cards and holds them so that other players cannot see them. Players may want to organize their cards so that like notes are together.
3. Next, players take out of their hands any pairs they have. For example, if a player has two A's, the player takes that pair out. All the pairs from all the players’ hands go into a pile, face down, in the center of the table. However, if a player has, for example, three C's, he can only put down the pair.  Depending on the level, pairs do not have to be the exact same note.  For instance you can have a Middle C and a Bass C be a pair.
4. The player to the left of the dealer (Joel) spreads out his hand, face down, on the table. The player to his left (Amy) picks up one of those cards. If she can make a pair by using that card, she removes the pair and puts it in the pile at the center of the table. Otherwise, Amy just keeps that card.
5. Now, Amy spreads her cards on the table, face down, so that the player to her left can pick up one card out of her hand.
6.  Play continues in this way. Eventually, one player will be left with card "The Lucky Leprechaun" and that players wins.  You can also see who has the most pairs and they can be the winner as well.

Can also be played with Shamrock Keyboard Cards