Rhythm Dictation Christmas Style

We are taking the Christmas music (that started right playing on the radio stations right after Halloween) and using it this week for rhythm dictation.  Using some familiar Christmas songs, the students will write the rhythms symbolically.  Beginner students use chips to represent the different rhythms.  


If I clap one half note and two quarter notes then the student would put a chip on the 1st, 3rd and 4th beat.  For more advanced students I have them write the correct rhythm in the ornament.  I use a page protector and a dry erase marker so that I can use the sheet over and over again.   You can use whatever song you like, but here are some songs with simple rhythms:


Jingle Bells
Up on the House Top
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Little Drummer Boy
Here Comes Santa Clause
I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause
O little town of Bethlehem

Rhythm Dictation

Turkey Songs

Thanksgiving is upon us and this is a great time to sing about that funny bird, the turkey. 

Turkey Jerky Sung to "The Hokey Pokey"

You put your right wing in

You put your right wing out

You put your right wing in 

And you shake it all about

You do the Turkey Jerky (strut like a turkey)

And you turn yourself about

That's what it's all about (Turkey Jerky)

Alternate verses: Left wing, drumsticks(legs), stuffing(tummy), waddle (neck), head, tail feathers

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Five Little Turkeys

5 little turkeys standing by the door

1 waddled off and then there were four

4 little turkeys underneath a tree

1 waddled off and then there were three

3 little turkeys with nothing to do

1 waddled off and then there were two

2 little turkeys in the noon day sun

1 waddled off and then there were one

1 little turkey better run away

For soon will come Thanksgiving day.

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Ten Little Turkeys

10 little turkeys standing by the gate

2 waddled off and then there were eight

8 little turkeys playing with sticks
2 waddled off and then there were six

6 little turkeys  standing by the door
2 waddled off and then there were four
4 little turkeys with nothing to do
2 waddled off and then there were two
2 little turkeys better run away.
For soon will come Thanksgiving day.

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See my feathers Sung to "Mary Had a little lamb"

See my feathers colored bright

Colored bright, colored bright

See my feathers colored bright

What a pretty sight

(link thumbs and wiggle fingers for feathers)

See me tummy big and fat

Big and fat, big and fat

See my tummy big and fat

What do you think of that?

See my head look all around

All around, all around

See my head look all around

For corn upon the ground

See me as I strut and sway

Strut and sway, strut and sway

See me as I strut and sway

This is what I say: 

Gobble, gobble, gobble

Candyland Game

I love using familiar games to teach music concepts and one of my favorites is Candyland.  I actually found this game as a beach towel one summer.  I snatched it up and knew I could use it for teaching music.  I wrote the musical alphabet on the colored squares to make the game musical.  To play I have students pick a pawn (usually a fun eraser) and then draw a card.  I use some staff cards for level one and up and keyboard cards (cards with an x on a key) for my beginners. You identify that note and go to that letter on the board.  The fun candyland cards are intermingled in the staff cards. You can get a candy cane, gum drop or ice cream cone (my favorite). The special cards that came with the towel were really big, so the kids knew when they were about to get a special card.  I decided to make my own special card and just attached them to some playing cards that were the same size as my staff/keyboard cards.  I usually play with them or have another student join them.  It is a whole lot of fun and motivates the students to learn those note names.

Thanks to Layton Music for this idea

Bingo Chips

I use bingo chips for the musical alphabet and numbers.  I purchased mine at a local educational store but I have provided a link below if you want to buy some online.  I take the bingo chips and put alphabet stickers or number stickers on them.  I found these stickers in the ever popular scrap booking section.  I use these to label keys on the keyboard, in my Turkey Worksheet and many other games and activities.  With the number chips, I have the students put the correct number under rhythm cards in different time signatures so they have a visual for counting.

Click here for a link to purchase bingo chips

Thanksgiving Songs

Thanksgiving is a great time to teach children about what they can be thankful for.  You can use Thanksgiving as a time to talk about families, food groups, travel, manners, pilgrims, Native Americans and of course turkeys.  Here are some thanksgiving songs about being thankful and Thanksgiving Dinner.


Thankful and you Know it Sung to: "If you're happy and you know it"
If you're thankful and you know it clap your hands
If you're thankful and you know it clap your hands
If you're thankful and you know it then your face will surely show it
If you're thankful and you know it clap your hands


Idea #1: Let the children say things they are thankful for and put it in the song: "If you're thankful for your family clap your hands."
Idea #2: Add different motions: stomp your feet, jump around, shout "Thank you"
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We eat Turkey Sung to "Where is Thumbkin"
We eat turkey, we eat turkey
Yum, yum, yum
Yum, yum, yum
Always on Thanksgiving
Always on Thanksgiving
Yum, yum, yum
Yum, yum, yum


Idea #1: Substitute different foods we eat at Thanksgiving, by asking the students what food they see at Thanksgiving.
Idea #2: Have some play foods for the children to pick from and sing about each food.
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I love the Turkey Sung to "This Land is Your Land"
I love the turkey
I love the stuffin'
I love the gravy 
I love corn muffins
I love my family
Gathered all together
I'm glad Thanksgiving time is here

I love the pumpkin pie

I love potatoes

I love the green beans

I love to say hello

To all my family

Gathered all together

I'm glad Thanksgiving time is here


I love my grandma
I love my daddy
I love my grandpa
I love my mommy
I love my family
Gathered all together
I'm glad Thanksgiving time is here
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Thanksgiving Poem:
In school today we had to think of 
What we're thankful for
And for a kid as small as me, 
That was quite a chore
I scrunched my eyes. 
I thought real hard. 
I stared down at my shoe.
And then I thought, 
"Oh wait, I know
What I'm thankful for is YOU!"
- Jamie Stogner


Recommended Books:
1. Thanksgiving Mice by Bethany Roberts
2. Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble by Abby Klein
3. The Little Engine that Could Saves the 
    Thanksgiving Parade by Watty Piper
4. Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
5. . . If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern

Treble Clef Lines Introduction

Here is a worksheet I created using my new Music Mac Fonts.  This is an introduction to the lines on the Treble Clef.  Now, I know everyone uses the standard Every Good Boy Does Fine, but I change it up to reflect the girls:  Every Girl Buys Doll Furniture.  I explain to my students that the Treble Clef is the girl clef, where the girls sing up high.  It also is a very fancy looking clef and home of Treble Clef Girl.  This is a great visual worksheet to introduce the concept.  There is a fun matching activity match to reinforce the concept.

Pilgrim and Native Songs

Pilgrim and Native Songs

Here are some Pilgrim and Native Songs that teach about the very first Thanksgiving. Some of these songs used to use the word "Indian" and I have substituted Native to be more sensitive to the Native American culture. The Thanksgiving story is a great example of sharing and cooperation.

Thanksgiving Things Sung to: "The Farmer and the Dell"
Hit the floor to the beat
The turkey in the pen
The turkey in the pen
All the children come and see
The turkey in the pen

Tap your knees to the beat
The pilgrims in the boat
The pilgrims in the boat
All the children come and see

The pilgrims in the boat

Clap your hands to the beat
The Natives in the field
The Natives in the field
All the children come and see
The Natives in the field

Snap fingers or swish hands to the beat
The pumpkins in the patch
The pumpkins in the patch
All the children come and see
The pumpkins in the patch

Clap hands over head to the beat
The butter in the churn
The butter in the churn
All the children come and see
The butter in the churn

Idea #1: You could divide up the groups to keep each beat and add the other groups as the song continues so that buy the end the whole class is keeping the beat in five different ways

Idea #2: After singing the song through you could start again, only this time singing it backwards starting with "butter in the churn"
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Celebrate Sung to: "The Ants go Marching One by One"
The pilgrims are coming to celebrate, Hurrah, hurrah
The pilgrims are coming to celebrate, Hurrah, hurrah
The pilgrims are coming so don't be late
They'll sing and dance to celebrate
And we'll all have fun, so hurry and don't be late.

Substitute the following lines
The Natives are coming to share their food
The children are coming to play some games
The mothers are coming to cook the food
The fathers are coming to trade their goods

Idea #1: Choose children to represent the people in the song and act out the story

Idea #2: Talk about the games children might play in those times compared to what children play now. Discuss what the fathers might trade or how the 
mothers cook the food.


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Sail the Mayflower Sung to "Row, row, row your boat"
Sail, sail, sail the Mayflower
Gently across the sea
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Pilgrims now are free

Chop, chop, chop the wood
Put it in a pile
Build a little log cabin
That will make you smile.

Children find a partner and sit down facing them. They hold hands and rock back and forth to "sail, sail." On the next chorus the pat hands together for "chop, chop." Then they make a house by reaching their hands up and putting them together with their partner.
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Another Ten Little Natives Sung to: "Ten Little Indians"
1 little, 2 little, 3 little Natives
4 little, 5 little, 6 little Natives
7 little, 8 little, 9 little Natives
10 little Native boys and girls

They jumped in a boat and the boat flipped over
They jumped in a boat and the boat flipped over
They jumped in a boat and the boat flipped over
10 little Native boys and girls

They swam and they swam, and they swam to their mother
They swam and they swam, and they swam to their mother
They swam and they swam, and they swam to their mother
10 little Native boys and girls

She hugged and kissed them and sent them to bed
She hugged and kissed them and sent them to bed
She hugged and kissed them and sent them to bed
10 little Native boys and girls

Idea #1: Have children pop up when you count the Natives
Idea #2: Act out the story with motions
Idea #3: Count the Natives backwards, starting with 10 little, 9 little
Idea #4: Skip count the Natives
2 little, 4 little, 6 little Natives
8 little, 10 little 12 little Natives
14, 16, 18 Natives; 20 little Native boys and girls