One of my favorite years! There are so many traditions with the new year. As the ball falls in NYC the Scottish "Auld Lang Syne" is sung. (For the record, it's roughly translated "old times sake") It is a time for goal setting, starting anew. While the Julian Calendar sets the date of January 1 as the mark of the new year, it doesn't stop people from celebrating the Lunar New Year. And since it is the year of the dog, it is time for a few dog songs.
1. "Doggie, Doggie" - This is a cute little classic guessing game. You may be just introducing this to your first graders or playing it with your second graders. Rhythmically, "Doggie, Doggie" is perfect for practicing ta, ti-ti phrases. As music educators we know that time is short and a song that serves multiple purposes is useful. Melodically this can be used for la. Both the s-l-s-m pattern and the m-l-s pattern appear in this simple song. These patterns make it useful for using la in step wise and leap motion. One last element in this song is the opportunity for solo singing. Any time this happens we can instantly grab the grade book and note a quick assessment. Of course, don't forget that it is a lot of fun to play!
2. "Bow, Wow, Wow" - This is a great circle mixer that can also be used for multiple purposes from first grade to third grade. It is still rhythmically simple with a quarter, two-eighths, and a quarter rest. I love to use this as both the folk dance and for mi-re-do. Each time I have attended a workshop or observed a class, there have been slight variations of the movement. Here is how I do it (from experience):
Start in a circle of pairs
"Bow, wow, wow" - (Stamp three times)
"Who's dog art thou?" - (clap three times)
"Little Tommy Tucker's Dog" - (Hook elbows and trade places)
(side note: make sure they are still facing the same partner at this point)
"Bow, wow, wow" - (turn around to face a new partner)
(this should also face them the same way they started)
More likely than not, you will end up with mix ups and zig-zags the first time. Still fun and worth the giggles.
3. "Dog and Cat" - New to my collection, "Dog and Cat" is rife with potential. Rhythmic and melodically, it is fabulous for older grades. The low la, low so, combination is perfectly isolated. I also like that it has rhyming and improvisation potential. Having worked with literacy programs in the past, the ability to rhyme and improvise is important for reading and music. More advanced students can be allowed to improvise on the spot. Students that struggle can pre-plan rhyme sets. I can't wait to add this to my classroom repertoire.
