Fall Leaves Lesson

I had inspiration for a fall leaf lesson for my kinders and 1st graders!  In North Carolina one of our standards is for students to interpret iconic symbols for notation.  I found a leaf coloring page that I enlarged on the copier and then shrunk to make large and small leaves.  One of my colleagues and I made up the following lyrics:
Leaves, leaves, falling down
We can see them on the ground
They were green but now they're brown
Leaves, leaves, falling down

The tune is as follows:
Sol, mi, sol, sol, mi
Sol, sol, mi, mi, sol, sol, mi
Sol, sol, mi, mi, sol, sol, mi
Sol, mi, sol, sol, mi

I created a SMARTnotebook file to use as well as the actual manipulative's.  I have a lesson plan and the SMARTnotebook file I would be glad to send if you're interested.  After working through the song, discussing sol and mi and quarter and eighth notes, I would play quarter notes and eighth notes on an alto xylophone and have the students walk with the beat in their feet around the room.  It really ended up being a GREAT lesson!

Getting started!

This week is going to be my first week in front of students as an elementary music teacher!  I am super nervous!!  And VERY excited!!  I will be going over the rules and starting to learn names and then doing a couple of fun songs.

Being on a cart is going to be an intersting challenge!  You always hear the negative points of it - I'm going to spend my time trying to find the positive things.

Do you have a favorite song that you love to do the first weeks back to school?

Super Excited!!!

After spending the last five years as a school media specialist (which I enjoyed very much), I am really looking forward to being back in a music classroom.  I have taught middle school band and worked as the children's choir director for several years, but I have never taught elementary music.  I plan on using this blog to share ideas and lessons that I find effective.  I hope you enjoy!