#614. I Wrote a Letter Part II

Music, level: 3-5
Posted Thu Sep 10 05:28:00 PDT 2009 by Christine Tash (Christine Tash).
Mitchell Elementary School, La Plata, MD
Materials Required: index cards with 1 note on the staff
Activity Time: 20 min
Concepts Taught: Reading notes on a staff

This lesson is a continuation of the "I Wrote a Letter-Music Game" plan also found on this website:

Teach the song: (melody is YANKEE DOODLE)
"I wrote a letter to my friend
And on the way I dropped it
A little doggy picked it up
and put it in his pocket"
(THE REST BELOW can be spoken w/ a beat)
"Now he won't bite me
and he won't bite you
He'll bite the one who's got it
So drop it, so drop it
so drop it right NOW!"

Have the students sit in a circle. Once the song is taught, explain the rules:
Rules:
Letter: Make index cards with a note drawn on them(game for testing the notes on a staff) (you can also use music vocabulary for a review, or rhythms, etc)
1. Person chosen as "it" takes the letter (index card) and walks around the circle
2. All others sing w/ eyes closed and hands in lap
3. Before "DROP IT RIGHT NOW!" IT must drop the letter behind another player
4. Everyone checks for the letter behind them after the song
5. The person with the letter must show it to the class and tell the class what the answer is (what the letter name is of the note on the staff, or clap the rhythm, etc.)
6. If the person gets it right, they may now be IT, and if they do not get it right, the old IT goes again. Everyone will get a turn (I keep track by marking in my gradebook as a assess who goes.)
Assess as the game is being played