Green is the Theme: St. Patrick's Day & Earth Day
St. Patrick's Day
I Like Leprechauns
"I Like Leprechauns" is an easy echo song for PK or K. And guess what? Same melody as I like Valentine's. I did this purposefully so the song would be very easy to learn.
Irish Washerwoman
This is a fun play along - kids play to the beat slowly, then faster, then faster. Choose instruments or use body percussion. Invite the PreK students to help choose.
Leprechaun March - Musicplay for Kindergarten
This is an easy movement song. The repetitive lyrics make it easy to learn, and then invite the students to create their own verses with new movement.
Michael Finnigan - Musicplay for Kindergarten
Silly Irish folk song for K. If it's too hard to sing all the words, invite the children to play along instead. There is a mini-book to go with the song - kids illustrate it.
Connaughtman's Rambles - Musicplay for Kindergarten
2 fun play alongs for the Kinder students. This is body percussion. (no snaps in K)
Lucky Leprechaun - Musicplay 1
This is a fun movement song. I do this in a circle. We don't have a kids demo of this, but I play it very much like the St. Patricks Day Jig in Musicplay 2.
Make us a demo if you're allowed!
There's information about St. Patrick's Day in Grade 1 with Lucky Leprachaun - or go to the St. Patrick's Day Unit in Festivals and Special Days.
St. Patrick's Day Jig - Musicplay 2
Irish Reel - Musicplay 3
There isn't a play along given for this selection, but you could invite students in Gr. 3 to choose woods, metals, drums, shakes and scrapes and improvise to a section of it.
Irish Jig - St. Patrick's Day Unit
Irish Jig in the St. Patrick's Day Unit (Units-Special Days-St. Patrick's Day) has a play along AND as seen below a movement example.
Irish Jig has a solo movement idea and also has a partner movement. Great cardio!
Musicplay Middle School
Musicplay for Middle School has a wealth of Irish folk songs. Go to the song list and search "Irish." You can use these from about Gr. 3 on up to Gr 6-7-8.
Cockles and Mussels was a student favorite. I find that songs that tell a story lend themselves really well to expressive singing - and this was one I had kids sing in Festivals. There are interesting but playable piano accompaniments for all Musicplay selections, and you have permissions to use the copies (if you're a subscriber) in festivals or contests.
Hi Ho the Rattlin Bog is a cumulative song - a real brain teaser. We've been given permissions to put a performance online by Drops of Green!
The second performance can be found on YouTube. I really like the movements this choir added to the song. Search on YouTube: Hi Ho the Rattlin Bog 2012 Louisiana State Honor choir
St. Patrick's Day Unit
The St. Patrick's Day Unit - (Units-Festivals Holidays-St. Patrick's Day) has many additional activities.
The Color by Note is also a composition activity!
This is a simple so-mi composition activity.
This composition activity uses CDE GA - same poem, but more advanced activity.
Earth Day
One Planet - Earth Day Program
Earth Day is April 22. Look in UNITS-Programs for a complete Earth Day Program. It's called One Planet. You'll have the complete program to use - script, student handouts, piano/vocal, and many demos.
Earth Day Unit
Additional Earth Day Activities can be found in Units-Festivals Holidays-Earth Day. Each year a theme is announced, so the plastic improvisation and world's animals are related to the theme from a few years ago.
This years theme is "Invest in our Planet."
I'm creating a composition activity for it.
Invest in our Planet.
Invest in our Planet.
Invest in our Planet
And make the world a better place.
Kids make up verses:
Capture more carbon.
Capture more carbon.
Capture more carbon
And make the world a better place.
How many verses can your classes come up with?
Share you students verses's on Musicplay Teacher's Group on Facebook!
Webinar
Earn PD and watch our webinar on St. Patrick's Day and Earth Day for FREE
on Musicplay Workshops!