Blog Posts

St. Patrick's Day

Denise Gagne

A teacher from Edmonton emailed and asked if I had any St. Patrick's Day ideas. So - for all of you who are part Irish in March, here are a few ideas for celebrating St. Patrick's Day.

Michael Finigan

In Musicplay for Kindergarten, Song #113 is Michael Finnigan While this is a fun song to teach to your kindergarten classes, older students will also enjoy the song. With older students, have them create new verses.

Michael Finnigan Notation

There was an old man named Michael Finnigan.
He went fishing with a pinnigan.
Caught a fish and dropped it in again.
Poor old Michael Finnigan begin again!

There was an old man named Michael Finnigan.
He kicked up an awful dinnigan.
Because they said he must not sing again.
Poor old Michael Finnigan begin again!

John John the Leprechaun

John John the Leprechaun
Went to school with nothing on
Teacher said, "That's not fair!"
Give him back his underwear!

Activity 1: Use the poem to review or teach 2/4 meter.

Have the students take one shoe off and step the beat as they say the song. They should feel a strong and weak beat very clearly if they step with shoe on the strong and sock on the weak beat.

Draw hearts on the board, and put accents on every 2nd heart. Say the poem, pointing to the accented beats as you say it. Ask how the beats are grouped - in 2s, 3s or 4s. They are in Groups of 2. Explain that in music a barline comes before an accented beat. Draw the barlines in your example.

Activity 2: Create an ostinato accompaniment for the poem.

Have the students create 4 beat rhythm patterns.
Divide the class into 2 groups.

Have one group recite the poem. Have the other group play the ostinato using body percussion or nonpitched instruments.

St. Patrick's Day Rondo

The theme of the rondo could be this little poem:

Leprechauns, shamrocks, Irish stew,
What does St. Patrick's Day mean to you?

Have the kids make up variations, using one thing that St. Patrick's Day makes them think of. Have them create a chant that lasts 8 beats. It could rhyme, but wouldn't have to, as long as the chant is 8 beats. If the kids are having troubles thinking something up, give them a starter, or create variations as a class.

Decide on non-pitched rhythm instruments to play with their variations.
I like to have the kids do their chant once with words, and then once just with instruments. (16 beats total)

This really reinforces that rhythm is the way that the words go.

Here are some of the variations that I came up with -

Green, green, think of green
St. Patrick's day I think of green

Four leaf clover brings good luck (titi titi titi ta, titi titi ta ta )
Lucky four leaf clover.

There's a rainbow in the sky
Pot of gold at the end - oh my!

Catch a leprechaun, funny little man
He'll take you to the pot of gold, if he can!

Create step-dance type movement to Irish fiddle tunes

Irish fiddle tunes are found in Musicplay K, 3 and 6.

Musicplay for Kindergarten:
Musical Priest #68
Connaughtman's Rambles #83

Musicplay 3:
Irish Reel#21

Musicplay 6:
Celtic 1 - #69
Celtic 2 - #70

Here are some movement suggestions to use with the Musical Priest or Celtic 2:

have students stand in a line
listen to the fiddle solo at the beginning to hear tempo 8 small steps forward 8 small steps back 8 small steps forward 8 small steps back 8 step-togethers to the right 8 step-togethers to the left right heel out, cross right toe beside left foot, right heel out, right foot back in place (4 beats) left heel out, cross left toe beside right foot, left heel out, left foot back in place (4 beats) right heel out, cross right toe beside left foot, right heel out, right foot back in place (4 beats) left heel out, cross left toe beside right foot, left heel out, left foot back in place (4 beats)

repeat the entire sequence.