Fall Favorites

I love the fall!  I told my Kindergarten classes this week that it is quite possibly my favorite time I year.  I love that chilly nip in the air.  I love the beautiful colors as I drive to work.  I love all the great activities that I have planned for my classes in October and November!  This weekend I'm linking up with others to share some fall favorites.  Read all the way to the end to find a freebie for your classroom this fall!

Fall Favorite #1:  Scarves

 It is true.  I love a good scarf to wear around my neck, but I love a good scarf to dance with even more!  Kindergarteners used the scarves (made from tulle) while pretending to be trees.  We planted our feet and let our roots grow deep in the floor and then swayed in the breeze with our colorful "leaves" while listening to Autumn Leaves (from Share the Music series).  I always love to watch these young people as they experiment with movement and expression this way.

 

Fall Favorite #2:  The birthday of the Star-Spangled Banner

In 3rd grade music we are learning all about the "Star-Spangled Banner" at workstations.  Students sing, learn definitions, write poetry, read about Francis Scott Key and more.  Usually we do workstations in September closer to the date it was originally composed, but this year we are doing it right now.  I love the variety of activities that we do.  Check out these stations for your classroom.

 

Fall Favorite #3:  Silly Songs

One of my favorite silly songs to do in October is "There's a Spider on the Floor".  Sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It", this silly song was just screaming for some spider rings!  We used our spider rings to help us compose silly verses about a little spider that crawled all over.  Here are the verses we came up with:

 

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.

There's a spider on the floor, I can't take it any more.

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor.

 

2.  Leg...Oh I wish I had some Raid

 

3.  Knee...and he's crawling over me.

 

4.  Tummy...and it really isn't funny.

 

5.  Chest...and he's making me a mess.

 

6.  Neck...and he's making me a wreck.

 

7.  Hair...can you see him climbing there?

 

8.  Arm...I hope he does no harm.

 

9.  Hand...and he's playing in a band.

 

10.  Face....it is such a big disgrace.

 

11.  Back...and I think he' running track.

 

12.  Booty...and I think that he's a cutie.

 

13.  Head...I wish that he were dead.

 

Whoops!  He fell off!  (Shake the spider onto the floor.)

 

14.  There's a spider on the floor, on the floor..

 

 

Fall Favorite #4:  Veteran's Day

I love patriotic music so I love taking a few minutes to listening to the music of the armed forces.  It is always interesting to see if students can name all five branches of the armed service.  Being in land locked Missouri, students can usually name all branches except the Coast Guard.

 

This year while listening to the songs of each branch, students are completing listening glyphs to show what they hear.  Although we often write about music, the glyphs can assess what students know about dynamics, tempo, tone color and more in a fun and engaging manner.  I created these a week or so ago and the students have really responded well.  Armed Forces Listening Glyphs

 

 

I plan to hang some of these up near my armed forces bulletin board.

 

This bulletin board is actually FIVE bulletin boards.  I put about half of them up for each branch of the military.  Teachers:  Get it here!

 

 

Fall Favorite #4:  Pumpkins

 

In Kindergarten we read a poem about pumpkins and discuss steady beat and rhythm (or as I call it in class "the way the words go).  In first grade we learn "Pumpkin Patch" and add some partner dancing.  Second graders play Pass the Pumpkin.  In pass the pumpkin, students listen to a seasonal song with a  strong beat and then pass the pumpking to the beat.  We start by chanting "1 2 3 pass" until everyone can do it well and then we go a little faster.  Fun!

 

Fall Favorite Freebie: A Patch of Politeness

 

Grab this Patch of Politeness bulletin board freebie for your classroom.

 

Find more activities for fall in my store.

 



 

Click HERE to keep hoppin' through the Fall Favorite Blog Hop.  Your next stop is Jen Seltzer's blog, An Adventure in Literacy.