Submitted by Connie Herbon, Iowa
Idea posted November 8, 2005
This activity came out of the necessity to create musical activities intended to bring about a response from each preschooler at his/her level of ability. We no longer have this class in our district, but the activity I've adapted below did work quite well for us during the years I had these children. Some of my students were totally non-verbal but could still respond and participate in their own way. Keep in mind that the object of this activity is to encourage participation, not to achieve some great musical or literary truth.
OODLES OF NOODLES(adapted from my original "Caps For Sale - Picture Book Activity"
Materials needed:
- laminated pictures of plates/bowls of noodles, each a different color and of appropriate size and stiffness for students' handling
- small tablecloth or other similar item for "table"
Pitch inventory for teacher:
- sol, mi, low do (Pitch "do" wherever comfortable for teacher's extended singing demands with this group. A wireless mic would be a great asset here!)
Formation:
- Students sit in a circle around the "table." Each is given one "noodle" visual.
Introduction:
"Boys and girls, we are going to have a lot of visitors, and we need to put a lot of beautiful noodles on the table for them to eat," (or whatever yarn you'd want to spin to set the stage).
Part I:
Tune: s m-m s m-m s m-m s m-m
Words: "Red noodles, red noodles, who has the red noodles?"
Part II:
Student with the bowl of red noodles answers, "I do!" while proudly holding up visual. (This can be spoken or sung on s-m or just shown by action.)
Part III:
Class (or just teacher) sings:
"Red noodles, red noodles, __________ has the red noodles. Put them on the table and shake, shake, shake!"
(Tune is the same as Part I but ends on s m d for "shake, shake, shake.")
Class points at student holding red noodles as Part III is sung, then as the student puts the noodles on the "table," ALL shake pointer finger three times on "shake, shake, shake."
Repeat all parts until all colors have been put in the middle. Repeat as needed for enough turns for all to have a chance to be the "named" noodle person.