One Two Red Balloon

One Two Red Balloon

Παρασκευή 18 Ιουλίου 2014

Some advice on the percussion instruments' stage of "One Two Red Balloon"

From my teaching experience I have realised that nursery students find it difficult to practice various rhythmical patterns at the same time. As a result, if your students managed to keep a steady beat while singing and playing their percussion instruments that would be fine! However, you can try and practise all rhythmical patterns mentioned in a lesson separately and only for fun! What matters is to motivate early learners and make them love English and Music!
Yet, as One Two Red Balloon is about teaching English at a pre-writing, pre-reading level, it can be used by anyone teaching in the 1st and 2nd grade of Primary School. In this case, you won't have any problems with the group work in the percussion instruments stage.
You can also cooperate with the Music teacher or Drama teacher at your school and perform some of the songs at a school event. For example, you can put on a show about the 4 Seasons based on the relevant lessons.  As you will see, the music of Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer has the form of variations of the same theme and that's because when I wrote them I was thinking of them as a whole.
Please, don't hesitate to ask me anything you want and if you ever use some of this material, I would be happy to learn how things went.
Above all, adapt the material to your students' needs and don't stick to the book!

Πέμπτη 10 Ιουλίου 2014

Lesson 16: I'm a musician

I'm a musician,
I play the piano,
I play the violin
and the guitar too!
I'm a musician,
I play the trumpet,
I play the flute
and the drums too!
Music, music, I play music! (x2)
Stage 1 – Brief Revision
Revise the previous lesson briefly following the procedure of Lesson 3 Stage 1 (here revise Happy Birthday, (birthday) cake, to blow out candles, to open presents, to make a wish, party, to dance)
Stage 2 Vocabulary focus i) MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: piano, violin, guitar, trumpet, flute, drum ii) PROFESSIONS: musician iii) VERBS: to play
Prepare flashcards and finger puppets at home that depict musical instruments piano, violin, guitar, trumpet, flute, drum. Present the flashcards to Ss, use L1 and ask them: “What can you see in the pictures?”, “Can you play any musical instruments?”, “What is your favourite musical instrument?”, “What musical instruments are there in our classroom?”. The last question will give you the chance to revise the percussion instruments Ss can play (maracas, tambourine, sticks, jingle stick, scraper, bells etc). Present and drill vocabulary items concerning musical instruments in English by using the flashcards and / or rhythmical clapping [ pia-no, gui-tar, trum-pet (clap two quarter notes, ta ta), flute, drum (clap one half note, ta-ah), vi-o-lin (clap three quarter notes, ta ta ta) ]. Make a recording of the sounds of these musical instruments or find one on the Web and play it in the classroom. Ask Ss to recognise the sounds of each musical instrument and label it in English e.g. Ss listen to a piano piece and shout “piano”. Ask Ss if they know how we call somebody that plays music professionally. Ss answer in L1 and then, you present them with the flashcard depicting a musician. Present and drill the word musician by using the flashcard and rhythmical clapping [ mu-si-cian (clap three quarter notes, ta ta ta)]. Next, tell Ss that they will learn a song about the musical instruments a musician can play. Play the song on the piano. Ask Ss to i) stand up and move to the rhythm of the music as if they played the musical instruments mentioned in the song ii) raise the correct flashcard or finger puppet of the musical instrument which is heard in the song iii) sing the song focusing on the words piano, violin, guitar, trumpet, flute, drums. In other words, you can pause before some words and wait for the Ss to say the word missing e.g. You play “I'm a musician, I play the______”, you pause and show Ss the piano flashcard. Ss shout “piano” and you continue with the following sentence of the song in the same way iv) clap their hands (4 quarter notes per measure, ta ta ta ta)
Stage 3 – Incorporating percussion instruments into our activities & practising rhythmical patterns
Divide the class into groups and give them the percussion instruments they are going to use in this song (Always give instructions by following the procedure of Lesson 1 Stage 3). Group A beats 2 half notes per measure using their bells (ta-ah ta-ah), Group B beats 4 quarter notes per measure using their jingle sticks (ta ta ta ta) and Group C beats “1 quarter note, 2 eighth notes, 1 half note” per measure using their sticks (ta ti-ti ta-ah). Practice separately and then altogether as a band. In the end, ask Ss to play and sing the song as much as they can.
Stage 4 – Follow-up activities
Ask Ss to make their own percussion musical instruments by using everyday household materials such as cans, boxes, paper, glue, beans, rice, lentils, coloured pencils etc (You can find useful information about making percussion instruments with household materials on the Web). During this activity, Ss could be listening to music (e.g. Ravel “Bolero”). In the end, ask Ss to sing goodbye to Mrs Mary (see Lesson 1 Follow-up).
























Lesson 15: Happy Birthday, Mrs Mary!

Happy Birthday, Mary!
We've got a cake for you!
Please, blow out your candles
and make a wish too!
Happy Birthday, Mary!
Open your presents now!
Tonight it's party time,
come on kids, let's dance!
Happy Birthday, Mrs Mary!

Stage 1 – Brief Revision
Revise the previous lesson briefly following the procedure of Lesson 3 Stage 1 (here revise: corn, potato, green beans, green peas, onion, pepper, tomato, cucumber, salad, cheese )
Stage 2 Vocabulary focus i) BIRTHDAY: (Happy) Birthday, (birthday) cake, candle, present, wish, party ii) VERBS: to blow out, to make a wish, to open, to dance
Prepare flashcards and finger puppets at home that depict birthday. Present the birthday flashcards to Ss, use L1 and ask them: “What can you see in the pictures?”, “When is your birthday”, “Do you like birthday parties?”, “Do you like birthday cakes?”, “What comes to your mind when you think of birthdays? (elicit party hats, noise makers, balloons, birthday cards, clown, birthday cake, candles, presents)”, “Is there a birthday song in your country? If yes, can you sing it now?”. The last question will give you the chance to teach them the “Happy Birthday to you!” song. Present and drill vocabulary items concerning birthday birthday, birthday cake, candle, present, party by using the flashcards and / or rhythmical clapping [ birth-day, ca-ke, can-dle, pre-sent, par-ty (clap two quarter notes, ta ta), ha-ppy birth-day, birth-day ca-ke (clap four quarter notes, ta ta ta ta)]. Then, use mime to teach Ss the meaning of the verbs / expressions to blow out, to make a wish, to open, to dance. Tell Ss that because today it's Mrs Mary's birthday, they should learn a new song and wish her Happy Birthday. Play the song on the piano. Ask Ss to i) stand up and move to the rhythm of the music ii) raise the correct finger puppet of the birthday word heard in the song iii) put the birthday flashcards in the correct order based on the song iii) sing the song and clap their hands (6 eighth notes per measure, ti-ti-ti ti-ti-ti)
Stage 3 – Incorporating percussion instruments into our activities & practising rhythmical patterns
Divide the class into groups and give them the percussion instruments they are going to use in this song (Always give instructions by following the procedure of Lesson 1 Stage 3). Group A beats 6 eighth notes per measure using their sticks (ti-ti-ti ti-ti-ti), Group B beats 2 one-dotted quarter notes per measure using their bells (ta-i ta-i), Group C beats “1 quarter note, 1 eighth note, 1 quarter note, 1 eighth note” per measure using their tambourines (ta ti ta ti). Practice separately and then altogether as a band. Last, ask Ss to play and sing the song as much as they can.
Stage 4 – Follow-up activities
Ask Ss to make birthday cards for Mrs Mary by either drawing them or downloading them from the Web and wish her Happy Birthday. Alternatively, you could throw a birthday party for Mrs Mary. Ss will ask her to blow out her candles (Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Mrs Mary! Happy Birthday to you!) and make a wish. They will give her some drawings as a birthday present and they will dance and eat some cake, sweets, snacks as well as drink juice or soft drinks. Ss could be listening to party music and interact with Mrs Mary the puppet. In the end, ask Ss to sing goodbye to Mrs Mary (see Lesson 1 Follow-up).
















Lesson 14: Let's make a salad!

Let's make a salad with
corn and potatoes!
Let's make a salad with
green beans and peas!
Let's make a salad with
onions and peppers,
tomato, cucumber
and white cheese!
Stage 1 – Brief Revision
Revise the previous lesson briefly following the procedure of Lesson 3 Stage 1 (here revise: toy, model car, model truck, teddy bear, doll, toy blocks, puzzle, numbers 6-10)
Stage 2 Vocabulary focus i) VEGETABLES: corn, potato, green beans, green peas, onion, pepper, tomato, cucumber ii) FOOD: salad, cheese iii) VERBS: to make
Prepare flashcards and finger puppets at home that depict vegetables. Present the vegetable flashcards to Ss, use L1 and ask them: “What can you see in the pictures?”, “Do you like vegetables?”, “What is your favourite vegetable”, “How often do you eat vegetables and salads?”. Present and drill vocabulary items concerning vegetables corn, potato, green beans, green peas, onion, pepper, tomato, cucumber by using the flashcards and / or rhythmical clapping [corn (clap one half note, ta-ah), green beans, green peas, pe-pper, sa-lad (clap two quarter notes, ta ta), po-ta-to, o-ni-on, to-ma-to, cu-cum-ber (clap three quarter notes, ta ta ta)]. Use mime to teach Ss the meaning of the verb to make (a salad). Revise the meaning of the word cheese by asking them to tell you which animal they have already learnt eats cheese (mouse). Then, practise vegetables further by presenting Ss with some pictures depicting salads and by asking them to recognise what kind of vegetables the salads are made of. Tell Ss that they will sing a song in which they suggest making a salad with various vegetables. Play the song on the piano. Ask Ss to i) stand up and move to the rhythm of the music ii) raise the correct flashcard or finger puppet of the vegetable that is heard in the song iii) put the vegetable flashcards in the correct order based on the song iv) sing the song and clap their hands (3 quarter notes per measure, ta ta ta)
Stage 3 – Incorporating percussion instruments into our activities & practising rhythmical patterns
Divide the class into groups and give them the percussion instruments they are going to use in this song (Always give instructions by following the procedure of Lesson 1 Stage 3). Group A beats 1 one-dotted half note per measure using their scrapers (ta-ah-ah), Group B beats 3 quarter notes per measure using their sticks (ta ta ta) , Group C beats “1 half note, 1 quarter note” per measure using their jingle sticks (ta-ah ta). Practice separately and then altogether as a band. Last, ask Ss to play and sing the song as much as they can.
Stage 4 – Follow-up activities
Ask Ss to draw a salad by using some of the vegetables they have just learnt. While drawing, Ss could be listening to music ( e.g. Eleni Karaindrou “The Wedding Waltz”). In the end, Ss vote for the best drawing. Alternatively, Ss could play a variation of the “Guess Who” game. One S at a time chooses a vegetable from the ones above and the rest of the class tries to discover it by asking him / her questions e.g. Is it yellow / red / yummy? etc. Ask Ss to sing goodbye to Mrs Mary (see Lesson 1 Follow-up).

























Lesson 13: I love toys!

Toys, toys, I love toys
I have got lots of toys:
six model cars and model trucks
seven teddy bears and eight dolls.
Toys, toys, I love toys
I have got lots of toys,
nine toy blocks and puzzles ten
six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Toys, toys, I love toys
I have got lots of toys!
Stage 1 – Brief Revision
Revise the previous lesson briefly following the procedure of Lesson 3 Stage 1 (here revise: pet, cat, duck, dog, cow, sheep, numbers 1-5, to love, animal sounds)
Stage 2 Vocabulary focus i) TOYS: toy, model car, model truck, teddy bear, doll, toy blocks, puzzle ii) NUMBERS: six, seven, eight, nine, ten
Prepare flashcards and finger puppets at home that depict toys and numbers 6-10. Present the toy flashcards to Ss, use L1 and ask them: “What can you see in the pictures?”, “Do you like toys?”, “What kind of toys have you got”, “What is your favourite toy?”. Present and drill vocabulary items concerning toys toy, model car, model truck, teddy bear, doll, toy blocks, puzzle by using the flashcards and / or rhythmical clapping [car, truck, doll, blocks (clap one half note, ta-ah), to-y, pu-zzle, te-ddy, mo-del (clap two quarter notes, ta ta), mo-del car, mo-del truck, to-y blocks (clap two quarter notes and one half note, ta ta ta-ah), te-ddy be-ar (clap four quarter notes, ta ta ta ta)]. Then, ask Ss “How many toys have you got?”. Ss answer by using the numbers 1-5 they have already learnt as well as L1 in case they want to use another number. Next, you present them with the flashcards depicting numbers 6-10. First ask Ss to count from number 6 to number 10 in their mother tongue and then, present and drill numbers 6-10 in English by using both the flashcards and rhythmical clapping [six, ten (clap one half note, ta-ah), se-ven, e-ight, ni-ne (clap two quarter notes, ta ta)]. Practise numbers 6-10 further by asking Ss to give you examples of these numbers. For example, you say “seven” and Ss show you seven markers etc. Tell Ss that they will sing a song in which a child expresses his/her love for toys as well as mentions the number of toys s/he has got. Play the song on the piano. Ask Ss to i) stand up and move to the rhythm of the music ii) put the toy flashcards in the correct order based on the song iii) match the number flashcards with the toy flashcards based on the song iv) sing the song and clap their hands (4 quarter notes per measure, ta ta ta ta)
Stage 3 – Incorporating percussion instruments into our activities & practising rhythmical patterns
Divide the class into groups and give them the percussion instruments they are going to use in this song (Always give instructions by following the procedure of Lesson 1 Stage 3). Group A beats 2 half notes per measure using their scrapers (ta-ah ta-ah), Group B beats 4 quarter notes per measure using their jingle sticks (ta ta ta ta), Group C beats “2 eighth notes, 3 quarter notes” per measure using their sticks (ti-ti ta ta ta). Practice separately and then altogether as a band. Last, ask Ss to play and sing the song as much as they can.
Stage 4 – Follow-up activities
Divide the class into 5 groups and ask groups to choose one number from 6 to 10 as well as a toy from the ones they have just learnt and make a poster illustrating the number in question. Alternatively, you could ask Ss to play a “Guess what I have drawn” game where all Ss choose and draw one of the toys they have just learnt and the rest of the class tries to find it out by making questions. While making the posters or playing the game , Ss could be listening to music (e.g. Shostakovich “Piano Concerto No 2”). In the end, Ss vote for the best poster. Ask Ss to sing goodbye to Mrs Mary (see Lesson 1 Follow-up).



















Τρίτη 8 Ιουλίου 2014

Lesson 12: I love pets!

I love pets, I love pets, one, two, three, four, five! (x2)
I've got one lovely cat, miaw-miaw the cat!
I've got two lovely ducks, quack-quack the ducks!
I love pets, I love pets, one, two, three, four, five! (x2)
I've got three lovely dogs, woof-woof the dogs!
I've got four lovely cows, moo-moo the cows!
I love pets, I love pets, one, two, three, four, five! (x2)
I've got five lovely sheep, baa-baa the sheep!
I really love my pets, my lovely pets!
I love pets, I love pets, one, two, three, four, five! (x2)

Stage 1 – Brief Revision
Revise the previous lesson briefly following the procedure of Lesson 3 Stage 1 (here revise: summer, ice cream, beach, sand, swimming, hot, to play, to go, to eat, to swim)
Stage 2 Vocabulary focus i) ANIMALS: pet, cat, duck, dog, cow, sheep ii) NUMBERS: one, two, three, four, five iii) SOUNDS OF ANIMALS: miaw, quack, woof, moo, baa
Prepare flashcards and finger puppets at home that depict pets and numbers 1-5. Present the pet flashcards to Ss, use L1 and ask them: “What can you see in the pictures?”, “Have you got any pets?”, “Do you love them?” “What is your favourite pet?”. (If you want, you can explain the difference between pets and animals by presenting Ss with another flashcard depicting wild animals, apart from the one depicting pets. In this case, tell Ss that both pets and wild animals are animals, but pets are looked after by humans). Present and drill vocabulary items concerning pets pet, cat, duck, dog, cow, sheep by using the flashcards and / or rhythmical clapping [cat, duck, dog, sheep (clap one half note, ta-ah), co-w (clap two quarter notes, ta ta)]. Then, ask Ss if they know what sounds these pets make. Ss answer based on the way these sounds are rendered in their mother tongue and then, you present them with their English equivalents. Practice these animal sounds further by making an animal sound e.g. miaw and by asking Ss to show you the correct animal flashcard and label it in English e.g. cat and / or vice versa. Having taught Ss the pets mentioned in the song, it's time you presented them with the flashcards depicting numbers 1-5. First ask Ss to count from number 1 to number 5 in their mother tongue and then, present and drill numbers 1-5 in English by using both the flashcards and rhythmical clapping [one, two, three, four (clap one half note, ta-ah), fi-ve (clap two quarter notes, ta ta)]. Practise numbers 1-5 further by asking Ss to give you examples of these numbers. For example, you say “one” and Ss show you one ball / pencil etc. Revise the verb to love by sketching a heart on the board. Tell Ss that they will sing a song in which they express their love for pets. Play the song on the piano. Ask Ss to i) stand up and move to the rhythm of the music ii) put the pet flashcards in the correct order based on the song iii) match the number flashcards with the pet flashcards based on the song iv) sing the song and clap their hands (4 quarter notes per measure, ta ta ta ta)
Stage 3 – Incorporating percussion instruments into our activities & practising rhythmical patterns
Divide the class into groups and give them the percussion instruments they are going to use in this song (Always give instructions by following the procedure of Lesson 1 Stage 3). Group A beats 2 half notes per measure using their maracas (ta-ah ta-ah), Group B beats 4 quarter notes per measure using their tambourines (ta ta ta ta), Group C beats “1 quarter note, 2 eighth notes, 1 half note” per measure using their sticks (ta ti-ti ta-ah). Practice separately and then altogether as a band. Last, ask Ss to play and sing the song as much as they can.
Stage 4 – Follow-up activities
Divide the class into 5 groups and ask groups to choose one number from 1 to 5 as well as a pet from the ones they have just learnt and make a poster illustrating the number in question. While making the posters , Ss could be listening to music (e.g. Shostakovich “Waltz No. 2”). In the end, Ss vote for the best poster. Ask Ss to sing goodbye to Mrs Mary (see Lesson 1 Follow-up).









Lesson 11: Summer

It's summer, summer,
it's a hot summer!
Eat an ice cream,
ice cream!
It's summer, summer,
it's a hot summer!
Go to the beach
and play with the sand!
It's summer, summer,
it's a hot summer!
Go swimming,
swim swim swim!
Stage 1 – Brief Revision
Revise the previous lesson briefly following the procedure of Lesson 3 Stage 1 (here revise: spring, butterfly, bee, bird, tree, daisy, rose)
Stage 2 – Vocabulary focus i) SEASONS: summer ii) WEATHER: hot iii) SUMMER LANDSCAPE: beach, sand iv) FOOD: ice cream v) VERBS: to eat, to go, to play, to swim
Prepare flashcards and finger puppets at home that depict the season of summer and whatever characterises it, such as the beach, the sea, ice cream, swimming, sunbathing, sandcastles, buckets and shovels, holidays, sunny and hot weather etc. Present the flashcards to Ss, use L1 and ask them: “What can you see in the pictures?”, “ Look at the pictures and guess which season we are going to talk about.”, “Do you like summer?” “What is the weather like in summer?”, “What are the colours of summer?”. Present and drill the following vocabulary items summer, ice cream, beach, sand, swimming by using the flashcards and rhythmical clapping [beach, sand (clap one half note, ta-ah), su-mmer, swi-mming (clap two quarter notes, ta ta), i-ce-cream (clap three quarter notes, ta ta ta). Also, use mime and teach the verbs to eat, to go, to play, to swim as well as the adjective hot.
Alternatively, if the lesson takes place in summer, you can ask Ss to look outside their windows and describe the weather (it's sunny, it's hot), the kind of clothes people wear in summer (T-shirts, shorts, sandals, hats etc), the food and drinks people eat ( ice cream, refreshments etc) and the colours that characterise summer (yellow, blue etc). You can also make a recording (or find one on the Web) of the sound of the sea and waves, play it in the classroom and ask Ss to recognise what they hear.
Tell Ss that they will sing a song in which they describe the season of summer. Play the song on the piano. Ask Ss to i) stand up and move to the rhythm of the music ii) raise the correct flashcard or finger puppet of the word that is heard in the song iii) reproduce the sound of waves and the sea. iv) describe what kind of feelings the music evokes by sketching a happy or sad face on paper v) clap their hands (4 quarter notes per measure, ta ta ta ta)
Stage 3 – Incorporating percussion instruments into our activities & practising rhythmical patterns
Divide the class into groups and give them the percussion instruments they are going to use in this song (Always give instructions by following the procedure of Lesson 1 Stage 3). Group A beats 2 half notes per measure using their scrapers (ta-ah ta-ah), Group B beats 4 quarter notes per measure using their tambourines (ta ta ta ta), Group C beats “4 eighth notes, 2 quarter notes” per measure using their jingle sticks (ti-ti ti-ti ta ta). Practice separately and then altogether as a band. Last, ask Ss to play and sing the song as much as they can.
Stage 4 – Follow-up activities
Ask Ss to make a collage picture of their favourite summer holiday destination. In the end, Ss vote for the best collage picture and the winner describes it in class. While drawing, Ss could be listening to music (e.g.Vivaldi “The Four Seasons - Summer”). Ask Ss to sing goodbye to Mrs Mary (see Lesson 1 Follow-up).









Lesson 10: Spring

It's spring, it's spring, 
it's spring, it's spring! 
Butterflies and bees,
birds on the trees
oh, it's spring!
It's spring, it's spring, 
it's spring, it's spring!
Yellow daisies,
roses red and pink
oh, it's spring!
Stage 1 – Brief Revision
Revise the previous lesson briefly following the procedure of Lesson 3 Stage 1 (here revise: winter, snow, snowman, snowball, cold, mittens)
Stage 2 Vocabulary focus i) SEASONS: spring ii) ANIMALS: butterfly, bee, bird iii) PLANTS: tree, daisy, rose iv) COLOURS: yellow, red, pink
Prepare flashcards and finger puppets at home that depict the season of spring and whatever characterises it, such as flowers (roses, daisies, tulips etc), birds, butterflies, bees, green fields, sunny weather etc. Present the flashcards to Ss, use L1 and ask them: “What can you see in the pictures?”, “ Look at the pictures and guess which season we are going to talk about.”, “Do you like spring?” “What is the weather like in spring?”, “What are the colours of spring?”. Present and drill the following vocabulary items spring, butterfly, bee, bird, tree, daisy, rose by using the flashcards and rhythmical clapping [spring, bee, bird, tree (clap one half note, ta-ah), ro-se (clap two quarter notes, ta ta), bu-tter-fly, da-i-sy (clap three quarter notes, ta ta ta). Also, briefly revise colours.
Alternatively, if the lesson takes place in spring, you can ask Ss to look outside their windows and describe the weather (it's sunny), the landscape (green fields / trees, flowers, birds) and the colours that characterise spring (green, yellow, red, pink etc) as well as collect some roses, daisies and other flowers and present them to their classmates. You can also make a recording (or find one on the Web) of the sound of singing birds and the buzzing of bees, play it in the classroom and ask Ss to recognise what they hear.
Tell Ss that they will sing a song in which they describe the season of spring. Play the song on the piano. Ask Ss to i) stand up and move to the rhythm of the music ii) raise the correct flashcard or finger puppet of the word that is heard in the song iii) fly like butterflies / bees / birds and reproduce their sound and raise their daisies and roses when these are mentioned in the song iv) to describe what kind of feelings the music evokes by sketching a happy or sad face on paper v) clap their hands (6 eighth notes per measure, ti-ti-ti  ti-ti-ti)
Stage 3 – Incorporating percussion instruments into our activities & practising rhythmical patterns
Divide the class into groups and give them the percussion instruments they are going to use in this song (Always give instructions by following the procedure of Lesson 1 Stage 3). Group A beats 2 one-dotted quarter notes per measure using their bells (ta-i ta-i) , Group B beats 6 eighth notes per measure using their jingle sticks (ti-ti-ti  ti-ti-ti), Group C beats “1 quarter note, 1 eighth note, 1 quarter note, 1 eighth note” per measure using their sticks (ta ti ta ti). Practice separately and then altogether as a band. Last, ask Ss to play and sing the song as much as they can.
Stage 4 – Follow-up activities
Ask Ss to draw something depicting spring or make a collage picture by cutting pictures from magazines or printing them from the web. In the end, Ss vote for the best drawing / collage picture and the winner describes his/her drawing / collage picture in class. While drawing, Ss could be listening to music (e.g. Vivaldi “The Four Seasons - Spring”). Ask Ss to sing goodbye to Mrs Mary (see Lesson 1 Follow-up).










Δευτέρα 7 Ιουλίου 2014

Lesson 9: Winter

It's winter, winter,
snow is falling,
make a snowman
with the white snow!
It's winter, winter,
snow is falling,
make snowballs
with the white snow!
It's winter, winter,
a cold, cold winter,
wear your mittens,
and play with the snow!
Stage 1 – Brief Revision
Revise the previous lesson briefly following the procedure of Lesson 3 Stage 1 (here revise: autumn, rain, wind, bare tree, fallen leaves, umbrella)
Stage 2 Vocabulary focus i) SEASONS: winter ii) WEATHER: snow, cold iii) WINTER LANDSCAPE: snowman, snowball iv) CLOTHES: mittens v) COLOURS: white vi) (optional - secondary) VERBS: to fall, to make, to wear, to play
Prepare flashcards and finger puppets at home that depict the season of winter and whatever characterises it, such as snow, snowman, snowballs, mittens, white trees, woolen clothes, scarves etc. Present the flashcards to Ss, use L1 and ask them: “What can you see in the pictures?”, “ Look at the pictures and guess which season we are going to talk about.”, “Do you like winter?” “What is the weather like in winter?”, “What are the colours of winter?”, “What kind of clothes do people wear in winter?”. Present and drill the following vocabulary items winter, snow, snowman, snowball, mittens by using the flashcards and / or rhythmical clapping [win-ter, sno-w, mi-ttens (clap two quarter notes, ta ta), sno-w-man, sno-w-ball (clap three quarter notes, ta ta ta)]. Use mime and teach the verbs to fall, to make, to wear, to play as well as the adjective cold.
Alternatively, if the lesson takes place in winter, you can ask Ss to look outside their windows and describe the weather, the landscape, the clothes people wear and the colours that characterise winter (white, grey).
Tell Ss that they will sing a song in which they describe the season of winter. Play the song on the piano. Ask Ss to i) stand up and move to the rhythm of the music ii) raise the correct flashcard or finger puppet of the word that is heard in the song iii) sing the song focusing on the following vocabulary items snowman, snowballs, mittens by pausing before these are heard in the song and asking Ss to sketch the word missing on paper iv) to describe what kind of feelings the music evokes by sketching a happy or sad face in their drawing pads v) clap their hands (4 quarter notes per measure, ta ta ta ta)
Stage 3 – Incorporating percussion instruments into our activities & practising rhythmical patterns
Divide the class into groups and give them the percussion instruments they are going to use in this song (Always give instructions by following the procedure of Lesson 1 Stage 3). Group A beats 2 half notes per measure using their triangles (ta-ah ta-ah) , Group B beats 4 quarter notes per measure using their jingle sticks (ta ta ta ta) and Group C beats “4 eighth notes, 2 quarter notes” per measure using their bells (ti-ti ti-ti ta ta)
. Practice separately and then altogether as a band. Last, ask Ss to play and sing the song as much as they can.
Stage 4 – Follow-up activities
Ask Ss to draw something depicting winter or make a collage picture by cutting pictures from magazines or printing them from the web. In the end, Ss vote for the best drawing / collage picture and the winner describes it in class. While drawing, Ss could be listening to music (e.g. Vivaldi “The Four Seasons - Winter”). Ask Ss to sing goodbye to Mrs Mary (see Lesson 1 Follow-up).