All things Winter (part 3)

Happy Friday!
Today I'm sharing intervention ideas for two more songs from my album, "All things Winter".

While some parts of our country seem to be having spring weather already, many parts of the country are experiencing more winter weather this weekend.  This year has definitely had it's share of crazy weather!

Today I'm sharing songs about polar bears.  I love polar bears and many students do too!
The first song helps students learn basic things about polar bears.  The verses in this song teach that polar bears are soft and white, live where it is cold, swim underwater and love to eat. 


I like to use pictures of polar bears as I introduce this song.  The song itself provides repetition within each verse so that students have a chance to sing along.  I also incorporate sign language during the verses to help students focus on key words.  The signs I incorporate are:  soft, white, cold, swim, and eat.

The second song about polar bears focuses on the concept of big and small and slow and fast.

I like to demonstrate big, heavy feet stomping for the big polar bear and little quick steps for the smaller polar bear.  I've also used a big drum for the big polar bear and rhythm sticks or castanets for the little polar bear.  We sing the song and the drums go first with big, solid beats (you can say, "Big...step....big....step" to help them stay together.  In a 4/4 measure, drums play on beats 1 and 3.).  Then the other instrument group has a turn (for the quicker beats, I say, "Little, little, little, little".  In a 4/4 measure these beats would be the 8th notes).  In some classrooms, we stomp and walk around the desks to this song.  Students love this and it helps them focus on others as we have to stomp on the beat and stay together.

Stay warm (or dry..depending on where you live),  and stop back soon for more posts!