Song and Chant List
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(mainly focused on lower elementary, with a few upper elementary)
1. Eency, Weency Spider (also known as Itsy Bitsy Spider): Traditional American Finger Play (pg. 300)
2. Sing About Martin!: By “Miss Jackie” Weissman: American (pg. 367)
3. A Ram Sam Sam: Moroccan Folk Song (pg. 284)
4. The Hokey Pokey: American Folk Song (pg. 318)
5. I Love the Mountains: Traditional Song (pg. 325)
6. Hickory, Dickory, Dock: Nursery Rhyme by J.W. Eliot (also from Mother Goose) (pg. 318)
7. Miss Mary Mack: African American Play Song (pg. 345)
8. Three Blind Mice: by Thomas Ravenscroft (pg. 380)
9. America the Beautiful: by Samuel Augustus Ward and Katherine Lee Bates (pg. 283)
10. Old MacDonald Had a Farm: Traditional folk song
11. Who Ate the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? Chant
12. Twelve Days of Christmas: English Folk Song (pg. 384)
13. We Wish You a Merry Christmas: English Folk Song (pg. 393)
14. You’re A Grand Old Flag: American song by George M. Cohan (pg. 399)
15. There’s a Hole in My Bucket: Traditional Children’s Song
More songs with triple meter:
The songs on this list not cited otherwise are found in:
(mainly focused on lower elementary, with a few upper elementary)
1. Eency, Weency Spider (also known as Itsy Bitsy Spider): Traditional American Finger Play (pg. 300)
- This song would be appropriate to use in a pre-k or 1st grade class. It encourages movement as the students use their hands to make the spider go up the water spout and as the rain comes down. There is a steady pulse which is helpful to students when remembering parts of the song. It could also be helpful in an ESL classroom; the students could have a song sheet to follow along with the words and they could then color/draw their own spider or scene from the song to make it their own.
2. Sing About Martin!: By “Miss Jackie” Weissman: American (pg. 367)
- This song could be used in a pre-k or 1st grade classroom. It is a good song because it gives students a chance to possibly sing on their own or sing the response. It can be used in collaboration with a lesson on Martin Luther King Jr., as well as lessons on caring and peace. One of the things I love most about this song is that it incorporates sign language.
- Weissman, Jackie. (1983) Sing About Martin! Leawood, KS: Miss Jackie Music Co.
3. A Ram Sam Sam: Moroccan Folk Song (pg. 284)
- This song is good to use with a pre-k group (or sometimes even younger). There are 3 different rhythm patterns that the children may be able to identify by using different instruments (such as shakers, bells of hand claps). As the teacher sings, the students can play along with their instruments while finding the different rhythms.
4. The Hokey Pokey: American Folk Song (pg. 318)
- This song would be good to use with younger children (pre-k to 1st grade) to help develop their motor skills and coordination. It can also help them to learn their right side from their left side. When the tempo speeds up a little bit when it says “and shake it all about” students that are moving along with the song can feel the difference in tempo. It is a very good song to get students up and moving around.
5. I Love the Mountains: Traditional Song (pg. 325)
- This is a great song to sing as a round. It is good for teaching children to sing in harmony. It could be used in a pre-k or 1st grade class. Just like the song Sing About Martin! This song can be used in coordination with sign language.
6. Hickory, Dickory, Dock: Nursery Rhyme by J.W. Eliot (also from Mother Goose) (pg. 318)
- I like this nursery rhyme because it has definite stops. It is most appropriate for pre-k classrooms. It is a good song to introduce triple meter. It could also help with learning about time/clocks because it goes through all of the hours.
7. Miss Mary Mack: African American Play Song (pg. 345)
- I like this song because it is also a clapping game. Children can really get into this song by playing the clapping game. It helps them to understand the rhythm because it has such an obvious beat.
8. Three Blind Mice: by Thomas Ravenscroft (pg. 380)
- This is a good song to introduce students to duple meter. It would best be used around 2nd or 3rd grade. Since this is a song most children know it is easier for them to sing along while clapping (to listen for the meter).
9. America the Beautiful: by Samuel Augustus Ward and Katherine Lee Bates (pg. 283)
- This song is good for older children, 4th grade and up. It has quadruple meter. The lyrics are also more age appropriate for old children because younger children may not know what words just as spacious and majesties. It also has more verses than most young children’s songs.
10. Old MacDonald Had a Farm: Traditional folk song
- This song would be great in an ESL classroom. It doesn’t have much variation in terms of its pitch, so the students can focus on the lyrics rather than trying to match different pitches in a song. It can teach the students about farm animals, you could accompany the song with the pictures of the farm animals and since it is a bit repetitive it gives students the opportunity to practice the words throughout the song.
- 2008, Old MacDonald. Making Music Fun. Retrieved October 10, 2012, from http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_printit_free_printable_sheet_music/old_macdonald_leadsheet.htm
11. Who Ate the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? Chant
- This chant is good to use in a classroom when trying to learn each other’s names. It gives students a chance to practice using the other student’s names. By chanting, “who me?” “Yes you” “couldn’t be” “then who” and that student who is denying eating the cookie announces that it was another student and the chant repeats. This would be good for middle elementary students because they can more easily understand how to respond.
- 2012, International Music & Culture. Mama Lisa’s World. Retrieved October 10, 2012, from http://www.mamalisa.com/?p=133&t=es&c=23
12. Twelve Days of Christmas: English Folk Song (pg. 384)
- This song would be most appropriate for older students (and it is important to make sure that it is okay to sing in each particular school). There is a good range in pitch and there are many verses that are somewhat repetitive but also change each time.
13. We Wish You a Merry Christmas: English Folk Song (pg. 393)
- This song has a change in tempo throughout the song; this would be a good song in teaching students how to control their speed while singing a song. It could be appropriate for any age group as long as it was allowed to be song in the school.
14. You’re A Grand Old Flag: American song by George M. Cohan (pg. 399)
- This is a good song to use when learning about American history. It has duple meter and the tonality is in major. It is a song that most everybody has heard at least once so it is somewhat familiar to them which always creates a good starting point in teaching any lesson.
15. There’s a Hole in My Bucket: Traditional Children’s Song
- This is a fun song to sing, it is repetitive and fast paced. It is in fast triple meter. It is a good partner song, with a part for each person: Henry and Liza. It would be most appropriate for middle elementary students.
- 2000, Dear Liza. 8notes.com. Retrieved October 10, 2012 from http://www.8notes.com/scores/527.asp
More songs with triple meter:
- Row, Row, Row Your Boa: English Nursery Rhyme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5RKxqeKL5Q
- Pop Goes the Weasel: Nursery Rhyme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfYoNPJcN30
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: English Lullaby http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCjJyiqpAuU
- Fly Little Bird: American Children's Song http://www.nancymusic.com/Flybirdplay.htm
- God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen: Traditional English Christmas Carol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmpLwWKFzHY
The songs on this list not cited otherwise are found in:
- Hackett, P. & Lindeman, C.A. (2007). The Musical Classroom: Backgrounds, Models, and Skills for Elementary Teaching. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall