COMMON CORE KARAOKE

It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a team to create something exciting for children! Sam Williams (kindergarten teacher extraordinaire), Michelle Tsivgadellis (3amteacher and delightful graphics designer), and Alex May (webmaster genius) and I have been working on “Common Core Karaoke" for 6 months. Our goal was to take some of my songs that children enjoy and use them as a springboard to reinforce skills and standards.

Each song packet is full of many tools and suggestions to make
reading come to life in your classroom. Every packet includes:
· Download of the song
· A colorful sing and read book
· A reproducible independent reading book
· Lyric sheet
· Extension Activities
· Common Core “I Can” Statements for ELA and Math
* Each packet also comes with reproducibles to use in your Daily 5
Centers. 

                          

Our first series includes these four songs that will be perfect for the beginning of the school year:
“Color Farm”
“Shape Family”
“Nursery Rhyme Rap”
“Five Little Hotdogs”

What every classroom needs in the coming school year is a little more JOY, and we hope our songs, books, and activities will add some smiles and fun to your day. Song packets are $4.95 each or $16.00 for the series of four. And, yes, we’ve got more series scheduled to come in the next year. We can’t wait to hear your feedback and suggestions for making “Common Core Karaoke” even better!

Here are the TPT links:
Color Farm
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-Farm-1263696

Little Hot Dogs
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Five-Little-Hot-Dogs-1263699

Nursery Rhyme Rap 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nursery-Rhyme-Rap-1263704 

Shape Family http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Shape-Family-Common-Core-Karaoke-1263710

HUNGRY FROM ALL THAT FISHING?

Life Preserver Sandwich

Bagel
Cream cheese
Blue food coloring
Fish Crackers
Add a few drops of blue food coloring to the cream cheese. Let the children spread the cream cheese on one half of a bagel. Decorate with 4 or 5 fish crackers.
Hint! Mini bagels are best for the young ones. You can also use round crackers. 
                        
Sand Castle Surprise
(Not very healthy, but for a special occasion!)
Cups
Yogurt or vanilla pudding (Tint blue if you like.)
Graham crackers
Gummy fish
Paper umbrella
Crumble up the graham cracker to look like sand. Fill the cup half full with yogurt or vanilla pudding. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top and add a gummy fish. Insert a paper umbrella as a decoration.

Fishing Pole
Large pretzel sticks
Peanut butter
Fish Crackers
Let children dip the end of the pretzel stick in the peanut butter and twirl it around to get a glob. Place fish crackers in a cup and let children dip the peanut butter in the cup to “catch” fish.
*Use almond butter or another substitute for peanut allergies.

Octopus
Hotdog
Slice up the hotdog from the middle of the bottom halfway. Slice up again into fourths. Cut each one of those sections in half to make 8 legs. Cook and watch the legs curl up.

Edible Math
Prepare sandwich bags of colored fish crackers. Children can sort these, make a pattern with these, count these, do subtraction with these, and so forth.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN FISHING?

Have You Ever Been Fishing? 

(Tune: “Turkey in the Straw” Keep on Singing & Dancing CD)
Have you ever been fishing (Pretend to fish.)
On a bright and sunny day, (Circle arms like the sun.)
When you see those little fishies (Fold hands and
Swimming up and down the bay? wiggle.)
With their hands in their pockets (Put hands in front.)
And their pockets in their pants. (Put hands in back.)
All the little fishies do the (Hands on hips and
Hoochie coochie dance! wiggle.)
*Tie an 18” piece of string to the end of a small stick or straw. Let children make fish out of construction paper and tie to the other end of the string.
                      
Five Little Fish
(Tune: “Down in the Meadow by the Itty Bitty Pool” Silly Songs CD)
No little fishies swimming in the sea, (Hold up fist.)
Splishing and a splashing (Pretend to swim.)
And a rocking to the beat.
Here comes a little fishie, (Wave.)
Oh, say, “hello.”
One little fishie swimming in a row. (Hold up one finger.)

One little fishie… (Hold up one finger.)
Two little fishies… (Hold up two fingers.)
Three little fishies… (Hold up three fingers.)
Four little fishies… (Hold up four fingers.)
Five little fishies… (Hold up five fingers.)
*Choose 5 children to act out this song.

Baby Fish
(Silly Songs CD - I have no idea why kids like this song, but they do.  In the original version there is a swimmer and a shark, but I adapted it so it's not so violent.)
Baby fish, do-do, do-do-do-do, (Open and shut index fingers to the beat.)
Baby fish, do-do, do-do-do-do.
Baby fish, do-do, do-do-do-do,
Baby fish, do-do, do-do-do-do.

Momma fish… (Open and shut hands.)
Daddy fish… (Open and shut arms.)
Giant whale… (Extend arm and leg to make whale’s mouth.)

*Let the children make up other verses, such as one about uncle fish, grandma fish, etc. Have them suggest arm movements to do for the different fish.

FINGER PLAY MATH

Fish 

One, two, three, four, five – (Hold up fingers on right hand one at a time.)
I caught a fish alive. (Clap palms as if catching a fish.)
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten – (Hold up fingers on left hand as you count.)
I let it go again. (Open up palms and pretend to release a fish.)
Why did you let that fishy go? (Shrug shoulders.)
Because it bit my finger so. (Hold up pinky.)
Which finger did it bite?
My little finger on the right.

Counting
Cut out ten paper fish and write the numerals 1-10 on them. Mix them up and then ask the children to put them in order.
*Make 20 fish for older students. 
                   
Five Little Seashells
Five little seashells lying on the shore. (Hold up 5 fingers.)
Swish went the waves, and then there were four. (Swoop hands up.)
Four little seashells, cozy as can be. (Hold up 4 fingers.)
Swish went the waves, and then there were three. (Swoop hands.)
Three little seashells, all pearly new. (Hold up 3 fingers.)
Swish went the waves and then there were two. (Swoop hands.)
Two little seashells, sleeping in the sun. (Hold up 2 fingers.)
Swish went the waves, and then there was one. (Swoop hands.)
One little seashell left all alone. (Hold up 1 finger.)
It whispered, “Shhh,”as I took it home. (Index finger by lips.)

Sets
Let children draw pictures of underwater scenes.  Write a different numeral on each one and give children seashells to make the appropriate set.
*Give children five seashells. How many different ways can they group them to make five?  

Hint!  A great place to buy shells is a dollar store.

SOUNDS FISHY!

In celebration of summer, over the next week I will be focusing on fish with tales, finger plays, songs, snacks, art projects, and science. Here we go with "Mitch the Fish." This file folder story is an adaptation of “Scat the Cat” that I published in a book 25 years ago. I hope your children say, “Do it again! Do it again!” 

Materials: file folder, 2 orange, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue, and 1 black construction paper

Cut a fish shape out of the front of the file folder. Run off the story below and glue it to the back of the file folder so you can read it as you remove one sheet of paper at a time. Insert the paper in the file folder in this order: orange, red, yellow, blue, black, orange (You might need to trim down the construction paper to 8” x 10”. I used a dot sticker for the eye, and yes, I have to put a smile on everything!)

MITCH THE FISH
Once there was an orange fish named Mitch who could change his color with the swish of his tail. All he had to say was:
         I’m Mitch the fish.
         I swim and I swish.
         And I can change my color
         If I wish.
One day he was swimming around the ocean floor when he saw a red lobster. He thought it would be fun to be a bright color like the lobster so he said:
         I’m Mitch the fish.
         I swim and I swish.

         And I can change my color 

         If I wish.

                             
Suddenly he turned red. (Remove the orange sheet of paper to make Mitch red.) The lobster said, “I’m the only sea creature who can be red. I’ll snap at you!” So Mitch decided he didn’t want to be red anymore. Just then he saw a yellow starfish, so he said:
         I’m Mitch the fish...
And with a swish Mitch turned yellow. (Remove the red paper to show the yellow.) The starfish said, “I’m the only creature who can be yellow. I’ll prickle you!” So Mitch decided he didn’t want to be yellow anymore.
Then he saw a blue whale and said:
         I’m Mitch the fish...
And with a swish Mitch turned blue. The whale said, “I’m the only creature who can be blue. I’ll flip you with my tail!” So Mitch decide he didn’t want to be blue anymore. He saw a big, black shark and said:
         I’m Mitch the fish...
And with a swish Mitch turned black. The shark said, “I’m the only creature who can be black. I’ll poke you!” Mitch realized the best thing to be was himself, so once more he said:
         I’m Mitch the fish...
He turned back into being an orange fish because being yourself is always the very best thing to be!
Research
Look on the internet to find different creatures in the sea. How many colors can you find?

Retelling a Story
Make a story bracelet so children can retell the story in sequential order.
String an orange, red, yellow, blue, black, and orange bead on a pipe cleaner. Twist the ends to make a bracelet.

Writing

Creative - If you lived in the sea, what would you be?
Descriptive -If you were in the ocean, what would you see? Hear? Taste?  Touch?

DAD-O, DAD-O!

Father's Day is a few weeks away, so here's a song, card, and gift idea.

He’s My Dad – June 15, 2014
(Tune: “Day-O” – Happy Everything CD)
Dad-o, dad-o, he’s my dad and I love him so. (Point thumbs to chest
Dad-o, dado, he’s my dad and I love him so. as if proud.)
Works all day and he comes home tired, (Bend over as if tired.)
He’s my dad and I love him so.
Still plays with me in the yard. (Pretend to throw a ball.)
He’s my dad and I love him so.

Dad-o, dad-o, he’s my dad and I love him so (Point thumbs to chest.)
Dad-o, dad-o, he’s my dad and I love him so.
He reads to me and we laugh and play. (Hold up palms like a book.)
He’s my dad and I love him so.
Helps me do my best each day. (Shake head “yes.”)
He’s my dad and I love him so.
Dad-o, dad-o, he’s my dad and I love him so.
Dad-o, dad-o, he’s my dad and I love him so.

Shirt and Tie Card
Fold a sheet of paper in half. Cut in several inches from each end about 1” down from the fold as shown. Bend each corner down to look like the collar of a shirt. Add buttons, a tie, and a special message inside.
                           

Belt or Key Rack
You will need scraps of wood (2x4x10 works well), nails, and hammers for this project. Let children decorate the wood with paints or markers. Next, let them hammer 4 or 5 nails in the wood. Attach a hanger to the back.

Tie Holder
Let children cover a cardboard roller from paper towels with masculine wrapping paper. Insert a 24” piece of string and knot the ends so it can be hung from a nail to hold ties.

Note! This is a great opportunity to talk about different kinds of families. Some children may not have a father living with them, so those children can make a gift for a grandfather, uncle, or other special friend.

THE BEAVER CALL

Calling all you beavers and those of you who'd like a free song download.  Just go to my website this month and you can download this silly camp song.  Yep, it's one of those "dumb songs" that the kids will love.

The Beaver Call
Chorus: F-f-f, f-f-f, f-f-f-f-f-f-f.
(Extend arms and open and close fingers.
Put your top teeth over your bottom lip as you /f/.)

Beavers one, beavers all, (Cross right arm in front and then left arm.)
Do a little beaver call. (Chorus)

Beavers two, beavers three, (Pretend to climb a tree.)
Let’s chew up the beaver tree. (Chorus)

Beavers four, beaver five, (Pretend to dance.)
Do a little beaver jive. (Chorus)

Beaver six, beavers seven, (Wave your arms and look up.)
Let’s fly up to beaver heaven. (Chorus)

Beavers eight, beavers nine, (Extend arms stiffly like Frankenstein.)
Do a little Frankenstein. (Chorus)

Beavers ten, beavers ten, (Extend arms and open and close fingers.)
Let’s be beavers once again! (Chorus)

*Ask children what beavers do.  Why do they have such big teeth?  How do they use their tail?  How do they help the environment?  What does it mean to be "busy as a beaver"?