Lesson Plan K3: Getting to Know You

Primary Purpose: To help the children feel loved and happy about making music together!

Secondary Purpose: Continue reviewing their names, review songs and action cues, taste a song from a musical, learn part of that song.

Resources:
1. Songs/Games:

  • Delicious Music
  • Children, Come and Dance with Me
  • Here We Go Back to School Again
  • Apple, Cherry, Pumpkin Pie or Neighbor Switcheroo
  • Getting to Know You
  • Adios, Amigos

2. Other:

  • Video clip of “Getting to Know You” from the musical, “The King and I” and any equipment needed to show it (You could just play the song or sing it yourself if you don’t have resources to show it)

Preparation:
Review songs, gather resources, prepare name tags, review seating chart. When you get there, be sure your media equipment is ready and working and your video is cued and ready.

Plan Overview (with time approximations):

  • Sing “Delicious Music” (1 minute), twice if desired
  • Review “Children, Come and Dance with Me” and “Here We Go Back to SchoolAgain.” Review how to march right, stop and turn center, march left, and go in and out from the circle, as well as how to come back to their seats quietly and without bumping (5 minutes)
  • Play the “Who is your neighbor?” game, then return to spots
  • Introduce and show “Getting to Know You” (6-8 mins)
  • Teach first half of “Getting to Know You” (8 minutes)
  • Sing and say goodbye (“Adios, Amigos”)

Plan Details:

“Apple, Cherry, Pumpkin Pie” (call-response sol-mi game)

Apple, cherry, pumpkin pie
Name the neighbor that you sit by!

Children are all sitting in a circle. Sing the song all together. The teacher models first, and the each child to her right, going around the circle, answers the class’ question when it is his/her turn.

“Neighbor Switcheroo” (call-response sol-mi game)

My name is _______. Who sits right of you? Her/his name is _______. Neighbor switcheroo!

All the children are sitting in a circle. The teacher models the game first. You leave your spot in the circle, standing in the center. You sing, “My name is __________.” The children sing, “Who sits right of you?” You sing, “His name is ________.” Then everyone sings (or calls out), “Neighbor switcheroo!” and the child runs back to her spot, while her neighbor moves in. Ask one of the children to leave their spot and stand in the center of the circle.

More challenging version: The teachers taps out a 4/4 beat, and the children repeat, continuing to tap the entire song. (Tapping can move to shoulders, knees, elbows, or head when a change is needed.) Children sing the song to the beat, with the beat continuing when the children are switching places.

To print a PDF version of this page, click on this link: K3: Getting to Know You