The Snowy Day — Joanna Teaches Music

We’ve almost done it–we are nearly through January! Personally, I find January to be a mixed bag: it’s colder and darker and the school year feels long. BUT, on the other hand, winter concerts are out of the way and I get to dive into some really fun projects that focus on bigger concepts.

The book “The Snowy Day” is an absolute favorite of mine and is perfect to use in these colder, winter months. I like to read the story and have the kids just sit and listen the first time. The next time, they get to act out (pantomime!) all of Peter’s adventures (“Crunch, crunch crunch. His feet sank into the snow” is a favorite moment).

Then, having introduced rhythms earlier in the year, we play this game: The Snowy Day: A Rhythm Matching Game for Google Slides

In this Google Slides game, students click on the number (1, 2, or 3) with the rhythm that matches the phrase from the book. It immediately tells them if they are correct or not.

To make it more exciting, we use instruments to play all the rhythms. I like to play by projecting on the board and playing it as a whole group. Students can call out the numbers or hold up and show me on their fingers (answer choices are 1, 2, or 3) and I can notate who is correct (this is a great way to assess without their awareness).

I can’t begin to tell you how much fun they have with this game–and there is ZERO PREP on your part!

If you’re already feeling that January is in the rear view and you’re looking towards Valentine’s Day, I’ve got you covered!

Stay warm, folks!

Joanna