Poetry Friday: Cookies!

Mona's daughter gave us the word this week and she's writing her own story so check it out!

I did some "Cookie" writing and singing with Gr. 1's and 2's last year and here's what we came up with:

Cookies in the mornin'

Cookies in the evenin'

Cookies at suppertime

I just love my cookies

I think they're mighty fine!

(This is sung to the famous tune of "Sugar in the mornin'...." but they can make up their own tunes and the rest of the class has to echo what has just been sung. Good music skill to observe!)

This next one can be used as a clapping game or you can get out the skipping ropes!

You can make up a simple tune to this using basic guitar chords like D, G,A, C and F. Perhaps some kids could make their own tunes to these words. This works well in Gr. 2/3. I'd also hand out some rhythm instruments and teach them the Beat of the song (the underlying pulse) and then I'd show them how the Rhythm (tapping to each syllable of a word)was different from the Beat.

Cookies in the bakery,

Cookies in the store,

Cookies on the cookie sheets.

Bake me some more!

Mix it up, crack an egg,

Add a cup of butter,

Drop a glob or roll them out

And use a cookie cutter.

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip,

Oatmeal, Macaroon,

These are all my favourites

So make me some soon!

Naturally, you start by brainstorming ideas and then progress to printing out lines on huge chart paper. You colour code rhyming words and mark the beat with accent marks above the parts of words. The kids would practise this every day until they know it, before you start making up clapping games and using instruments. It's a great multi-purpose lesson which integrates many skills; reading, writing, spelling, language (syllables) singing, elements of music, movement, participation and group/partner skills.

Wow! This is all bringing it back to me what I've done for the past 27 years!

Mother of Invention, missing teaching music just a little bit!