Pick-a pick-a pumpkin from the pile;We can make his eyes and a great big smile.

Pick-a pick-a pumpkin round and clean,Then we’ll be ready for Halloween!

Halloween, Halloween;Then we’ll be ready for Halloween.

Halloween, Halloween;Then we’ll be ready for Halloween.

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Pick-a Pick-a Pumpkin Lesson Ideas (What I did):

1.  Introduce the words to the A section 2.  We did a passing game a few times through to the CD music (I did "take, pass, clap, clap").  I used beanbags because

I'm too cheap to pay $1 each for those little bitty pumpkins! 3.  Then I demo'ed a C&G bordun (half notes?) on Xylos and Metallos (I used C&G boomwhackers too) and demo'ed other

patterns on Rhythm Sticks for everybody else (about half the kids on barred instr and BW, the other on Rhythm Sticks)

  - for my 2nd graders I had the rhythm sticks players tap on the floor to a quarter note beat (twice as fast as the mallet bordun)- for my 3rd graders I had the rhythm sticks players play 4 sixteenths and a quarter at the beginning of the 1st four lines ("Pick-a pick-a pump", "We can make his eyes", etc) and play "floor tap, floor tap, click together" on the word "Halloween".

 4.  Practice playing the parts. 5.  Sing and play the A section, and speak the B section using different voice inflections and articulations (teacher leads &

students echo or say the words with their own inflection, though you could divide them into 2 groups after they get the rhythm pattern.)  The idea of the B section was to have them an opportunity to be creative within the bounds of the given rhythms.

 6.  We repeated section A, to complete an ABA pattern. 7.  Then we rotated instruments and did it all again! 8.  I did not get to do my final step which was to add a C section - game (maybe ABCA or ABACA and rotate instruments

then repeat, etc).  I printed out a bunch of pumpkins on orange paper and then printed out matching 4-beat rhythms on the other side.  I would play it sort of like a matching game, boys vs. girls; pick 1 or 2 boy and girl rhythm stick players to pick 2 pumpkins and try to get a match, getting a point for their for a match.

Slight Variation on Words

Pick-a pick-a pumpkin from the pile;Find a match and make us smile.

Pick-a pick-a pumpkin round and clean,Then we’ll be ready for Halloween!

Halloween, Halloween;Then we’ll be ready for Halloween.

Halloween, Halloween;Then we’ll be ready for Halloween.

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