S2: E50 Dreadfully Good Halloween Activities for the Classroom

Season Two
Episode 50
Dreadfully Good Halloween Activities for the Classroom

I have not one (ah-ah-ah) or two (ah-ah-ah), but ten carefully chosen spine-chilling, frighteningly gruesome and dangerously fun Halloween activities to share.  (ah-ah-ah)  I love spending time with family and friends and embracing the joyfulness of enjoying a seasonal holiday involving costumes, fun, and candy corn.  WAY too much candy corn!

Every school looks at this day differently and celebrates or embraces it in different ways.  In one school that I worked, we celebrated Book Character Day on Halloween and students dress like a character and bring their book to match.  Dressing up within a book theme with other teachers is so fun.  One year our team used the book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (I was the wardrobe made out of a cardboard box - that was so fun to move around in!) and other years we were different versions of Pinkalicious, Greek goddesses, Dr. Seuss' Things 1.2.3.4... - and other fun team costumes over the years.

Halloween is one of those days of the year when I know that I need to embrace the crazy and adapt my lessons to make it a positive day full of joyful learning and unique lessons that often looks very different from my usual routine.  Our school day schedule on Halloween is jam packed with different gatherings as a school.  We start with an all-school Halloween parade where we walk outside on the track with parents gathered to watch and take pictures.  Everyone performs the Monster Mash dance and then we go to our first class.  For lunch we do an all hotdog lunch where we meet up with our community buddies (each older grade is paired with a younger grade for events throughout the year) and then students eat and play together.  We finish the day off with a volleyball game with the female faculty playing against the 7th/8th grade volleyball team in the gym while all of middle school watches.  The day is jam packed and students are so excited.  In between all the school planned events, we have our regular classes, but for shorter times.  It's best to go with it, embrace it, and make the day great for them and for me.

Each year I plan at least one activity for each class on Halloween day that fits the theme.  Many times I have grade level performances the next week so I can't spend full class periods on only Halloween. It wouldn't make sense.  For the days leading up to Halloween, some classes will play a game the last five minutes or so of class if we've gotten through other content, but it doesn't always happen.  If you don't want to spend a lot of time teaching Halloween material, but you want something you could do in one class period or ideas to celebrate the holiday leading up to Halloween, here are my top ten dreadfully good lesson ideas.

**If you can't celebrate or say Halloween at all, there's some fall activities included here as well for modification.**

Top Ten Dreadfully Wonderful Halloween Lesson Ideas

1) Skin and Bones

The ultimate Halloween song.  Not too scary, but with a great 'Boo!' at the end that always has them wanting it again.  The repetitiveness of the "ooo" on mi-re-do-low la is fantastic.  Great way to prep low la or introduce low la tonal center.  Minor piece.

2) Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate

I have always loved this poem and used it as a fingerplay with my youngest students.  Using animated voices - whisper, speak.

Option for if you can't talk about witches - I've heard other teachers say "There are things in the air" for pumpkin #2.  Individual students representing the pumpkins can speak the solos for each one.  Act out the story.  Scarves for the wind!

3) Los Esqueletos (The Skeletons)

This song is originally from Costa Rica, but there are lots of different versions.  Some versions use the word 'esqueletos' (skeletons) and others use the word 'calaveras' (skulls).  Each verse moves through the time on the clock.  Cuando el reloj marca la una… cuando el reloj marca las dos...the skeletons do something different every hour:

ex// One skeleton comes out of his grave

Two skeletons eat rice

Three skeletons turn upside down

Four skeletons go to the theater

etc...

4) Once Upon a Halloween

I learned this piece as a student teacher from Rob Koch, an elementary educator in Michigan.  I've looked and looked for where this piece comes from, but haven't been able to locate the source.  It's one that I've used with my youngest students in Kinder-First grade.

5)  Candy Composition Piece

Ask students to brainstorm names of candies that fit rhythm building blocks (2 beats in each box).  Then choose one candy for each building block.

Or provide them with names of candies already under each building block if you don't want to spend time having them brainstorm and choosing one candy for each rhythm option.  Keeps it consistent as well throughout class so that rhythms are easier to compare.

Option ideas:

Laffy Taffy, Jolly Ranchers - titi titi 

Mars, Twix, Crunch, Nerds - ta rest

Snickers, SweetTarts, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, Air Heads, Pop Rocks - ta ta

Milky Way, Baby Ruth, Candy Corn, Caramel, M&M's, Bottle Caps, Tootsie Rolls - titi ta

Life Savers, Gobstoppers - ta titi 

Three Musketeers - ti-tika ta

Sourpatch kids - tika-ti ta

You can ask students to put rhythm together using the candy names as individuals, with partners, or in small groups.

Directions: 

Provide students with a paper that contains empty boxes in rows.  There could be 8 boxes across for 16-beat patterns, 4 boxes across for 8-beat patterns, or 2 boxes across for 4-beat patterns.  Supply students with the building blocks filled with the notes and text.  Students choose what order to place the candy building blocks in the squares provided.  They should be able to speak the pattern and pat the pattern before playing the pattern.  Students could play the patterns in a variety of ways:

unpitches percussion

boomwhackers

drums

barred instruments in a pentatonic scale

If done individually, ask students to partner with another student and share their pattern.  If work was done as partners, ask two groups of partners to join together and share.  If done in small groups, guide students as a whole class and facilitate as they share what they created.

From here you could end the activity and keep it there or you could build upon this first stage by allowing students to create complimentary ostinatos and create more than one layer of rhythms using building blocks.  Students could listen to find areas that need more rests and where to place other rhythms to 'fit' the piece.  This depends on many factors:  time, space, instruments available, and where your students are in the learning process - what they can handle.  Simple is just as good as complex when done well and with understanding of being able to speak rhythms and perform them correctly.

6) We Will Pass the Pumpkin (Pass the Witches Broomstick)

These two songs/games are similar and I first learned it as We Will Pass the Pumpkin with the text/melody in this way.  I've never found a source with these exact lyrics.  Pass the Witches Broomstick is basically the same.  If you're not allowed to do a Halloween theme, but can relate to fall, using the pumpkin variation is a great idea.  

7) Trick or Treat

Before the lesson, prepare rhythm cards and 'treat' cards.  Students pass a bucket around the circle.  If they draw a rhythm card, they read it.  If they draw a 'treat' card, they get to choose a small treat out of a basket nearby.  At the end of class, I always give every student a small treat.  Doesn't have to be food or candy!  Could be something as small as a Halloween eraser (Target Dollar Spot!) or a pencil.

8) The Little Old Lady who was not Afraid of Anything

This book by Linda Williams is great for young students!  I love to add sound effects for each item in the story.  Easy to use for percussion instruments, add-on, and repetition.  Simply choose unhitched percussion instruments for students to play during each of these parts:

Shoes: clomp, clomp

Pants: wiggle, wiggle

Shirt: shake, shake

Gloves: clap, clap

Hat: nod, nod

Pumpkin: boo!  (usually the whole class says that one together since it only occurs one time)

9) At the Old Haunted House

I love this book by Helen Ketteman for all ages, but save it for my older students.  I use the melody to the folk song 'Over in the Meadow,' but adapt it into dorian mode to make it more 'spooky.'  Click on the title for my master copy with the melody written out.  I typically sing it for students which makes it an easy Halloween activity to add to any lesson with no prep needed!

10) Listening Examples

There are many wonderful pieces to play around Halloween.  A few of my favs:

a. In the Hall of the Mountain King

There are several things you can do with it (including singing 'Mary had a little lamb' to the melody!).  Great piece for body percussion!  If you want a fun challenge, check out this body percussion by Avlaia.

Easy piece to dictate for eighth and quarter notes.  

Aimee Pfitzner, a music educator and creator of the Ofortunaorff website, has several amazing ideas!

b. Danse Macabre (Saint Saens)

Listening map - I love this one on Youtube because the piece appears as each element comes up.

c.  Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Bach)

Turn off the lights and enjoy!

d. The Addams Family 

My daughter showed me this snapping dance on Go Noodle

Happy Halloween!