Hello Friends!  I hope you had a lovely weekend.  Did you know that Wednesday April 22nd is Earth Day?  It is a time for us to celebrate our great planet and reflect on ways to keep it clean and green.  Can you name some ways that you can help the Earth?

Activity 1:  Saving water is one way to help the planet.  Listen to Denise Gagne’s song “Let’s Save Water” by clicking this link: Grade 1 Song List. Scroll down to #92 on the yellow Song List on the left hand side. Go to Movie box, hit “Lyrics” button, then press play

Listen for two ways to save water.  The third part of the song suggests putting a “brick in your toilet”.  That doesn’t mean to put it where you sit! That would be silly! It means to put a brick (or a plastic container filled with rocks) in the toilet tank so that each time you flush, you use less water.

Listen to the song a few times until you feel you can sing along.  The “bbb” part of the song is meant to be the sound of gurgling water.  Place your finger between your lips and move it back and forth quickly while you say a “b” sound. Try making up some actions to go with the song while you sing. Can you create more verses to the song using ideas that help save water?  For example, take short showers, don’t fill the bathtub all the way to the top, fix leaky taps, or don’t let water run when washing dishes.  Can you think of more? See if you can sing the new words to the song.

Activity 2: Make an instrument from recycled materials.  Look in your home’s recycling box. Find something that will make a sound if you tap it, rub it or shake it (like an instrument from the percussion family!). For example, you could use a can or container turned upside down to make a drum, or a bottle filled with rice to make a shaker. Be creative and use your imagination -you could decorate it as well.

Watch the following videos to get some ideas (you only need to make one instrument): Making small drums, a guitar, and a shaker/rattle: https://safeYouTube.net/w/SXS4. Making a tom-tom drum with an oatmeal container: https://safeYouTube.net/w/pVS4. Making a Tambores Drum with a small chip container: https://safeYouTube.net/w/TVS4

When your instrument is complete, play it along with this week’s song. We will be using these instruments for other activities over the next couple of months, so hang onto them!

Many people around the world are thinking of the people in our communities who are doing valuable, essential work. This song was written in tribute to healthcare workers around the world. It is called “A Hope for the Future”.

I love it for four reasons. First, I like the brass family of instruments. (So if it couldn’t be the french horn, the trumpet will do!). Second, I love the idea of using zoom to play music together. After all, music DOES bring people together! Third, it is so great to see the diversity of people playing: different countries, genders, ages. Finally, I love the title. Hope for the Future.

What would hope for the future be for you? If you could add lyrics to the tune, what would they be? Please share them with me and I’ll try to sing along!

I hope you enjoy this. https://safeYouTube.net/w/iag5

This week, a great musician named Bill Withers died.  He wrote the song Lean on Me.  (remember that one from class?)  Bill Withers was 81.

Here is a link to the original song.  Sing along!   https://safeYouTube.net/w/Lxn4
Think about the lyrics.  Why do you think I chose this song to share with you?  

Here are two links to covers of the song.  What do you think of them?   Which one do you like better and why?  Email me a message and let me know!  hi@mrsfairley.com

https://safeYouTube.net/w/Fun4

https://safeYouTube.net/w/Rvn4