(used to ground students in their bodies in present time)

"I wake myself to greet the day,
To see,
To hear,
To work and play."

With each round of the song, tap or pat on a body part.  For example, sing the song through once together while tapping on the skull.  Sing it again while tapping around the eyes and ears in the path eye glasses would take if worn. With the next round, tap around the mouth, then on the upper chest next, and so forth.

(with hand gestures of your choosing)

Firm and strong I build my house

With shinning windows looking out

Straight and tall the chimney stands

The roof above is holding hands

A window to the left

A window to the right

A garden round with flowers bright

I open a door and so let out

Some friends who like to….

(examples: "hop about" the circle one time, "skip about" the circle one time, "crawl about" the circle one time, "caterpillar about" the circle one time, "skip backwards about" the circle one time, etc.)

and those friends are wearing …

(poke-a-dots today, red today, stripes today, etc. This way you can select specific students for each active movement.)

Once around the circle and return to your place.

 
(Touch each finger tip to thumb in turn from index finger to pinky finger.  One time through in front of body, one time through above head and one time through in front of body with arms crossed at wrists.  This is similar to "Hello/Good-bye" from the Extra Lesson)

Chip, Chop, Chip, Chop

Choppers with their choppers chop

Chip, Chop, Chip, Chop

Choppers with their choppers chop

On oaks and larches and beeches too

Their axes gaily ring

And when they ring so merrily

So merrily they sing.

Students walk forward in the circle ten steps, counting as they go, one step per count to 10

Pause, 0 backwards

Walk forward 9 steps, one count per step to 9

Pause, clap one backward with no counting, one clap per backward step

Walk forward 8 steps, one count per step to 8

Pause, clap 2 backward steps, one clap per backward step (2)

Walk forward 7 steps, one count per step to 7

Pause, clap 3 backward steps, one clap per backward step (3)

Walk forward 6 steps, one count per step to 6

Pause, clap 4 backward steps, one clap per backward step (4)

Walk forward 5 steps, one count per step to 5

Pause, clap 5 backward steps, one clap per backward step (5)…cont. until clapping back 10x

(with hand gestures of your choosing and with partnered dance of your making for honey bee section) One for the golden sun.

One for the golden sun.
Two for the night and day.
One for the golden sun.

One for the golden sun.
Three for me for here I find
Strong limbs, dear heart and clear true mind
And two for the night and day.
One for the golden sun.

One for the golden sun.
Four for the seasons slowly turning
Three for me for here I find
Strong limbs, dear heart and clear true mind
And two for the night and day
One for the golden sun.

One for the golden sun.
Five for the stars so brightly burning
Four for the seasons slowly turning
Three for me for here I find
Strong limbs, dear heart and clear true mind
And two for the night and day
One for the golden sun.

One for the golden sun.
(wait…assign honey comb, honey bee )
Six for the honey comb on the bee hive
Bring that sweet sweet honey to me
And five for the stars so brightly burning
Four for the seasons slowly turning
Three for me for here I find
Strong limbs, dear heart and clear true mind
And two for the night and day
One for the golden sun.

One for the golden sun.
One, two, three, four, five, six,
Seven for the wonders of the of the sun
for the days at thirty past five
Six for the honey comb on the bee hive
Bring that sweet sweet honey to me
And five for the stars so brightly burning
Four for the seasons slowly turning
Three for me for here I find
Strong limbs, dear heart and clear true mind
And two for the night and day
One for the golden sun.

One for the golden sun.
One for the golden suuuunnnnnn!

To the poem: Acorn and Oak by Paul King

Right thumb up on extended right arm out in front making sideways figure 8s and eye tracking thumb nail to the words of the verse (watch children to see that eyes, not heads, are tracking the thumb nail. The goal it to have the eye ball move within it's socket in the motion of a lemniscate.):

“Oh I’ll never be big,” the acorn said
As it gazed on high to the oak tree tall,
“I’m little and round as a miller’s thumb,
I’ll never be big, I’ll always be small.”
 
Left thumb up on extended left arm out in front making sideways figure 8s and eye tracking thumb nail to verse (watch children to see that eyes, not heads, are tracking the thumb nail):

The oak tree smiled a knowing smile,
“My trunk is thick, and my roots are deep,
My branches and twigs spread high and wide,
For birds to nest in, and bugs to sleep.  
Both thumbs up and crossed on extended arms out in front making sideways figure 8s and eye tracking crossed thumbs to verse (watch children to see that eyes, not heads, are tracking the thumbs):

But I was an acorn too on a time,
- ‘Oh I’ll never be big, I’ll never be strong,’-
That’s what I thought many years ago...
 And, dear little acorn, you see I was wrong!”

To the poem: Lovely Things by H.M.Sarson

Right thumb up on extended right arm out in front making sideways figure 8s and eye tracking thumb nail to the words of the verse (watch children to see that eyes, not heads, are tracking the thumb nail. The goal it to have the eye ball move within it's socket in the motion of a lemniscate.):

Bread is a lovely thing to eat -
God bless the barley and the wheat!
 
Left thumb up on extended left arm out in front making sideways figure 8s and eye tracking thumb nail to verse (watch children to see that eyes, not heads, are tracking the thumb nail):

A lovely thing to breathe is air -
God bless the sunshine everywhere!
 
Both thumbs up and crossed on extended arms out in front making sideways figure 8s and eye tracking crossed thumbs to verse (watch children to see that eyes, not heads, are tracking the thumbs):

The earth’s a lovely place to know -
God bless the folks that come and go!  
Alive’s a lovely thing to be -
Giver of life - we say - bless Thee!

To the poem: Lovely Things by H.M.Sarson

Right thumb up on extended right arm out in front making sideways figure 8s and eye tracking thumb nail to the words of the verse (watch children to see that eyes, not heads, are tracking the thumb nail. The goal it to have the eye ball move within it's socket in the motion of a lemniscate.):

Bread is a lovely thing to eat -
God bless the barley and the wheat!
 
Left thumb up on extended left arm out in front making sideways figure 8s and eye tracking thumb nail to verse (watch children to see that eyes, not heads, are tracking the thumb nail):

A lovely thing to breathe is air -
God bless the sunshine everywhere!
 
Both thumbs up and crossed on extended arms out in front making sideways figure 8s and eye tracking crossed thumbs to verse (watch children to see that eyes, not heads, are tracking the thumbs):

The earth’s a lovely place to know -
God bless the folks that come and go!  
Alive’s a lovely thing to be -
Giver of life - we say - bless Thee!

(for the end of circle time with hand gestures of your chosing.)

We are truthful and helpful

And loving in trust

For our heart's inner sun

Glows brightly in us.

We will open our hearts

To the sunbeams so bright

And we'll fill all the world

With our heart's inner light.

All students sitting in a circle with eyes open or eyes closed.

Teacher chooses a times table.

One at a time and only one student speaking, the times table is counted forward and backward with no two students saying the answer at the same time.  Students listen for a silence and then take turns speaking one answer at a time when they feel or intuit it is their turn to say a product.  Game starts over if two students speak at the same time or if one student says more than one.

Teacher chooses a times table.  Students then count around a circle.  1,2,3,4,5 and when a product of that times table is reached, the student instead says “Pez” and sits down.  For the 3s table it would sound like: 1….2…. Pez….4…..5….Pez…..7….8…Pez and with each Pez, the Pez student sits, leaving the remaining students to come to a product on their own as the game cont. around the circle.

This is a numeric counting game.  Biz is said instead of the 2s tables, Buzz instead of the 3s times tables, Bop for the 5s times tables and Doodley-doo for the 7 times tables.  In third grade other made-up words can be used for the 4s, 6s, 8s and 9s.

Begin with just a Biz game and the 2s times tables.

Sounds like each students saying one as it goes around the circle of students:

1… Biz…3… Biz… 5…. Biz…(up to 2x12)

Then add the 3s time tables also:

1…. Biz…. Buzz…. Biz…..5…. Biz-Buz…..7…..Biz…Buzz…Bizz…11…(up to 3x12)

Then as the students get good at this, add the 5s times table

1…. Biz…. Buzz…. Biz…..Bop…. Biz-Buz…..7…..Biz… Buz….Biz-Bop….11…(up to 5x12)

Then as the students get good at this, add the 7s times table

1…. Biz…. Buzz…. Biz…..Bop…. Biz-Buz…..Doodley-doo ...Biz… Buz….Biz-Bop….11…Biz-Buzz….13…..Biz-Doodley-Doo …(up to 7x12)

Angel of God who is guarding me
Be Thou a bright flame before me
Be Thou a shining star above me
Be Thou a smooth path below me
Be Thou a kind shepherd behind me.
Today, Tonight and Forever.



Angel of God my guardian dear
To whom God's love entrusts me here
Ever this day be at my side
to light and guard
to rule and guide. Amen.


Bless my pillow, Bless my bed
Bless me please from feet to head
Watch over me while I play
Keep me safe each and every day.


O God! Guide me and protect me.
Make me a shining lamp and a brilliant star.
Thou art the mighty and the powerful.

Blessings on the blossom.
Blessings on the fruit.
Blessings on the leaf and stem.
Blessings on the root.
Thank you for this food.

Before the flour, the mill
Before the mill, the grain
Before the grain, the sun and rain
The beauty of God's will.
Thank you for this food.