Classroom ideas
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I'm excited to bring Klezmer! to schools - whether in-person, or virtually. Please reach out if you would like to schedule an author visit.
Below are some fun ways you can use Klezmer! in your classroom. My book dovetails into primary and intermediate units on immigration, urban settings, cultural diversity, Ellis Island...and music class, of course. |
Throw a Klezmer Party
Hit the playlist, set up some snacks, and do a craft or game. Little ears will love jamming to the upbeat tempos of klezmer music. They can move their bodies in some physical games, and keep their hands busy with art activities.
Hit the playlist, set up some snacks, and do a craft or game. Little ears will love jamming to the upbeat tempos of klezmer music. They can move their bodies in some physical games, and keep their hands busy with art activities.
Games
Freeze Dance: Use an open space, or move desks aside. Start the Klezmer Playlist. Ask the students to dance, then freeze when you pause the music. It's funny to look around and see everyone's positions. You can play "elimination," in which you get out if you move after the music stops...or you can just keep everyone in and dance, dance, dance.
Musical Chairs: Set up two rows of chairs back-to-back, with one fewer chair than number of players. Explain that when the music plays, students walk in a circle around the chairs. When the music stops, students must quickly find a chair and sit down. Whoever doesn't sit down in time will not have a chair and will be out. Repeat until one chair remains.
Klezmer Movement: Pick a song from the Klezmer Playlist. Listen to it carefully with your students. List the instruments you hear. Divide kids up into instrument groups. Discuss how to translate the sounds, tempos, and rhythms into movement. Invite each group to mimic their instrument with movement (tapping, marching, swaying, dancing, etc). Try each group separately, and then together. You've made a dance band!
Freeze Dance: Use an open space, or move desks aside. Start the Klezmer Playlist. Ask the students to dance, then freeze when you pause the music. It's funny to look around and see everyone's positions. You can play "elimination," in which you get out if you move after the music stops...or you can just keep everyone in and dance, dance, dance.
Musical Chairs: Set up two rows of chairs back-to-back, with one fewer chair than number of players. Explain that when the music plays, students walk in a circle around the chairs. When the music stops, students must quickly find a chair and sit down. Whoever doesn't sit down in time will not have a chair and will be out. Repeat until one chair remains.
Klezmer Movement: Pick a song from the Klezmer Playlist. Listen to it carefully with your students. List the instruments you hear. Divide kids up into instrument groups. Discuss how to translate the sounds, tempos, and rhythms into movement. Invite each group to mimic their instrument with movement (tapping, marching, swaying, dancing, etc). Try each group separately, and then together. You've made a dance band!
Art Activities
Klezmer Collage: Gather fun materials such as colored paper, fabric, feathers, buttons. Provide glue and scissors. Listen to the Klezmer Playlist and create art inspired by the music. Invite kids to think about color, shape and line as they relate to mood, rhythm and tempo.
Draw Your Klezmer Band: Being in a band would be so fun! Let's draw it. What instruments would be in your band? How many players? What would you play? Can you think of a band name?
Klezmer Bingo/What's That Instrument? Print out one Game Board for each player from the PDF link below. Play my video, and follow along as we listen to individual instrument sounds. In the game portion of the video, players will listen to three song clips. As players hear the instruments we just learned, mark one circle with that instrument on the Game Board. The first one to four-in-a-row wins. There are many ways to win because of repeats on the board and in the music. Have fun!
Klezmer Collage: Gather fun materials such as colored paper, fabric, feathers, buttons. Provide glue and scissors. Listen to the Klezmer Playlist and create art inspired by the music. Invite kids to think about color, shape and line as they relate to mood, rhythm and tempo.
Draw Your Klezmer Band: Being in a band would be so fun! Let's draw it. What instruments would be in your band? How many players? What would you play? Can you think of a band name?
Klezmer Bingo/What's That Instrument? Print out one Game Board for each player from the PDF link below. Play my video, and follow along as we listen to individual instrument sounds. In the game portion of the video, players will listen to three song clips. As players hear the instruments we just learned, mark one circle with that instrument on the Game Board. The first one to four-in-a-row wins. There are many ways to win because of repeats on the board and in the music. Have fun!