Can't Dance Josey

CHICKEN ON A FENCE POST

This is just one of my favorite songs to do with 3rd grade for tika-tika (4 beamed 16th notes) as well as in 4th grade for low so.

I have two games with this song- one is text improv, where students think of a silly excuse not to have to dance with someone- NO EXCUSES about physical appearance are allowed.  Things just as silly as Chicken on a Fence post.  Examples may be: The barn was painted orange, the sky is blue, hogs in the cornfield, etc.   This one we play the 2nd week the song is known.

The other game is a concentric circle game, played after the song is known well.  Inside both circles is a rubber chicken (or other object race to). I send two students to opposite corners of the room to hide their eyes.  I then choose two secret bridges by swinging the arms of 2 connected students in the inside and 2 on the outside. The students in the circles walk the beat (inside left, outside right) as we sing the song.  When I hit a drum, the students in the circles freeze, bridges arms go up and the students who had been hiding their eyes race to get to the chicken first.  They can only get to the middle by going under the previously chosen bridges.   This is a super fun game that the kids LOVE.  They are always excited in fourth grade when it comes back.


ALSO: Just for fun, read the solfa below and see if you can figure out what pop song it is!

d d r m s s
 l l l s m d
 l l l s m d r r
d d r m s s
 l l l  s m d
l, l, f m r d t,