Monday, November 23, 2015

Shoo Turkey

I'm writing this post quickly, so hopefully I don't miss anything...

Here's some video of Shoo, Turkey. This was done with a second grade class, and this was their first time doing it.


A few things to know about Shoo Turkey: 

  • It doesn't have to be the exact story every time. The most important parts are:
    • "Are my turkeys gone?"
    • "Will you help me find them?"
    • "Get ready, lets go!"
    • "Shoo, turkey, shoo, shoo."

I prefer to have the students hop like turkeys in a circle shape, but there's not always room for that. If they hop in a circle shape, it sets them up for the harder variant where there are in a circle and place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. 

Skills and concepts in Shoo Turkey:
  • singing
    • alone
    • in a group
    • using appropriate rhythm and pitch
  • playing (if you add instruments or body percussion)
    • students must keep a steady beat during "shoo, turkey, shoo, shoo"
  • Listening and responding: students must listen to questions and respond with the appropriate answer, either "yes, ma'am" or "so so." The form of this song is call and response.
  • Notating (if this extension is used)
  • Improvisation (The leader of the song improvises the melody and questions posed to the class.)
  • Connecting: students think about their own Thanksgiving traditions, their favorite foods, what they could make with eggs, etc.
  • Non musical skills include control of self in space, working with peers, problem solving
Ways to extend Shoo Turkey:
  • Have a student improvise/sing the questions in the song
  • Have students write their own turkey story (literacy integration)
  • Write the notation for "shoo turkey, shoo shoo" on the board. Have students guess the song
  • Have students play unpitched percussion during the parts they would sing or dance
  • Have students play pitched percussion to accompany the song
  • use for a transition from one place to another, or to get wiggles out
If you'd like to try this and have questions, feel free to give us a call, email, or comment here! Please comment if you think of other ways to use this song as well!

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