The Pandas are learning “The Seed Song” from a book by the same name with lyrics by Judy Saksie. It is a short song that describes what happens to a seed, from being planted to growing. The words easily lends itself to hand movements to accompany singing.
Seeds are planted deep, deep, deep.
In the ground they sleep, sleep, sleep.
Yellow sunshine bright, bright, bright.Raindrops falling light, light, light.
Gentle breezes
blow, blow blow.
Seeds begin to
grow, grow, grow.Grow and grow and grow and grow!
First, I sang the book and acted out the different elements at the end of each line. The students acted it out with me as well: digging on the ground, sleeping, hand shining as the sun, fingers falling as rain, hands waving side to side as the breeze, and slowly standing as growing plants.
Then I added effects, props, and a head-piece for students to act the song. I had a rainstick for the rain, fan for the breeze, and flowers for the students to grow into. I played my guitar and sang the song, pausing to give student time to act out each part. The students were first a seed, dug themselves deep into the ground and fell asleep. Then one teacher was the sun and shone a bright light on them and the students woke up. They heard the rain from the rainstick and felt the breeze by the fans. At last, they slowly got up and got taller and taller as they grew.
This activity is a great multi-sensory learning experience of being a seed. They listen to the song, act out each part, and feel the elements that help a seed grow. Some students understand that if they lay on the floor, they are not growing. They learned that to show growth, they have to physically get up. This was great imagination at play with the students being seeds to flowers with the help of the rain, sun, and wind. They are a group of growing flowers!
