Fooba Wooba John

I love this song to teach rhythm! I actually use it with 5th graders at the beginning of the year. You might find it more effective with 3rd or 4th. I get away with doing such a silly song with the older kids by challenging them to add motions (and because they're used to me being silly over the years). I tell them as I sing it to add these motions on these words (I add one word at a time and keep singing it again and adding more). And then I tell them it's easier to add the motions when they sing! ;-)

"John" - both fists together, one on top of the other

"fooba wooba" - hands with palms down, one hand on top of other (not touching), then the other on top - think "hand jive"

"whoa" - both hands up in air

"oh" - both hands up in air with hands in shape of "O's"

After singing this song briefly over several lessons, we look at this visual. Students guess which colored line has the rhythms to go with the first 4 measures of the song:

"Saw a flea kick a tree" = green
"Fooba wooba, fooba wooba" = blue
"Fooba wooba John" = purple
"Whoa, John, oh, John" = red

Pass out worksheet; the students play instruments on these rhythms.

This is for students to write their own lyrics. 

Rubric