The logical thinkers will thrive on these engaging lesson plans! You might be surprised to see some of those reluctant boys in the back row that don’t participate much come to life with these activities that challenge them and let them show off how smart they are!
These Logical Conclusions activities help reach those critical thinkers where they learn best. This post also helps break down and explain some of the different activities outlined in my Song Planner Worksheet, that makes planning a Year of Singing Time Lessons a cinch!
12 Logical Conclusions Activities
for Singing Time
1. Crack the Code
Use a variety of symbols to represent the words, melody pattern, or any other patterns you might notice in the song. For example, you could use dots and dashes to make something that would look like morse code but might simply represent short and long notes!
See our Crack the Code example here:
2. Melody Chart
Plot out the musical notes showing the up and down movements of the melody. You can mark each note with a different color, symbol, or shape to help represent meaning of the words. Have the kids try to decode the melody chart by sharing what they notice and any patterns they see.
Here’s two printable Melody Charts examples:
3. Color Code
Pick out a couple of keywords/ideas and then put the color only in place of those words to create a fun logical activity that’s super easy to make! You can print or even just use a variety of colored whiteboard markers to quickly make a color code activity!
Here’s how to make and use a color code:
4. Word Map
Do you remember those charts you would make in school? Those ones with a big circle in the center and the main idea/concept written there in the center. Then, you’d branch off ideas from the main one into their own circles and continue branching off ideas until you came up with the basic outline for your whole paper?
This word map activity uses the same concept! Break down the songs main concept and sub concepts with a similar word map chart!
Learn more about how this activity works in this post:
5. Rebus
A rebus is one of those puzzles where you try to figure out a phrase based on a series or combination of pictures. For example, let’s see if you can get this one. Try to figure out what the phrase is based only on this:
MILONELION
Did you get the answer? Here’s a clue: It’s one of our Primary songs (from the Friend)!
The puzzle is saying One in a Million. “One” is placed “in” the word “Million” = One in a Million.
Now, hopefully you’re just buzzing with ideas of how you can use rebuses in Singing Time! They can be like those traditional one or phrases made up a series of pictures.
Here’s how we used a Rebus activity for this Primary song:
6. First Letter of each Word
This idea is so easy to do with absolutely any idea! Simply write down the very first letter of each and every word in the song. Post each section of letters on a strip of paper and let the kids first figure out what the code is and then do their best to unscramble them back in order. In Junior Primary, you might simply show them two words strips, and ask which ones should go up, then pick another two and again ask them which one should go next!
Here’s how we use the First Letter Game:
7. What comes next?
This can be a completely no-prep activity or use a little foresight and map out a plan! The first option is to simply sing-sing-sing and randomly pause! At each pause, the kids will fill in what word or phrase comes next! It works best if you either have them finish a phrase/line of the song or tell them a number of words for them to sing (like sing the next 2 words each time I pause).
See how we use What Comes Next here:
8. Number Problems
Use numbers in place of certain keywords to create a challenging problem to solve! Your numbers can have a logical meaning (which works best) or can be more abstract!
Here’s how we used Number Problems in this Primary Song:
9. Compare and Contrast
You can use a compare and contrast approach with a song that has contrasting ideas already in it, such as lyrics that try to point out cause and effect or right and wrong. Or, use this activity with a song that shows a really strong approach to only one side of the scale. Then, you can point out it’s opposite and it will really drive home the message of WHY we want to choose the right!
Here’s one version of a Compare and Contract Activity:
10. Bar Graph
A traditional bar graph uses a scale along the edge that might represent something like price, number of items, or other metrics to chart changes. We’ll use a bar graph in singing time with the musical staff as the scale along the edge! This is a neat way to show how the melody flows throughout the song, similar to a melody chart, but with a fresh and interesting approach! You can color certain bars to represent keywords or ideas.
Here’s one Bar Graph chart to help inspire your own!
11. Riddles
Create a simple (or tricky) riddle to try to have the kids guess the song. Then, sing through the song after they’ve guess it correctly. Another way to use this activity is to create riddles for each line of the song, and then have them echo sing through the line adding more parts to echo sing until you’ve made your way through the song!
You can find some Song Riddles on LDS.org to get you started brainstorming your own!
12. Line Matching Game
Here’s another activity you did often in grade school! The game has two columns with words and/or pictures and a big space in between. You’ll match the items from column 1 with the items in column 2 with a line. This is an easy activity to use to help teach the concepts of the song and present an interesting challenge the kids enjoy doing!
Grab our printable line matching game here:
Even More Learning Style Activities
This is the second post in a series of posts on teaching by learning styles! The next post will share ideas on using Living Music Activities in Singing Time! You can also head back to the first post on Using Purposeful Movement Activities!
You can see all our posts that use Logical Conclusions under this category landing page.
Grab the free printable Song Planner Worksheet to make planning engaging activities a cinch — here!
What other logical conclusion activities do you use in Singing Time?
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