1. A
RAM
SAM
SAM:
SONGS
&
DANCES
FROM
AROUND
THE
WORLD
&
BACK
AGAIN
©2013
Brigid
Finucane,
Merit
School
of
Music,
Chicago,
IL
This
interactive
workshop
expands
typical
classroom
dances
and
singing
games,
fosters
community
and
cultural
diversity.
Participants
will
learn
multicultural
dances
and
musical
games
that
can
be
put
to
immediate
use.
HELLO
SONG/
Tune:
Goodnight
Ladies.
Partner
song
learned
from
Fran
McKinney,
CMN.**
http://franmckinney.com.
This
song
is
a
perfect
way
to
gather
the
class
together
and
start
the
day.
Use
other
languages
to
say
hello
after
the
song
is
well
known.
The
children
especially
enjoy
the
“boogie
on
down.”
Cross
your
hand
like
an
“X”
to
shake
hands,
emphasizing
that
only
one
hand
is
used.
Children
will
catch
on
fast
how
to
do
it.
Hello
neighbor.
What
do
you
say?
(2
hands
together
with
partner,
rocking
It’s
going
to
be
a
happy
day
gently,
side
to
side)
Greet
your
neighbor
(shake
hands
with
partner)
Boogie
on
down
(wiggle
whole
body,
moving
downwards)
Give
a
bump
and
turn
around
(bump
hips,
then
turn
around
in
circle)
HOW
PUNG
YO
(Looking
For
A
Friend)
/
Traditional
Chinese
Folk
Song
YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueSBz0aV4Rs.
Three
different
versions:
1.
Make
a
circle,
with
one
child
in
center.
This
child
is
“It,”
and
walks
inside
the
circle
while
children
are
singing
the
first
line,
then
he/she
stops
in
front
of
another
child.
On
“Jeeng
gah
lee
ah,”
the
two
bow
to
each
other,
then
shake
hands
on
“Wah
guh
sho.”
On
the
last
line,
they
trade
places,
with
the
new
friend
going
into
the
center.
Repeat.
Continue
until
everyone
has
had
a
turn
(no
repeats!).
Teaching
Tolerance:
I
Will
Be
Your
Friend
2.
All
the
children
play,
looking
for
a
friend
simultaneously.
Walk
for
the
first
two
lines,
then
turn
to
a
friend,
bow
and
shake
their
hand.
At
the
end
of
the
song,
wave
goodbye.
Repeat,
finding
a
new
friend.
Chinese
American
Service
League
(CASL),
Chicago
3.
Follow
directions
for
#1
(above),
but
instead
of
trading
places,
the
new
friend
holds
gently
on
to
the
shoulder
of
the
first
child
(“It”).
Repeat
the
song,
adding
a
new
friend
with
each
repetition.
Each
new
friend
is
added
to
the
end
of
the
train,
until
everyone
is
selected.
Campbell,
P.S.
et
al.
Roots
&
Branches.
A
Legacy
of
Multicultural
Music
for
Children
Jow
yah,
joy
yah,
jow
yah
jow,
Looking,
looking,
looking
for,
Jow
do
wee
guh
how
pung
yo.
Now
I
find
a
good
friend.
Jeeng
gah
lee
ah.
I
bow
to
you.
Wah
guh
sho.
(I)
shake
your
hand.
Nee
shur
wah
duh
how
pung
yo.
You
are
my
good
friend.
1

2. CRISS
CROSS
APPLESAUCE
/
Traditional.
Partner
game,
vocal
exploration,
+
just
plain
fun.
This
can
be
played
sitting
or
standing,
as
a
partner
activity
or
in
a
circle
with
all
of
the
children
drawing
on
the
back
of
the
person
in
front
of
them.
Remember
to
reverse
directions.
It
can
be
adapted
for
all
seasons
and
types
of
weather.
Examples.
Winter:
Snowflakes
falling,
snowballs
rolling,
etc.
Spring:
Raindrops
falling,
lightening
flashing
/
Robins
hopping,
butterflies
flitting,
etc.
Fall:
Leaves
falling,
wind
whooshing,
etc.
Criss,
cross
(Draw
a
large
“X”
on
partner’s
back)
Applesauce
(Tap
shoulders
to
rhythm
of
words)
Spiders
crawling
up
your
back
(Fingers
-­both
hands-­
crawl
up
back)
Spiders
crawling
down
your
back
(FIngers
crawl
down)
Snakes
climbing/slithering
up
your
back
(Fingers
draw
“S’s”
up
back)
Snakes
climbing
down
your
back
(“
“
down
back)
Cool
breeze
(Blow
softly
on
partner’s
neck)
Tight
squeeze
(Gently
hug
both
shoulders)
And
now
you’ve
got
the
SHIVERS!
(Fingers
tickle
all
the
way
up
back)
HA
HA
THIS
A-­WAY
/
Traditional
American
Singing
Game.
Circle
or
partner
game.
Extensions:
Beat/Rhythm:
Walk
beat
for
half
the
song,
and
then
pat
rhythm
with
a
partner.
Invite
children
to
give
their
ideas
for
other
movements
-­
pat,
turn,
jump,
etc.
One-­way
to
end
the
song:
“
Now
we
are
sitting…Just
like
this.”
*Winter
extensions:
Now
we
are
shoveling,
shivering,
sliding,
skating,
stomping,
etc.
CHOCOLATE
/
Traditional
Mexican
Chant.
Partner
activity,
steady
beat,
tempo.
There
are
many
variants
of
this
chant,
some
which
allude
to
mole
negro,
the
rich,
spicy
sauce
whose
main
ingredient
is
chocolate
(con
arroz
y
con
tomate…).
I
use
the
simpler
chant,
which
refers
to
the
molinillo,
a
wooden
utensil
that
is
twirled
between
one’s
palms
making
the
chocolate
frothy.
Each
repetition
is
faster
than
the
last.
Children
hold
hands
and
‘see-­saw’
arms
back
and
forth
while
saying
the
chant.
Uno,
dos,
tres,
CHO!
Uno,
dos,
tres,
CO!
Uno,
dos,
tres,
LA!
Uno,
dos,
tres,
TE!
Chocolate,
chocolate,
Bate,
bate,
chocolate!
2

3. SALLY
SUNSHINE
/
African
American
Singing
Game.
Circle
song
–
body
orientation,
directional
change.
I
prefer
to
sing
“Boom!”
rather
than
“Unh!”
Listen
to
Miss
Carole’s
(Macaroni
Soup)
version.
Carole
is
a
Chicago
treasure,
whose
website
includes
a
generous
Song
of
the
Month,
complete
with
lyrics
and
recordings:
http://www.macaronisoup.com/songs/sally-­go-­round-­the-­sunshine.htm.
Extensions:
I
use
this
song
to
teach
days
of
the
week.
After
“Boom!”
I
stop
the
circle
and
rhythmically
chant,
“Sunday
&
Monday,”
which
the
dancers
echo.
After
the
next
repetition,
I
chant
“Sunday,
Monday,
Tuesday,”
until
all
days
are
successively
named.
HOW
DEEP
IS
THE
SEA
/
India.
Children
stand
in
a
circle.
One
child
is
chosen
to
be
the
“fish.”
The
children
sing
the
first
part
of
the
song,
then
the
“fish”
answers,
“Not
so
very
deep,
only
this
deep!”
placing
his/her
hands
on
ankles.
The
song
is
repeated,
several
times.
Each
time
the
fish
answers,
putting
his/her
hands
on
a
higher
part
of
the
body
(ex:
knees,
hips,
shoulders).
Finally,
the
“fish”
puts
his/her
arms
overhead
and
exclaims,
“I’m
drowning!”
–while
simultaneously
rushing
to
break
out
of
the
circle.
Whomever
catches
him/her
becomes
the
next
fish.
Kiester,
Gloria,
G.
Games
Children
Sing-­India
3

4. A
RAM
SAM
SAM
/
Morocco
This
seemingly
simple
round
from
Morocco,
in
Africa,
is
over
500
years
old.
A
great
song
for
movement
and
rhythm
stick
use.
Seated
singing:
A
ram
sam
sam
/
(pat
knees
or
pound
hands.)
Gooli
gooli…
/
(roll
arms)
Arafi,
arafi
/
(glide
one
hand
down
other
arm
from
high
to
low
–
legato
movement)
Gross
motor:
A
ram
sam
sam
/
(stamp
feet).
Gooli
gooli
…
/
(swish
hips)
Arafi,
arafi
/
(raise
both
hands
over
head,
slightly
to
one
side
then
the
other,
legato)
Rhythm
sticks:
A
ram
sam
sam
/
(drum
sticks
on
floor).
Gooli
gooli
…
/
(roll
sticks)
Arafi,
arafi
/
(rub
smooth
stick
down
whole
length
of
bumpy
stick
-­
legato)
Extensions
1.Piano/
Forte
–
from
Susan
Salidor,
http://www.susansalidor.com,
another
Chicago
treasure.
-­Piano:
Hold
fists
very
close
together,
and
sing
song
using
a
soft
(&
funny)
voice.
Make
all
the
movements
as
small
as
possible
with
first
finger.
-­Forte:
While
seated,
sing
song
with
gigantic
movements
and
forte/
loud
voice.
Ram
sam
sam:
Pound
hands
/
Gooli
gool:
Roll
hands
/
Arafi:
Throw
hands
over
head
to
the
side,
then
other
side,
while
fluttering
fingers
(arafi)
2.
Sticks/
audiation
–
leave
out
a
ram
sam
sam,
while
continuing
to
play
sticks.
Depending
on
group,
leave
out
gooli
gooli….
and
arafi
during
other
sessions.
“Hide
a
ram
sam
sam
in
your
head!
We’ll
still
play
our
sticks.”
4

5. 3.Change
It
Up
–
Gross
Motor.
Invite
children
to
give
their
movement
ideas
for
each
part.
Ex.
Beat
chest
(a
ram
sam
sam),
shake
hands
or
jump
(gooli
gooli),
rock
side
to
side,
touch
toes,
fly
(arafi).
See
what
ideas
they
come
up
with!
4.Tempo
changes.
Speed
the
song
up
or
slow
it
down.
Remember
to
sing
it
at
a
moderate
tempo
so
that
it
can
be
sped
up
or
slowed
down
successfully.
Mas
rapido?!
Of
course!
5.
Instrument
play.
Place
three
hoops
on
floor,
and
designate
them
as
A,
B,
or
C.
In
each
hoop,
put
enough
of
one
instrument
for
each
student
in
small
group
to
use
(bells,
shakers,
rhythm
sticks,
etc.).
Divide
class
into
three
groups,
and
assign
each
group
to
a
hula
hoop.
Play
and
sing
song,
with
each
group
taking
one
part,
and
playing
only
on
that
part.
EX:
A.
A
ram
sam
sam
-­
rhythm
sticks,
B.
Gooli
gooli
–
bells,
C.
Arafi
–
shakers.
Repeat
3
times.
ISRAELI
DANCE!
-­
from
Joanie
Calem
http://www.joaniecalem.com
(CMN
List-­Serve,
1/1/11)
Individual
Body
Percussion
SECTION
A
(performed
twice)
A
Ram
Pat
knees
twice
with
both
hands
Sam
Hands
up
with
palms
pointing
away
from
you
Sam
Hand
up
with
palms
pointing
towards
you
(2x)
Gooli
(x5),
etc.
Roll
hands
around
each
other
Ram
Hands
up
with
palms
pointing
away
from
you
Sam
Hands
up
with
palms
pointing
towards
you
Sam
Hands
up
with
palms
pointing
away
from
you
SECTION
B
(performed
twice)
A
Hands
on
head
Ra
(two
beats)
Hands
pat
shoulders,
then
pat
knees
Fi
Hands
up
with
palms
pointing
away
from
you
(2x)
Gooli
(x5),
etc.
Roll
hands
around
each
Ram
Hands
up
with
palms
pointing
away
from
you
Sam
Hands
up
with
palms
pointing
towards
you
Sam
Hands
up
with
palms
pointing
away
from
you
Partner
Dance
SECTION
A
(performed
twice)
A
Ram
Pat
your
own
knees
twice
with
both
hands
Sam
Clap
hands
with
your
partner,
palms
to
palm
Sam
Clap
backs
of
hands
with
your
partner
(2x)
Gooli
…etc.
Hook
elbows
and
swing
your
partner
around
one
time
Ram
Clap
hands
with
your
partner
Sam
Clap
back
of
hands
with
your
partner
Sam
Clap
hands
with
your
partner
SECTION
B
(performed
twice)
A
Hands
on
head
Ra
(two
beats)
Hands
pat
shoulders,
then
pat
knees
Fi
Clap
hands
with
your
partner
5

6. Gooli
…etc.
Hook
elbows
and
swing
your
partner
around
one
time
Ram
Clap
hands
with
your
partner
Sam
Clap
back
of
hands
with
your
partner
Sam
Clap
hands
with
your
partner
This
song
garnered
a
great
deal
of
interest
and
discussion
on
the
Children’s
Music
(CMN)
list-­
serve.
Leslie
Zak
wrote
that
the
song
was
over
500
years
old.
It
may
or
may
not
mean
something,
but
has
often
been
associated
with
weaving,
and
Joanie
learned
that
Moroccan
rug
weavers
had
brought
it
from
Morocco
when
they
immigrated
to
Israel
in
the
1950’s.
Final
thoughts:
The
melody
is
extremely
versatile.
Words
can
easily
be
piggybacked
for
other
occasions:
Valentine’s
Day
(Oh
Valentine,
Oh
Valentine
/
Happy
(x4)
Valentine/
We
love
you,
etc.),
Mother’s
Day,
or
just
about
anything
you
or
your
class
can
think
of!
LUCY
LOCKET
/
England.
Tune:
Yankee
Doodle.
Chase
game,
Crescendo
hot
and
cold
game.
This
game
may
be
done
two
different
ways.
(1) Chasing
game.
A
child
with
a
small
purse,
handkerchief,
etc.,
circles
the
ring
of
seated
players
as
all
sing.
At
some
point
in
the
song
–
it
can
be
anytime
–
the
child
drops
the
object
behind
the
back
of
a
seated
child.
The
seated
child
chases
the
first
child
around
the
circle.
The
empty
space
left
by
the
second
child
(chaser)
is
“safe.”
(2) A
“finder’
is
chosen
to
hide
their
eyes
while
a
“hider”
hides
a
small
object
(‘pocket’)
somewhere
in
the
room.
The
object
MUST
be
partially
visible.
The
finder
may
turn
his
/
her
back
or
leave
the
room
–
whatever
is
best
for
your
classroom.
The
hider
then
joins
the
group,
and
the
whole
class
softly
sings
the
song
while
the
finder
looks
for
the
object.
As
the
finder
gets
closer
to
the
object,
children
gradually
sing
louder
(crescendo)
until
the
finder
is
guided
to
the
object
by
the
singers’
voices.
Transition:
Tall
as
a
Tree
Wide
as
a
house
Thin
as
a
pin
Small
as
a
mouse
(x2)
UNO,
DOS
Y
TRES
–
Mexico
/
Traditional
Counting
Song.
Partner
circle-­dance
created
by
Brigid
Finucane.
Students
stand
in
a
circle
facing
a
partner,
with
back
to
back
with
couples
on
each
side.
Uno
dos
y
tres,
(Clap,
pat
and
tap
hands
together
with
partner)
Cuatro,
cinco,
seis.
(Repeat)
Siete,
ocho,
nueve,
(Take
partners
hands,
and
go
halfway
round
in
a
two-­
hand
turn,
changing
places
with
partner)
I
can
count
to
diez.
OR
(Jump
around
halfway
to
face
a
new
partner.
Repeat)
(Yo)
Puedo
contar
a
diez.
6

7. OKINA
KURINO
KINOSHITADE
(Under
the
Spreading/Big
Chestnut
Tree)
/
Japan
Movement
can
be
sung
with
or
without
a
partner.
Increase
the
tempo
with
each
repetition.
NOTE:
This
song
has
fascinating
roots,
which
reveal,
surprisingly,
that
the
song
is
not
originally
from
Japan.
I
stumbled
upon
a
web
posting
that
examines
the
history
of
the
song,
has
YouTube
links,
and
translations
in
both
Japanese
and
English.
It’s
well
worth
your
while
to
take
a
look:
http://www.language-­exchanges.org/node/105629.
Elizabeth
Mitchell
also
has
a
video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_NWaCBrgsc.
Wikipedia
states
that
the
song
is
derived
from
an
English
song
written
in
the1930’s,
and
later
popularized
in
Japan
during
the
post-­WWII
American
occupation.
Under
the
spreading
(big)
chestnut
tree,
Okina
kurino
kinoshitade,
(Hands
sweep
from
low
to
high,
make
a
big
tree-­shaped
circle
around
face.
On
“chestnut”
/
“kinoshitade,”
touch
head,
shoulders,
then
side
of
body)
You
and
me
Anata
to
Watashi
(Point
to
another
person,
then
point
to
yourself)
Let
us
play
so
happily,
Nakayoku
Asobimashou
(Cross
both
arms
over
chest,
one
at
a
time,
making
an
“X.”
Rock
side
to
side)
Under
the
spreading
(big)
chestnut
tree.
Okina
kurino
kinoshitade.
-­JUMP
JIM
JOE
/
Traditional
American
Playparty
Game
Partner
circle
dance
–
inhibitory
control,
sequencing,
following
complex
directions.
-­Transition
rhymes:
-­
1,
2,
3and
4…Find
a
new
partner
and
we’ll
do
it
some
more!
2,
4,
6-­8-­10…Find
a
new
partner
and
do
it
again!
-­Find
a
new
partner
as
quick
as
can
be.
Find
a
new
partner
before
I
count
to
three!
**Visit
http://www.cmnonline.org
for
more
information
on
the
Children’s
Music
Network
(CMN).
Peace
and
Environmental
Resources
are
available
to
one
and
all.**
Fran
McKinney,
Carole
Stephens
(Macaroni
Soup),
Susan
Salidor
and
I
are
all
CMN
Members.
Other
fine
resources:
New
England
Dancing
Masters
(http://www.dancingmasters.com),
and
the
“Games
Children
Sing”
(series
includes
China,
India,
Malaysia,
Japan-­
book
with
CD).
Brigid
Finucane:
847
213
0713
gardengoddess1@comcast.net
Merit
School
of
Music,
38
S.
Peoria
St.,
Chicago,
IL,
60607.
312-­786-­9428.
meritmusic.org
7