Discussion

Use Hanukkah, Hanukkah as a discussion starter.

Read aloud the lyrics and explore the vocabulary:

• Menorah
• Dreidel
• Nun, Gimel, Hei, Shin

For context and to add some fun, bring a dreidel to class and let students try playing this Hanukkah game.

Add instruments

Add unpitched percussion instruments to augment the feel of the strong, percussive accompaniment.

• A sections:  Add a steady stepping/stamping beat on beats 1 and 3 and add a tambourine strike on beats 2 and 4. Players must listen carefully to the accompaniment in the final A section when the accelerando affects the speed of the song.
• B sections:  Create a contrasting percussion addition. Continue using the tambourine, but shake it every time the word “dreidel” is sung. The jingling of the tambourine will be a different and contrasting sound compared to the percussive strike used in the A section.  
• Add a vibraslap every time the word spin or spinning is sung.

Invite students to explore different instruments and combinations to accompany the song. Encourage them to make musical decisions to create their own unique accompaniment.

Add Visual Interest

Add colourful scarves or ribbons to the performance.

Choose two different scarf movements to coordinate with the A and B sections of the song.

When adding instruments or visual elements to a performance, it is a good time to discuss with students how to use sound/no sound and movement/no movement combinations to create a musically interesting performance. Encourage them to include variety when adding rhythmic or visual elements: change the rhythmic pattern or movement for different phrases or sections, add elements to only selected sections, vary the instruments that are used, etc. Think of it like adding spice to a recipe – a little goes a long way!