As I type this blog post, I’m currently nestled under a blanket and sipping hot tea. In Southern Pennsylvania (where I call home), we get the full spectrum of seasonal changes. Two weeks ago, my kids were swimming in 80 degree weather. Today, there’s a chill in the air and the leaves are turning.

It’s fall! 

As a music teacher, I love the seasonality of the school year. Finding resources that align with cultural traditions and seasonal changes has always been important to me. It helps ground us in the present reality, connect with kids, and celebrate different seasons throughout the year.

While we have many resources at F-flat Books (both free and paid) that are great all year round, there are some that teachers especially love in the fall. In this roundup, I’ll share our most downloaded resources for fall and how you might use them in the classroom!

For the Elementary Educator: Kammu, Kammu

What is it? Created by Native American author Michelle McCauley, this book details the story of a young girl and her admiration for a rabbit that frequents her reservation. Drawn from Michelle’s own experiences, this book has an original song and introduces students to words in the Northern Paiute language. It also introduces frame drum playing and the structure for circle songs from the Great Basin region.

Why is it great for fall? This book honors Native American culture and music and is great to introduce during Native American Heritage Month in November. In addition, the illustrations highlight color schemes that we usually associate with the change in seasons.

How would you use it? When I use this book with elementary kiddos, I first read through the interactive flipbook, asking them to note similarities they have with the protagonist and differences they have. I invite them to ask questions about the story, and we practice speaking the words in Northern Paiute. Next, we sing the song along with Michelle at the end of the book and learn about the frame drum. Finally, I have my students create their own song about nature using a steady beat on the frame drum.

For any Level Educator: Gratitude Journal Prompts for the Music Classroom

What is it? I created this free resource after the COVID school shutdown. My students and I spent time each day filling out a gratitude journal and I noticed how it transformed our classroom! It also provided a great springboard for discussions about our school community and all of the many seen and unseen acts for which we had to be grateful.

Why is it great for fall? Many of the holidays celebrated in the fall center gratitude for nourishment and harvest. No matter which holidays you observe in your school, this resource is a great way to incorporate gratitude journaling into the music classroom.

How would you use it? Each week, I would have my high school students select three prompts to work through in our “warm-up” time at the first 3 minutes of each class. At the end of the week, we’d share some of our answers with the larger class. You could also use these prompts to help students complete free writes that could then turn into compositions or songs that are thematically connected. The possibilities are endless!

For the Elementary/Middle School Educator: The Vietnamese Children’s SongBook and The Moon Represents My Heart

What is it? I’m putting these two incredible resources together because they both have ideas for centering the Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon Festival celebrated by cultures across Asia. Both Tina Huynh’s book and Alice Tsui’s song arrangement are perfect for late elementary/middle school voices.

Why is it great for fall? Both of these resources contain ideas for celebrating the Mid-Autumn festival with students through cultural treasures. And, while these songs would be great to explore at any time of year, they can provide a springboard for learning about the Mid-Autumn festival that occurs between mid-September and early October each year.

How would you use it? The Vietnamese Children’s Songbook provides ideas for learning Vietnamese songs AND creating cultural treasures, such as paper lanterns. Alice Tsui’s arrangement is also great for classroom activities and her teaching guide provides extensions for reflection and connection.

For the Early Childhood Educator: The Shy Little Monster

What is it? Based on the viral song by songwriter Stephanie Leavell, this book follow a sweet (and shy) monster who doesn’t know how to be scary on Halloween. This book centers teamwork and why it’s ok to be shy.

Why is it great for fall? If you teach in a school that acknowledges Halloween, I can’t think of a better book to introduce to students! October can be a time of year where students are seeing a lot of scary images surrounded the holiday of Halloween, and it can be intimidating for our little ones. This book is such a positive take on the holiday and helpful for students who may feel scared or shy.

How would you use it? My kids AND students LOVE this book. Typically, we use the interactive eBook version (although I have brought our new hardback in for read alouds) and listen to Stephanie sing the song while we flip through the pages. Then, I have students reflect on a time when they felt scared or shy and what they did to overcome their fear! I ask students to share ideas for what others can do when they feel similarly. Finally, we sing the song together and I let students explore the clickable elements on the SmartBoard (this part always brings about the biggest giggles).

That’s a wrap!

Have you used any of these above resources? Would you add any others to the list? Let us know in the comments below.