The Wheels On The Bus - Scholastic

1 THE Wheels ON THE BUSA dapted and Illustrated by Paul O. ZelinskyGrade Level: Pre-K to KThemes: Music, transportation, life in the cityRunning Time: 6 minutesSUMMARYWith unique and colorful animation, this videobrings to life one of the most well-known andclassic children s songs. The Wheels on the Buswill make children and adults want to dance andsing along with the rollicking music. The cheer-ful action lends visual reinforcement to this popular song. Students who live in the city willbe able to relate to the hustle and bustle depicted in the video, while those who live inmore rural areas will be introduced to some ofthe aspects of city life.

2 OBJECTIVES Students will make text-to-self connectionswith the video. Students will learn the popular children s song The Wheels on the Bus. BEFORE VIEWING ACTIVITIEST each the song, The Wheels on the Bus, tostudents and practice singing it. Introduce theactions that correspond to the different lines ofthe song. Discuss the meaning of the song withthe students. Guiding questions: Has anyone ridden a bus before? If so, haveyou seen or heard any of the things that happenin this song? Which things? If you live in a rural area where there are noor few buses: Why do people ride buses?

3 Where do they go on buses? What is an example of a time when you have had to take a bus? If you haven t taken one, when might you have to?Give students simple instruments to play whilesinging the song. Some suggestions are: drums,kazoos, wood blocks, whistles, bells, and cymbals. Orchestrate the song so that studentslearn to keep a beat and play their instrumentsin time with the song. Practice together andarrange for a performance for parents or students draw pictures of how they think itwould be to ride a bus like the one in the viewing the video, ask students to com-pare their pictures to what the video a Venn diagram to record similarities VIEWING ACTIVITIESWork with the children to make up new lines tothe traditional song.

4 Some examples are: Daddies on the bus go read, read, or The radio on the bus goes Encourage students to think of examples thatthey have seen while riding on a bus. If possible, take a bus ride around your town orcity. Look out the windows and discuss thescenery with the children. How is their city thesame or different from the city in the video?Some suggested destinations are: a park the bus station an outdoor mall children s neighborhoodsHave students put on a dramatic production ofthe song, The Wheels on the Bus. Usingideas from the video, help students design propsand assign them to be different characters, suchas, the driver, the mommies, the riders, etc.

5 Allof the children can participate in the chorus. Other videos based on songs available fromWeston Woods are:One Was Johnnyby Maurice SendakAlligators All Aroundby Maurice SendakChicken Soup with Riceby Maurice SendakPierreby Maurice SendakThere Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed aFlyby Simms TabackThis Land is Your Landby Woody Guthrie, Kathy JakobsenThe Foolish Frogby Pete and Charles Seeger,ill. by Miloslav JagrChicka Chicka Boom Boomby Bill Martin John Archambault, ill. by Lois Ehlert THE Wheels ON THE BUSCALL 1-800-243-5020 TO ORDER THESE AND OTHER WESTON WOODS VIDEOS!

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