The Weed Song- Teacher's Notes

This is a nature observation song. Have the children go out and identify the weeds you teach them, maybe draw pictures with the Japanese and English names.

You can have a picture chart with, say, eight weeds. To teach the names the teacher has eight cards and has the children guess which card you&re going to turn up next by placing a counter, bean or button (I use rubber gundam figures from my son) on their chart. If they guess correctly they draw a circle in their corner of the chart. Have everyone repeat the name of the weed you've turned up, and the previous weeds. the second step is to have them place the counter on a weed the teacher names, and again draw a circle if they manage correctly. Then you can have name cards for each weed and the children write the name in english by taking a card thy like, copying it and replacing it on the weed picture when they're finished. (You need more word cards than students, some copy more quickly than others.) During this activity the teacher can go round checking the names, spelling and pronunciation. Finally, with their charts the kids go outside to look for weeds, maybe sticking an orange sticker on the ones they find.

If you have access to a kitchen you can make dandelion salad or horsetail tea with the students, or make daisy chains. Alternatively you can talk about who eats weeds and who lives in the weeds and discuss eco systems.

Simple actions for the Refrain:

How about me, I'm a weed - spread both hands in a questioning gesture.

Don't forget me, I'm a weed - shake a pointed forefinger.

Blow my seeds on the wind - blow an imaginary dandelion clock.

And spread my love to you - Spread both hands and arms moving out from the heart.