Darla Hanley's Music Room
Creative Teaching for Students of Today (& Tomorrow) PK-8
Today’s Teaching Strategy: Be-Budda Bee, Be-Budda Boo
(Copycat Game)
Lower Elementary (K-2)
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
This teaching strategy is all about being a copycat and a leader making decisions to show the way—striking poses! It goes with a 2008 track by Larry Tuttle called “Fruit Pie” for its tempo and bounce.
This track is available on multiple streaming audio platforms. (Like many of my teaching strategies, you should feel free to find other audio tracks to anchor the learning experience using music that works in your setting or new tracks to simply “mix it up.”)
Pedagogical Foundations
Making decisions is a part of life. This means that even with our youngest students, we need to provide opportunities for decision making in music class where they make musical choices and express preferences. Seems obvious, right? Well, in my experience, if we don’t strategically plan for these learning experiences to occur they simply may—or may not—happen. So what kinds of musical decisions can lower elementary (K-2) students make? There are TONS, but here’s a quick list.
Make space for students to decide:
Which instrument to play (either from options provided or from the entire instrument collection in the room);
How to move (strike a pose, select from 3 body percussion options: clap, patsch, tap, walk like a dinosaur, elephant, or mouse (lol));
The track to use with the game or instrument play (from 2 options provided);
What color scarves to use (or how many: 1 or 2 scarves each);
The dynamic for singing (loud or soft); and
The song to sing! (from all the songs they know).
You’ll notice that for these young students, decision making is always framed for them to choose between a few things or from a set menu of options. That is by design! Providing this structure sets students up for success, and also gives us a way to “catch” their responses to use them as we navigate the way to achieve the learning targets we have planned. Students have agency—and we use their voices and choices to achieve educational goals.
For this teaching strategy, we are leading students to listen to music, perform a fun nonsense-style chant, and strike a pose—but in reality we are creating space for them to make decisions and lead the way... Be like me, we’ll be like you!
Okay, who am I, and how does this work?
Hi! I’m Darla, an experienced PK-12 music educator, college professor, and former Berklee College of Music Dean looking to connect with teachers, parents/caregivers, and others seeking to advance creative music making for today’s students—and their teachers. In Darla Hanley’s Music Room you will find teaching strategies, advice and teaching tips, playlists, and more.
Today we are going to play a copycat game where you get to strike a pose!
ProTIP: Demonstrate a few poses to define this word for students and guide them to understand the game.
Hands on Hips
2 Peace Signs Gesture
2 Arms Up!
Bent Knees with Hands on Thighs
Play the recording of “Fruit Pie” by Larry Tuttle and begin speaking the “Be-Budda Bee” section of the “Be-Budda-Bee, Be-Budda-Boo” chant. Informally direct students to copy your poses.
ProTIP: Create a pose and hold it for 2 beats in a my-turn-your-turn fashion. You know your students! You may decide to hold poses for 4 beats to allow more time for students to become familiar with the game and expectations.
ProTIP: Observe students and encourage them to speak the chant once they’ve heard it several times. It’s fun to say “Be-budda-Bee” and “Be-budda-Boo”—let them do it too!
Now it’s your turn to decide how to pose! We are going to change the chant so it goes like this: “Be-Budda, Be-Budda, Be-Budda, Boo—strike a pose, we’ll be like you!”.
Select a student to be the first leader and continue the game.
ProTIP: You may want to provide a menu of posing options for the students at first! Ask them to decide from: Hands on Hips, 1 Arm in the Air, Stand on 1 Foot.
Play the recording and invite new student leaders as time permits.
Be-Budda Bee, Be-Budda Boo
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
Part 1
Be-Budda, Be-Budda, Be-Budda, Bee—Do what I do, be like me
[Teacher]: Pose
[Student]: Copy Pose
[Teacher]: Pose
[Student]: Copy Pose
Part 2
Be-Budda, Be-Budda, Be-Budda, Boo—Strike a pose, we’ll be like you!
[Student]: Pose
[Teacher + Students]: Copy Pose
[Student]: Pose
[Teacher + Students]: Copy Pose