I have always done Recorder Karate with just my 4th graders, but this last year my 5th graders begged me to continue it. I never did because I just didn't take the time to work it out. Since I am on summer break now I am thinking of creating a Recorder Karate for my 5th graders. Finding the songs won't be the problem. What I am wondering is, do I have them finish the belts they didn't get in 4th grade and then create 7 or 8 degrees of black belt or should I create a whole new list of songs and create new colors. I am leaning towards creating new songs with new colored belts. That way I don't have to hear the same old songs with two grade levels. Also with the Recorder Classroom magazine, there are some great songs that would work well for Recorder Karate. I would just pick so many measures for them to play from a song (E.g. I would have them play on of the variations that "B Cool" has (RC vol 1. No. 1) or play measure 7-19 from "Zippy Toad,
Waders of the Lost Park" recorder 2 part).

How would you do it?

Tami Mangusso
Aurora, Colorado