Who Has Seen the Wind? Free Rhythm & Pitch Worksheet for Elementary Music

I originally wrote two blog posts about Who Has Seen the Wind? back in 2016. Through a mix of user error and confusion, I ended up deleting both and was left with only scraps of the original content. I decided that was destiny’s way of telling me to update those posts. So this is my attempt to combine them into one, with lesson activities for rhythm, pitch, and instruments, plus a free worksheet you can use right away in your classroom.

Video Singalong & Steady Beat Practice

This is a simple video where students can tap/clap to the beat and sing along. So give your voice a few minutes of rest and press play.

Beat & Rhythm

This song is perfect for teaching and practicing half notes. In the example below I used leaves as the beat and ghost manipulatives as the rhythm, with a bit of yarn to indicate that the half note lasts for two beats. You could also use a pipe cleaner, rhythm stick, or anything you have on hand.

The cardstock leaves were from Dollar Tree and the tiny ghost erasers were from Target’s Dollar Spot. Mind you, this was back in 2016, so I doubt those specific items still exist, but I do know that my friend Elizabeth from Organized Chaos Music substited fake leaves from Dollar Tree floral section for this song, which is a fantastic idea! She has tons of great ideas just like that and many posts centered around fall, which you can find HERE.

Mood & Lyrics

First, explore the contrast between minor and major tonalities. One easy way to do this is by sharing this video from Classical MPR, which is a great summation of the difference. I especially appreciate that they emphasize how minor can be sad or scary, but also lovely!

Next, encourage students to analyze the lyrics of Who Has Seen the Wind? Ask questions like:

• “Does the image of trees bowing their heads feel happy or sad? Why?”
• “Why do you think the author chose the word trembling?”
• “What words stand out the most?”
• “Is there anything mysterious about them?”

Finally, ask them what mood they think the song was meant to evoke and connect that to its minor tonality. Students should then understand that the tonality and lyrics work together to create a spooky, but lovely song.

Instruments & Arrangements

The melody lends itself well to recorder, ocarinas, and Orff instruments. Take this opportunity to encourage student creativity by having them choose appropriate rhythm instruments or sound effects that would fit the mood of the music. You can structure it in the following way:

• Split class into two groups: players and arrangers
• Players will work on their fingerings/techniques while arrangers choose the best instruments/sound effects to fit the mood
• Rhythm instrument players will play the beat, rhythm, or simple ostinato
• Once they’ve played through their new arrangement a few times, have the groups switch parts and play again

Free Worksheet

Thankfully, I kept all my original creations from the 2016 blog post, including a worksheet. However, I went ahead and updated the worksheet to be more versatile. Here are ideas for how students can use it:

• Write the rhythms in each beat box
• Draw and color in leaves to show the rhythms in each beat box
  • Draw a swirl of wind across two boxes to represent the length of a half note
• Write in the Solfége above each word/syllable
• Draw instrument or sound effect symbols for each rhythm to create a new spooky arrangement

---

If you plan on using these lesson ideas or the free worksheet, I think you’d love my monthly newsletter. Each issue includes more free resources, teaching tips, and seasonal lesson ideas designed to make planning a little easier. You can sign up below and get inspiration delivered straight to your inbox.