Up and down are places
That I'm supposed to know;
Just like in and out,
Off and on, and high and low.
But I've noticed when I get there,
All tired and out of breath,
There's just another up and down
To other places left!

Chorus:
Up and down, high and low,
Off and on, fast and slow,
Back and forth, big and small,
Here and there, short and tall.

Quieter:
But I've noticed when I get there,
All tired and out of breath,
There's just another up and down
To other places left!

Fade away:
Up and down, high and low,
Off and on, fast and slow,
Back and forth, big and small,
Here and there, short and tall.

 

Extension Activities:
1. Write the poem on a chart. Have the children use a read-the-room pointer to point to the words that are opposites.
     Here are some room-pointer ideas:
     Use a stuffed garden glove with the pinkie-, ring-, and middle fingers glued down to the palm of the glove; leave the thumb and index finger up, pointed toward the sky. The index finger is used for pointing.      Stuff the glove with cotton or old stockings. Slip the glove on a dowel and hot glue it in place. After the glue has dried, tie a big ribbon around the glove cuff to gather the glove around the dowel.
     Try a plastic apple with a hole in the bottom. Put the apple on a dowel and hot glue it in place. Point with the apple.
     Use a star, or other shape, cut from a plastic, disposable plate; decorated with glitter on both sides.      Hot glue the star to a yardstick.
     Try any shape. Attach any shape with a brad to a gift-wrap roll. Point with it.
2. Have the children talk with the other children about words that are opposites. Ask them to make an Opposites Chart. Write down their dictation of opposite words. Place the chart where the children can see it. Have them add to it when they think of a pair of opposite words.

Many thanks to Sharon MacDonald for permission to publish these lyrics.

© Sharon MacDonald.  All rights reserved