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Lesson plan: «Cucú, cucú, cantaba la rana»

Children sing «Cucú, cucú, cantaba la rana» (“Cucú, Cucú, the Frog Was Singing”) with its actions, act out each character who passes by the frog and play with rhyming words like «caballero» (“gentleman”) and «sombrero» (“hat”).

Ages
Ages 2–5
Time
25 minutes
Areas
Language and communication · Music and creative expression · Movement and the body

Opening

  1. Hide the frog under the blue cloth, as if it were under the water, and say softly: «cucú, cucú». Ask: «¿Quién canta ahí abajo?» (“Who’s singing down there?”) and let a child uncover it.
  2. Show the character cards one by one and ask the group to say who it is and act it out: how the turtle walks, how the puppy wags its tail.
  3. Watch the video once, together, to meet everyone who passes by the frog. Then turn the screen off.

Main activity

  1. Sing the first verse slowly, without the video, crouched down like frogs: give a little hop on every «cucú» and, now and then, pause so the group says it on its own.
  2. Hand out the cards to six groups. When the song names their character, that group stands up and does its action: the gentleman tips his hat, the sailor shakes his head no, the kitten opens her umbrella, the little bird sings softly, the turtle munches lettuce and the puppy wags its tail.
  3. Pause on «con capa y…» (“with a cape and a…”) so the group says «sombrero». Pause again before «lechuga» (“lettuce”), «bajito» (“softly”) and «rabito» (“little tail”), and ask whether «caballero» and «sombrero» sound the same at the end.
  4. Play with your voice and body: sing in a whisper on «cantando bajito» (“singing softly”), jump on «salieron las ranas» (“the frogs came out”) and shake your hands and feet on «moviendo patitas» (“moving their little legs”).
  5. Make up a new character: «Cucú, cucú, pasó un…» (“Cucú, cucú, along came a…”). Let the group choose who passes by and what they do; with older children, look for a word that rhymes.

Closing

  1. Sing the last verse crouched down, softer and softer, until the frog hides under the cloth again.
  2. Talk about it: “Who passed by the frog? What did the kitten carry? Which words sounded the same?”
  3. Color a page from the song’s coloring book and ask each child to tell who is in their picture and do that character’s action.

Materials

  • A toy frog (or a picture of one)
  • A blue cloth or a large scarf for the water
  • Picture cards of the characters: gentleman, sailor, kitten, little bird, turtle and puppy
  • Crayons

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What to observe

  • Says «cucú» during the pause.
  • Does their character’s action when the song names it.
  • Fills in a rhyming word, like «sombrero» or «lechuga».
  • Sings softly or jumps when the song calls for it.

Adaptations

  • With 1- and 2-year-olds, sing it on your lap: hide the frog under the cloth and uncover it on every «cucú».
  • For children who don’t speak yet or who use AAC, use the character cards: they can point to who passes by or choose the next one with their eyes.
  • For children who need to move less, everything works sitting down: a clap on every «cucú» and hands that hop on their knees.
  • If the group speaks other languages, ask how to say «rana» (“frog”) at home and what sound a frog makes there, and sing one round with that sound.

For families

Ask families to sing the song at home and to ask who passed by the frog and what they had with them.

If you teach Spanish as a new language

  • Teach the key words with gestures (TPR): «rana» (frog), «agua» (water), «sombrero» (hat), «tortuga» (turtle), «lechuga» (lettuce), «saltando» (jumping).
  • Model one line at a time and let students echo it: every line starts with «cucú, cucú», so everyone can join in from the very first verse.
  • Ask either/or questions in Spanish with the picture cards: «¿Es la tortuga o el cachorrito?» (“Is it the turtle or the puppy?”) — «¡La tortuga!».

ACTFL World-Readiness Standards: Communication (interpretive and interpersonal), Cultures (a traditional game is a cultural practice; the song, a cultural product) and Comparisons (Spanish sounds and words next to your students’ languages).

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