Gettin’ Rhythm
Content Area: Music Teacher: Celia Hagar
Topic: Dancing & Rhythms Date: 10/13/09
Grade:4th-5th Grade Time: 45 minutes
Standards:
· National Standards for Music:
o 2b. Students perform with expression and technical accuracy on at least one string, wind, percussion, or classroom instrument a repertoire of instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 2, on a scale of 1 to 6.
o 5a. Students read whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 3/8, and alla breve meter signatures.
· Wisconsin State Standards for Music:
o B.4.1 Students play on pitch, in rhythm, with appropriate dynamics and timbre, and maintain asteady tempo.
o B.4.6 Students play independent instrumental parts while other students sing or play contrastingparts.
o E.8.1 Students read whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4,4/4, 6/8, 3/8, and alla breve (2/2) meter signatures.
Objectives:
Students will write down how many beats of each (whole, half, quarter, eighth) fit into one measure after a short class review.
Students will play a steady beat in groups of three to either whole, half, quarter, or eighth notes to the song “Wannabe” using classroom instruments.
Students will perform a dance movement in groups of three to either whole, half, quarter, or eighth notes to the song “Wannabe.”
Why is it important that students learn my lesson? What academic subject will this lesson be linked to?
This activity will help students recognize steady beats when listening to music. After recognizing the steady beat, students are able to create movements to these beats and perform instruments to these beats with the help of their group members. This helps students become better dancers (taking into account that children this age begin to go to dances, etc this can help students socially).
This activity also allows students to work together in a group—depending on each other to hear the beat and play the same instrument or perform the same dance.
This could be related to a mathematics class when discussing fractions. A discussion about the part versus the whole (the note being the part and 4/4 or 1 being the whole) could take place. This would be a great introduction to how music and mathematics relate.
Materials:
Song “Wannabe” by Spice Girls
Three instruments of each type (maraca, tambourine, bongo, congo, etc.)
Sheets with objectives
Chalkboard
Idea from: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MusicMathPE-
MathThroughRhythAndMovementToK3.htm
Background for Teachers:
This song is by the Spice Girls, a British pop group made up of all females. This song was chosen for the lesson taught to college age members as it will bring back memories and might inspire more students to dance and get into the activity. Another song would be chosen for a real 4th -5th grade classroom.
Steps in the Lesson:
Introduction/Building Background Knowledge
o Students have already learned what 4/4 means, how many beats each note (whole, half, quarter, eighth) receives, how to find the beat in the song and tap it out.
§ Teacher will introduce topic by asking students to write down on a piece of paper how many beats each receives and check it with a neighbor.
§ The class will come together and check answers.
Body:
o Teacher will play “Wannabe” and ask members to tap the beat on their desk. S/he will explain that this is the quarter note in 4/4 time.
o Students will be split up into groups of 2-3. By saying whole, half, quarter, eighth.
o Students will have to discuss with their group members how many beats they should make with their respective note in one measure.
o Groups will report how many beats they should make in a measure back to the class.
o Each group will choose an instrument.
o Each group will play their instrument to the beat of the song (with their respective note)
o The whole class will then play together
o Each group will have a minute to come up with a dancing activity to do to the beat of the song (with their respective note).
o The whole class will perform their dance and rhythm-making to “Wannabe.”
Closure:
o The class will discuss the different dances/sounds and why the notes created certain groups to seem slower or faster.
Assessment:
o Since this is a review activity before starting 3/4 and 2/4 time, the teacher will walk around the room checking individual answers (informal assessment) about how many beats each note gets and answers for what the fours in 4/4 represent.
o Teacher will listen to each group play their song and informally asses each group’s ability to follow a steady beat.
o Teacher will watch each group when performing individually to assess students’ ability to move to the beat.
Adaptations:
If there were students with disabilities in my classroom, the movement could be created with a body part while sitting down, standing still, etc. depending on the disability. Students who struggle with rhythms more than others could get the quarter note (since it is pretty clear in the song).
Next Steps/Connections to other subjects:
During the Closure part of the lesson, the discussion could lead into fractions. The teacher could ask how this might relate to math. She could suggest the part versus whole idea in relation to the note versus measure.
Content Area: Music Teacher: Celia Hagar
Topic: Dancing & Rhythms Date: 10/13/09
Grade:4th-5th Grade Time: 45 minutes
Standards:
· National Standards for Music:
o 2b. Students perform with expression and technical accuracy on at least one string, wind, percussion, or classroom instrument a repertoire of instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 2, on a scale of 1 to 6.
o 5a. Students read whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 3/8, and alla breve meter signatures.
· Wisconsin State Standards for Music:
o B.4.1 Students play on pitch, in rhythm, with appropriate dynamics and timbre, and maintain asteady tempo.
o B.4.6 Students play independent instrumental parts while other students sing or play contrastingparts.
o E.8.1 Students read whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4,4/4, 6/8, 3/8, and alla breve (2/2) meter signatures.
Objectives:
Students will write down how many beats of each (whole, half, quarter, eighth) fit into one measure after a short class review.
Students will play a steady beat in groups of three to either whole, half, quarter, or eighth notes to the song “Wannabe” using classroom instruments.
Students will perform a dance movement in groups of three to either whole, half, quarter, or eighth notes to the song “Wannabe.”
Why is it important that students learn my lesson? What academic subject will this lesson be linked to?
This activity will help students recognize steady beats when listening to music. After recognizing the steady beat, students are able to create movements to these beats and perform instruments to these beats with the help of their group members. This helps students become better dancers (taking into account that children this age begin to go to dances, etc this can help students socially).
This activity also allows students to work together in a group—depending on each other to hear the beat and play the same instrument or perform the same dance.
This could be related to a mathematics class when discussing fractions. A discussion about the part versus the whole (the note being the part and 4/4 or 1 being the whole) could take place. This would be a great introduction to how music and mathematics relate.
Materials:
Song “Wannabe” by Spice Girls
Three instruments of each type (maraca, tambourine, bongo, congo, etc.)
Sheets with objectives
Chalkboard
Idea from: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MusicMathPE-
MathThroughRhythAndMovementToK3.htm
Background for Teachers:
This song is by the Spice Girls, a British pop group made up of all females. This song was chosen for the lesson taught to college age members as it will bring back memories and might inspire more students to dance and get into the activity. Another song would be chosen for a real 4th -5th grade classroom.
Steps in the Lesson:
Introduction/Building Background Knowledge
o Students have already learned what 4/4 means, how many beats each note (whole, half, quarter, eighth) receives, how to find the beat in the song and tap it out.
§ Teacher will introduce topic by asking students to write down on a piece of paper how many beats each receives and check it with a neighbor.
§ The class will come together and check answers.
Body:
o Teacher will play “Wannabe” and ask members to tap the beat on their desk. S/he will explain that this is the quarter note in 4/4 time.
o Students will be split up into groups of 2-3. By saying whole, half, quarter, eighth.
o Students will have to discuss with their group members how many beats they should make with their respective note in one measure.
o Groups will report how many beats they should make in a measure back to the class.
o Each group will choose an instrument.
o Each group will play their instrument to the beat of the song (with their respective note)
o The whole class will then play together
o Each group will have a minute to come up with a dancing activity to do to the beat of the song (with their respective note).
o The whole class will perform their dance and rhythm-making to “Wannabe.”
Closure:
o The class will discuss the different dances/sounds and why the notes created certain groups to seem slower or faster.
Assessment:
o Since this is a review activity before starting 3/4 and 2/4 time, the teacher will walk around the room checking individual answers (informal assessment) about how many beats each note gets and answers for what the fours in 4/4 represent.
o Teacher will listen to each group play their song and informally asses each group’s ability to follow a steady beat.
o Teacher will watch each group when performing individually to assess students’ ability to move to the beat.
Adaptations:
If there were students with disabilities in my classroom, the movement could be created with a body part while sitting down, standing still, etc. depending on the disability. Students who struggle with rhythms more than others could get the quarter note (since it is pretty clear in the song).
Next Steps/Connections to other subjects:
During the Closure part of the lesson, the discussion could lead into fractions. The teacher could ask how this might relate to math. She could suggest the part versus whole idea in relation to the note versus measure.
