Rhythm #3

Teacher: Chris Au
Age / Grade Level(s): 6th
Class: General Music
Music Element(s) OR Topic: Rhythm

Resources/Materials
1) Dryerase board / markers
2) Projector/computer/SMART board
3) Self-made jeopardy game
4) Maybe prizes
National Core Music Standards (http://www.nationalartsstandards.org/)
Write out the specific standard, by grade OR skill level, being met:
1 MU:Cr1.1.6b: Generate musical ideas within specific related tonalities, meters, and simple chord
changes.
2 MU: Cr2.1.6b: Using standard/iconic notation/recording technology to document personal
rhythmic, melodic, and two-chord harmonic musical ideas.
3 MU:Pr4.2.6b: When analyzing selected music, read and perform using standard notation.

Objectives (Outcomes)
1) Students will be able to identify whole and half notes/rests by performing class-made rhythms and playing
rhythm jeopardy.

Assessment
1) Made-in-class sightreading examples using quarter, eighth, half, and whole notes/rests
2) The class performs examples on clapping/chanting
3) Rhythm Jeopardy

Strategy/Procedure

1) Reintroduce class to rhythm and ask what they remember about the notes theyve learned. (build your
rhythmic value tree here for notes and rests)
2) Now work up to the whole note, by asking the class first how much is 2 quarter notes worth (draw a second
tree to work from), and state that its a half note; and follow that by stating that two half notes are worth one
whole note.
3) Introduce the class to the whole and half note, and draw the symbols on the board. Ask the class how do they
think they should count these new notes (half note = du-u, whole note = du-u-u-u)
4) Write out 4 blank bars in common time and ask the class to make suggestions to fill in the bars using what
they just learned with previous knowledge. (no accents)
5) Analyze the work and perform it once or twice as a class on clap/chanting.
6) Have the class split into groups to make their own rhythms using what they learned. Steer them away from
using eighth rests if they have been having troubles in the last class.
7) Analyze and perform a few of them.
8) Split the class in half and have a scoreboard set up on the board.
9) Explain that jeopardy works by working as a team for the answer, and each question is worth a certain amount
of money but grows in difficulty the more its worth.
a. If you get a question wrong, the other team has a turn to answer it.
b. Each turn gets a 30seconds/minute to answer.

Close the class by saying that well learn about time signatures next class.

Follow-Up or Extension
Have everyone make a rhythm using everything weve learned (including accents)