Angela Davidheiser

ARU 236
Dr. Romanski
May 6th 2019

Enduring Idea: Music can be found all around us.

Lesson Title: Rhythm in our Lives
Grade/Class: 2nd Grade
Time Allotment: 3 days (35-40 minutes each session)

OVERVIEW:
1. Lesson summary: Within this lesson, the second-grade students will master four
basic music note values. The students will also explore rhythm while integrating these
note values into the activities. The students will display mastery of note values by
creating rhythms using these four note values. The students will use a variety of
musical instruments for this project and will then share their creations with the class.
This lesson will teach the students about note values and rhythms that can be found in
the world around us. It will promote collaboration and teamwork and will enable
students to connect rhythm to their every-day lives.

2. Artworks, artists and/or artifacts:

• This short rhythm will demonstrate to students an example of what rhythm can visually
look like.

• This popular song “Ode to Joy” can be played or clapped out to demonstrate to
students how rhythms can be combined to create a song.
• This image of Beethoven (the composer of “Ode to Joy”) will encourage students to
explore and discuss their feelings about rhythm. It will also give students a look into
the past and the history surrounding rhythm and composition.

3. Key concepts:
● Rhythm can be found all around us.
● Rhythm can be different.
● Rhythm can be created using many different objects and instruments.

4. Essential Questions:
● What are some ways that we hear rhythm around us?
● What are some different rhythms?
● How can rhythm be created?

5. Standards:
a. National
● Cr1.1.2: Improvise rhythmic and melodic patterns and musical ideas for a
specific purpose.
- The students will meet this standard by creating their own rhythms
which will later be performed for their peers.
● Pr6.1.2: Perform appropriately for the audience and purpose.
- The students will meet this standard by following the directions
and completing a performance for their peers.
b. State
● 9.1.3.B: Recognize, know, use, and demonstrate a variety of appropriate
arts elements and principles to produce, review, and revise original
works in the arts.
- The students will meet this standard by creating a rhythm using
note values and notations.
● 9.1.3.F: Identify works of others through a performance or exhibition.
- The students will meet this standard by performing their created
rhythms for their peers.
 ● 9.4.3.C: Recognize that the environment of the observer influences
individual aesthetic responses to works in the arts.
- The students will meet this standard by creating and sharing
rhythms using their own ideas and personalities.

6. Interdisciplinary connections:
a. The students will experience an aspect of theater as they perform their
completed rhythms for their peers.
b. The students can use an aspect of dance to add motions to their completed
rhythms.

The student will...

1. Knowledge: The second-grade students will be able to identify the rhythm of a quarter
note, half note, dotted half note, and whole note and demonstrate how it sounds by
completing a planning activity.
2. Skills: The second-grade students will create a rhythm using the note values and will
demonstrate the completed rhythm.
3. Dispositions: The second-grade students will collaborate and plan with their peers and
will demonstrate an open, positive attitude toward other ideas.

ASSESSMENT:
1. The students will complete a worksheet of the note values; the sheets will demonstrate
that students have mastered each concept.
2. In groups, the students will demonstrate their understanding of note values and
rhythms by creating a short rhythm or melody. The students will share their creations
with the rest of the class and will explain their reasoning behind why they chose to
create those rhythms.
3. The teacher will collect the worksheets from the first lesson, as well as the planning
sheet for the rhythm creation.
4. The teacher will observe the students and engage them in discussion, asking
questions and engaging them in higher-level thinking.
5. The teacher will have a final checklist in which she completes as the students perform
their created rhythm. This checklist will have the requirements that should be
completed, such as the note values used, the instrument chosen, and collaboration
between group members.

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES:
Day 1:
1. Motivation: (5 minutes)
● The teacher will begin the class by asking the students to share ideas of ways
that they can hear music around them. The teacher will encourage students to
think creatively. For example, we can hear music from instruments, from the
radio, and when a cell phone rings - but how else can we hear music?
● The teacher will prompt ideas.
2. Development: (25-30 minutes)
● The teacher will ask the students for explanations of what they think “rhythm”
means. She will then explain that rhythm can help us find the beat, or the
movement of a melody. The teacher will write the definition of “rhythm” on the
board or an anchor chart.
 ● The teacher will explain to the class that there are different sounds, or notes,
that can help us create rhythm. The teacher will play a few examples of simple
rhythms for the students to listen to. The teacher will then give a simple
explanation of four types of note values - quarter notes, half notes, dotted half
notes, and whole notes.
● The teacher will explain each note value and give examples. For example, the
teacher will tell the students that a quarter note gets one beat (here she will clap
or tap on the desk). The teacher will go into a few examples so that students
can see how it creates a rhythm. The teacher will continue to instruct the
students with the other three note values.
● This day is the overall idea of what rhythm is and four note values that can help
create rhythm. The students will complete a worksheet that combine the note
values so that the students can see how they can be integrated and combined
to create rhythm.
3. Culmination: (5 minutes)
● The teacher will collect the student’s worksheets to assess that they are
understanding the information. The teacher will also give time for peer
discussion and collaboration.
● At the end of the lesson, the teacher will tell the students that the next day they
will begin creating their own rhythms using the note values they learned about.
The teacher will also challenge students to listen for the note values when they
hear songs or rhythms.
● The teacher will show the class the planning sheet and show the four main
components that they will meet when planning their rhythms. The teacher will
encourage the students to think about how they will be creating their rhythms.

Day 2:
1. Motivation (5 minutes)
● The teacher will begin the lesson by asking the students if they have heard any
music or rhythms since the last lesson. The teacher will ask for volunteers to
share what they heard. The teacher will then ask the class if they could pick out
any of the note values within the rhythms. The teacher will then tell the
students that they get to use the note values they learned to create their own
rhythms.
2. Development (25-30 minutes)
● The teacher will review the note values with the students and ask the students
to demonstrate (by clapping) what each note would sound like.
● The teacher will then tell the students that she is going to create a short rhythm
using a musical instrument. The teacher will choose a handheld instrument
from the bag she brought into the classroom. The teacher will show the
students the planning worksheet in which they will plan their rhythm and write
down the notes.
● The teacher will explain to the students that she can choose however many
notes she wants and can repeat patterns if she chooses. She may give an
example by writing her rhythm on her planning sheet. For example, the teacher
may draw four quarter notes, a half note, four more quarter notes, a dotted half
note, four more quarter notes, and a whole note. She will then use her
instrument to play the rhythm.
 *For this introduction to note values, the students will not be learning about
measures; this will be introduced when the students have mastered a few
common note values.
● The teacher will then break the class up into groups of two or three students
each. She will either hand out musical instruments or call groups up to pick
their instruments (this depends on how many of each kind she has). The
teacher will then pass out the planning worksheets - each student will get one.
The name of their instrument will be written at the top of their planning sheet.
The groups will create their rhythms using their worksheets.
● The students will need to collaborate and discuss so that they understand who
should be playing what part, when they should play together, and how they will
complete their planning sheets. This does not mean that all the answers will be
the same; it means that the students will collaborate and combine their
individual ideas after completing the planning sheet.
● The students will practice their rhythm together.
3. Culmination (5 minutes)
● The teacher will collect the planning sheets (keeping them in order so they can
be distributed for the next lesson). The teacher will tell the students that the
next lesson will be a fun performance where the groups get to demonstrate their
created rhythms.

Day 3:
1. Motivation (5 minutes)
● The teacher will welcome students and tell them that they are going to warm up
with a fun rhythm. The teacher will clap out a simple rhythm, and the students
will repeat it. The teacher will continue this, getting faster and more
complicated. This activity should be engaging and fun and kept short.
2. Development (25-30 minutes)
● The teacher will tell the students to get back into their groups from the last
lesson. She will briefly review the note values and will then pass out the
completed planning worksheets. The students will use these to follow their
rhythm. She will invite the students up to collect the same instruments that they
practiced with. The teacher will give the students 5-10 minutes to review and
practice their rhythms with their peers.
● The teacher will choose the first group to start, and the students will set up at
the front of the room. When they are ready, the teacher will instruct them to
begin. The teacher will use her checklist to assess what the students have
learned. The students will perform, and the rest of the class will be sitting
quietly listening, applauding when they’re finished. The teacher will have each
group perform in this manner.
3. Culmination (5 minutes)
● The teacher will collect the planning worksheets and engage the students in a
review and discussion. The teacher will ask the students how they feel about
rhythm and note values, and will promote discussion by asking the students
questions such as, “how can we use what we’ve learned outside of the
classroom?”
PREPARATION:

1. Teacher research and preparation:

● PDE SAS website
● Music theory books – Bastien, Alfred’s, and Faber

2. Instructional Resources:
● Note value worksheets
● Planning sheets/half paper sheets
● Anchor chart
● Rhythm definition
● Whiteboard/markers

3. Student Supplies:
● Pencils
● Musical instruments
● Handouts

4. What changes, if any, did you make to the lesson?

● Added after lesson is taught

5. How will you adapt this lesson to meet the needs of students with challenges or
students who already have a basic working knowledge of the topic being
taught?
● For students who struggle with understanding the content overall, the teacher
will provide individual anchor charts for them to refer to. She may also provide
the students with additional guided notes to help them complete the note value
worksheet.
● For students who struggle with participating and collaborating with their peers,
the teacher will provide the student with a starting rhythm phrase so that they
can contribute to the group. The teacher can also provide incentives and
periodic check-ins.
● For students who struggle with fine motor skills, the teacher can provide the
students with modified pencils for writing and instruments that are easier to
hold. The teacher can also be aware of which groups these students are in so
that they are given support and patience.
● For students who may already know this content - such as those who have
taken private music lessons - the teacher will pair them up with other students
who are on a similar level so that they can combine their knowledge to create a
more complex, longer rhythm.
● For students who are more advanced, the teacher can provide them with
additional guidelines such as using measures, dynamics, and other musical
aspects.
 Note Values

Name: _____________________________________

A ______________ note gets _______ beat.

A ______________ note gets _______ beat.

A ______________ note gets _______ beat.

A ______________ note gets _______ beat.

 Rhythm Planning Sheet

Name: ____________________________________

My planning partners are: __________________________________________

Instrument: ________________________________

Circle which ideas will be included in your rhythm. Remember to discuss and
plan with your partners.

My rhythm will be:

• Fast
• Slow
• Loud
• Soft
• Other _________________

My rhythm will use:

• Quarter notes
• Half notes
• Dotted half notes
• Whole notes
• Other _________________

I want my rhythm to remind people of _________________________________.

My rhythm looks like this:

My rhythm makes me feel __________________________________________.

 Teacher Checklist

Student name:

Name of planning partners:

Instrument:

Aspects being observed/recorded:

Collaboration:

Use of musical aspects – speed, tempo, etc:

Use of note values:

Creativity/individuality:

Other comments:

Rating Scale:

4/4 met = Excellent

3/4 met = Great
2/4 met = Good
1/4 met = Needs work/meet with teacher
0/4 met = Meet with teacher for understanding of content

Aspects should be met sufficiently to fulfill full credit. The teacher should be aware of
recurring low areas, as this may be an area that she needs to review and focus on.